CIBC Rewards

CIBC gets more personal with their card holders.

TL;DR

As Executive Creative Director at Bond Brand Loyalty, I led the creative direction for Aventura Cardholder Engagement (ACE) the strategy at the heart of CIBC’s rewards program. Designed to drive deeper loyalty and long-term engagement, ACE was a comprehensive, behavior-based initiative that blended lifecycle marketing, personalized communications, a reimagined rewards catalogue, and curated surprise-and-delight moments. The program brought emotional resonance and utility to the Aventura experience, helping cardholders see real value in their everyday interactions with CIBC.

My Role
Executive Creative Director, Led end-to-end experience across communications, digital, and branded experiential moments

Team Size
54+ Humans (Design, CX, Research, Content, Strategy, Loyalty, CRM, Development)

Tools Used
Adobe CC, Sketch, InVision, Figma, Salesforce Marketing Cloud

The Problem

CIBC’s travel rewards program was falling short of its potential. Cardholders weren’t fully engaged, and many didn’t understand how to maximize their benefits. Communications felt fragmented and impersonal. The merchandise catalogue was outdated and lacked inspiration. There was no cohesive journey guiding cardholders from activation to redemption, and little sense of emotional connection throughout. Without a clear engagement strategy, CIBC risked losing relevance with a high-value customer base that expected more from a premium card experience.

The Solution

We built Aventura Cardholder Engagement (ACE) as a fully integrated loyalty program that combined strategic lifecycle planning with creative execution across every major customer touchpoint. Working in close partnership with CIBC, our team at Bond Brand Loyalty designed and delivered a connected experience that spanned onboarding, activation, usage, and long-term retention.

We developed a robust triggered email ecosystem tailored to cardholder behaviour and life stage, reinforced by targeted communications that highlighted point balances, travel inspiration, and limited-time offers.

We redesigned the rewards catalogue and merchandise redemption website to reflect a more modern, curated, and intuitive experience, moving away from a static utility into something aspirational and emotionally resonant.