Quebec Winter Carnival: Why Bonhomme urgently needs a rebranding

It's February 9, 2026. Outside, Quebec City is celebrating its winter. Bonhomme is there, smiling, iconic. But behind the friendly image, there's a marketing unease that everyone senses, but no one dares to name.

The Quebec Winter Carnival, once the world's premier winter event, is suffering from a major identity crisis.

As a creative business accelerator, we analyze brands with a surgical eye. Here's what's wrong with the Carnival's branding, and how the "Artisan" spirit could save it.

The "Made in China" syndrome

The Carnival is selling an authentic Nordic experience... accompanied by red plastic trumpets and disposable, light-up gadgets made on the other side of the world. It's a fatal brand disconnect.

Imagine if the Carnival's merchandise were entrusted to artisans from Saint-Jean-Port-Joli or Quebec City? Hand-carved walking sticks made from real wood, hats made from local wool, sustainable ceramic mugs for the Caribou. Luxury lies in the local craftsmanship. The Carnival is diluting its brand by selling cheap products, while the international tourist of 2026 is looking for the exceptional.

The Experience vs. The Spectacle

The "watching ice sculptures from behind a fence" model is outdated. Modern festivals (like Burning Man or even Igloofest) are immersive and participatory. At Le Socle and L'atelier A, we see artists creating interactive installations that blend technology and raw materials. This is the kind of living art that Carnival lacks. Current branding is too passive for a generation accustomed to being active participants in its entertainment.

The Artistic Blur: Family Celebration or Party?

The positioning awkwardly oscillates between a school trip and a drunken street party. In trying to please everyone, the brand becomes bland (or white, like snow). Max Doré often tells the projects we're accelerating: "If you talk to everyone, you talk to no one." Carnival must embrace its two faces by creating distinct sub-brands, or choose a side.

The solution is local.

The Carnival doesn't need a bigger advertising budget. It needs more soul. It needs to reconnect with local creators. Le Socle is willing to bet that if the organization gave free rein to 10 visionary artists and craftspeople to rethink the set design and products, the event would regain its global prestige.

Bonhomme deserves better than plastic. He deserves the real thing.