D.PE Agency

What D.PE Agency does

D.PE Agency is a Toronto-based creative agency founded in 2020 that delivers brand identity, cultural experiences, art curation, experiential marketing, content creation, campaign development, and creative direction. The agency serves a client base spanning major Canadian enterprises, beverage and alcohol brands, media companies, and government/public-sector entities, including CBC, EY, Universal Music Canada, PepsiCo/Frito-Lay, City of Toronto, Ivanhoé Cambridge & Hines (CIBC Square), and multiple spirits brands (19 Crimes, Campari, Bombay Sapphire, Johnnie Walker, Truly), as well as cultural institutions such as ArtworxTO and Ontario Culture Days. The firm is led by Creative Director and Curator Ashley McKenzie-Barnes and operates with a small team of approximately 5 employees.

D.PE operates on a project-based consulting model, combining strategic brand work with cultural production and public-realm programming. Notable engagements include the rebrand of Sankofa Square for the City of Toronto, ongoing cultural programming for CIBC Square, the 19 Crimes 'Snoop Uncorked' launch, the CBC 'Get Curious' campaign, and FIFA World Cup public art murals for PepsiCo/Frito-Lay in Mississauga. The agency has added community research to its service offerings, extending beyond traditional creative production into upstream insights.

The firm positions itself as a BIPOC-led creative shop emphasizing cultural authenticity, and has been recognized with Applied Arts Photography Awards (2021), Applied Arts Advertising Awards (2021), and Women Empowerment Awards (2022). Active markets include Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and Ghana (art fair presence). No funding rounds, revenue figures, or detailed headcount data have been publicly disclosed.

Name

D.PE Agency

Legal name

We're D.PE

Website

https://weredpe.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

D.PE Agency is a Toronto-based creative agency founded in 2020 that delivers brand identity, cultural experiences, art curation, and experiential marketing for enterprise clients, beverage brands, media companies, and government entities across Canada and select international markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Services / Brand Agency

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Brand Activations & Experiential Campaign Design (MPAAAGAA), Activation/Experiential Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAO)

Keywords

• Creative agency services
• Brand identity design
• Art curation services
• Experiential marketing
• Cultural experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Creative Agency Services: D.PE Agency generates revenue through project-based creative services including brand identity development, campaign design, art curation, experiential installations, content creation, event production, and cultural programming. Revenue is earned through client engagements across diverse industries.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

D.PE Agency is a Toronto-based creative agency founded in 2020 that provides art curation, design, brand identity, experiential marketing, content creation, and cultural experience services. The agency serves enterprise clients including CBC, EY, Universal Music Canada, CIBC Square, and PepsiCo, producing culturally authentic and diversity-led creative work for major brands and institutions.

Product overview

D.PE Agency is an award-winning creative agency operating as a single unified service offering rather than a platform with separate modules. Their core offering encompasses brand identity development, cultural experience curation, integrated campaign development, creative direction and design, experiential marketing, content creation, social media management, art curation services, and community research and engagement. The agency specializes in bridging creative industries with diverse communities, producing culturally impactful work across multiple sectors including entertainment, finance, government, food and beverage, and cultural institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Art Curation Curatorial services selecting and presenting art for brand and cultural engagements, delivered to enterprise clients and institutions.
• Brand Identity Design Design of brand identity systems for enterprise clients, including visual identity, brand strategy, and creative platform development.
• Experiential Marketing Planning and execution of brand experiences and live events that translate brand strategy into in-person or hybrid activations for major clients.
• Content Creation Development of branded content assets, including campaign creative, editorial, and multimedia production for enterprise brands.
• Cultural Experiences Design and production of cultural experiences and programming that connect brands with culturally diverse audiences through curated events and storytelling.

Quantifiable outcome

• Created campaign reaching 3,000+ public survey responses for Sankofa Square rebrand
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Pitch BetterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPitch Better served as the Market Research Partner for the Sankofa Square rebranding project, providing community and market research support to inform the brand identity and strategy development.
• Rochemont Projects LLPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRochemont Projects LLP partnered with D.PE Agency for the Art Toronto booth presentation, co-presenting the 'Material Memories' curated collection featuring Ghanaian artists.
• Universal Music CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversal Music Canada is a recurring client partner for various creative initiatives including artist campaign releases, headquarters art installations, and music industry cultural programming.
• Ivanhoé Cambridge & HinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partnership with Ivanhoé Cambridge and Hines for CIBC Square development, creating cultural programming and artist installations for the TABLE Food Hall.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sid Lee: Montreal-founded independent creative agency with deep cultural and experiential work for global brands (Adidas, Cirque du Soleil). Directly comparable as a Canadian-headquartered, culture-led integrated creative shop competing for similar enterprise mandates.
• Rethink: Toronto/Vancouver/Montreal independent creative agency known for integrated brand campaigns and award-winning work. Comparable in scale and Canadian-market focus, with similar integrated creative offering.
• Grip Limited: Toronto-based independent creative agency producing integrated brand, content, and experiential work for major Canadian and international clients. Closely comparable in size, geography, and service mix.
• Anomaly: Multi-disciplinary creative company with a Toronto office, known for culturally resonant brand storytelling and experiential campaigns. Competes for the same enterprise brand mandates with an integrated creative model.
• Walton Isaacson: Independent creative agency purpose-built around multicultural and BIPOC marketing. Most directly comparable on the diversity-led creative positioning that anchors D.PE's brand.
• Lg2: Quebec-headquartered independent creative agency offering brand strategy, advertising, and experiential work for major Canadian brands. Comparable as an integrated Canadian creative competitor.
• Zulu Alpha Kilo: Toronto-based independent creative agency producing integrated campaigns and brand platforms with strong award recognition. Comparable boutique-to-mid-market scale and Canadian-market focus.

Emerging players

• The Community: Miami-based boutique agency focused on culturally led, experiential creative for major brands. Partial overlap in culturally authentic, experiential approach but primarily US-focused and not a direct Canadian competitor.

Broad incumbents

• BBDO Canada: Canadian arm of the global BBDO/Omnicom network offering full-service advertising and brand work at scale. Competes for similar enterprise brand mandates but with much broader portfolio and resource base.
• McCann Canada: Canadian operations of the McCann Worldgroup network, providing full-service advertising and brand strategy to enterprise clients. Competes for the same large-enterprise brand budgets that D.PE serves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/weredpe
• Instagraminstagram.com/were_d.pe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about D.PE Agency