Canva, the all-in-one visual communication platform, today unveils its new brand campaign in France with Marcel agency, featuring tennis icon Gaël Monfils. Launching nationwide on May 4th, the campaign marks a significant new step for Canva in one of its most important European markets.
The campaign uses one of France’s most recognisable sporting figures to tell a broader story about ambition, reinvention and the power of bringing ideas to life. At its core, the campaign shows how Canva helps people move from idea to execution, creating work that is not only creative, but polished and professional.
The campaign is rooted in a clear local insight: in France, “easy” is often perceived as less powerful. To resonate with this mindset, Canva reframes simplicity not as a shortcut, but as a form of mastery, showing not just how easy it is to create, but what people can achieve with the platform. In a market where creativity is closely tied to expertise, craft and high standards, the campaign demonstrates how Canva empowers people to create work that feels credible, considered and professionally executed.
The campaign will roll out across digital, out-of-home and radio, with each execution designed to reinforce Canva’s relevance in a playful but purposeful way.
Gaël Monfils: a story of mastery and reinvention
To bring this message to life, Canva and the agency Marcel came up with the idea of partnering with Gaël Monfils, one of France’s most popular and respected athletes, at a pivotal moment in his career. Known for his discipline, creativity, and strong connection with the public, Monfils embodies both mastery and reinvention. As he steps into life after professional tennis, the campaign explores a universal question: what comes next?
“Tennis has been a huge part of my life, but now it’s time to explore what’s next. With Canva, I can take ideas I’ve had for a long time and actually start building them in a way that feels real and professional.” — Gaël Monfils, French tennis icon
At the heart of the campaign is a hero film in which Monfils, during a press conference, is asked about his future. Instead of answering directly, he begins to imagine and create multiple career paths using Canva. From entrepreneur to creative professional, each scenario comes to life through the platform, illustrating how ideas can quickly evolve into fully realized, professional concepts.
A culturally resonant campaign for the French market
Beyond the hero film, the campaign extends across multiple channels, including digital, out-of-home and radio. In one execution, a live tennis match takes an unexpected turn when Monfils swaps his racket for a laptop to build a business presentation using Canva, highlighting the platform’s versatility in a playful and culturally relevant way.
The campaign also introduces a new local tagline in France: “Your ideas become more than just ideas.”
Inspired by Monfils’ own ability to reinvent himself on and off the court, the campaign celebrates the power of imagination as the starting point for new professional journeys.
“In France, creativity is closely associated with mastery. This campaign shows how Canva empowers people to bring their creative ideas to life professionally. Gaël Monfils captures that spirit perfectly. His on court flair and creativity, coupled with his performance and ambition, have made him a true French sporting icon. We cannot wait to see what comes next.” — Amanda Zafiris, Head of Europe Marketing, Canva
Reinforcing Canva’s relevance for modern work
With more than 265 million users worldwide and with 1 in 7 internet users using Canva in France, it has become the leading platform for visual communication, transforming how individuals and teams create, collaborate and communicate.
Today, Canva supports a wide range of users, from knowledge workers and marketing teams to SMBs and solopreneurs, helping them create high-quality, on-brand content efficiently. From presentations and social media content to visual assets powered by AI, the platform is designed to help people turn ideas into work that is not only fast, but also professional in quality and execution.
This campaign reflects that broader role, combining cultural relevance, storytelling and product demonstration to highlight how Canva helps individuals and businesses turn ambition into high-quality work.
“Since anyone can bring their ideas to life with Canva, we asked ourselves who could really use it, right when the campaign would launch. That’s when we thought of Gaël. He’d announced that 2026 would be his final season and was keeping everyone guessing about what comes next. We figured he’d be the perfect person to showcase Canva’s full potential. But rather than just jumping on his news with a simple tweet, we built an entire campaign around it!” — Gaëtan du Peloux, CEO & CCO, Marcel
This campaign follows Canva Create 2026, where Canva unveiled Canva AI 2.0 — a major evolution of the platform that enables users to move seamlessly from idea to execution through conversational design and intelligent workflows.
It also comes at a time of growing momentum for Canva in France, marked by the opening of its Paris office and the gathering of its local community around Canva Create through dedicated events.
