Canada: Advertising, Marketing & Branding

A Federal Court ruling clarifies that displaying itemized fees on the same screen does not constitute drip pricing under Canada's Competition Act, provided all mandatory charges are visible simultaneously in legible type. The decision establishes that while concealment and sequential disclosure trigger the prohibition, transparent partitioned pricing remains lawful, leaving businesses to navigate the line between compliant fee disclosure and misleading price representations.

The National Consumer Commission’s new CPA Opt-Out Registry adds a second compliance layer - POPIA alone no longer protects direct marketers.

Advertising to children in Canada requires navigating a complex web of federal and provincial regulations, industry codes, and privacy laws that vary by medium and jurisdiction. Quebec's Consumer Protection Act imposes particularly strict prohibitions on commercial advertising directed at children under 13, with significant penalties for non-compliance. Understanding these layered requirements is essential for brands launching child-facing campaigns, from back-to-school promotions to food marketing and digi

The Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario has issued new guidance establishing that brokers' online activities are subject to the same professional standards as their offline conduct.

You planned the perfect contest. Great prize, strong engagement, your audience is excited. You hit “post,” and then months later, you get a letter from the Competition Bureau.

Canada’s federal government recently launched AI for All, a new national artificial intelligence (“AI”) strategy designed to increase AI innovation and adoption in Canada (the “AI Strategy”).

Recently, Ad Standards Canada published the updated Code for the Restriction of Food and Beverage Product Advertising to Children (the “Updated Code”), replacing the earlier Code for the Responsible Advertising of Food and Beverage Products to Children.

Hi everyone, I am Zoe Pearman, a Principal Associate in the Intellectual Property and Advertising Law Team here at Gowling WLG.

On March 12, 2026, Bill 49, The Business Practices Amendment Act, was introduced by the Government of Manitoba. The Bill targets the growing use of personalized algorithmic pricing and has now received first reading.