Working on iconic brands is all part of the perks of agency life for GDG staffers.

Giving grade nine students the same opportunity is the reason we all look forward to Take Our Kids to Work Day every year.

This past November 6th, we hosted a group of 9 grade nine students as part of the nationally held career exploration event. Originally founded in 1994 by The Learning Partnership and now led by The Students Commission of Canada, the annual event invites ninth grade students across the country to experience a day in the life of various participating workplaces.

As enthusiastic supporters of the event, Glenn Davis Group has welcomed students through our studio doors since 2004. For the 2024 program, group leaders were assembled from various departments across our studio, including account services, design, and management.

After a brief overview of GDG’s 50+ year history and a crash course in design and branding fundamentals, the group of would-be designers’ schedule included a near full-day of activities meant to simulate a fast-tracked design project – from brief to presentation.

Adding authenticity to the mock exercise, the group was tasked with creating a special edition, attention-grabbing, winter-themed package as well as off-pack activations for Nestlé’s iconic Kit Kat. “Kit Kat is so well-known, and so well-loved, especially within this age group, that it’s a natural choice as the focus of the brief,” explains Davis Account Manager, Nicki Fisher. “It’s important that we give participants enough time to tap into their creativity. With Kit Kat, brand awareness is instant – which is a great head start for us when working within such an accelerated timeline.”

“We created the brief to be as realistic as possible,” says Studio Director, Jennifer Scott. “It included clear objectives, design requirements, deliverables, examples – everything you’d expect from an actual brief. Even though this is an extremely fun day, we want the students to come away from this hands-on experience with real knowledge. With a deeper understanding of how branding and design can solve problems, change behaviours, and influence positive outcomes.”

Working in groups of three, the students collaborated to brainstorm, sketch, conceptualize and write rationales based on the brief, culminating in a presentation of their ideas to the larger group and Account Director.

GDG group leaders noted that the process of building physical mockups resonated with the participants. “Mockups are a tangible translation of an idea that really help to connect the dots between ideation and reality” says Bridgemark Designer, Denise Barac. “It’s always been my favourite part of the day – demonstrating to our students that, yes, their ideas can truly come to life.  It’s a powerful moment.”

In the days following the event, GDG event coordinators have received accolades from participants and their family members on the eye-opening session. One parent expressed gratitude for uncovering a “whole new world of job opportunities” for their child, with a participant noting that it was fun to collaborate with new people and do something they wouldn’t normally do.

When it comes to Take Our Kids To Work Day 2024, we’re proud to report we really nailed the brief.