Rethink has been named agency of record for The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company in Canada, acting as lead agency for all brand strategy and advertising in English and French.
The assignment, based primarily out of the Toronto office, covers the full portfolio of Scotts, Miracle-Gro and Ortho lawn care, gardening and weed control products.
Rethink won the business following a review involving multiple agencies. The agency takes over from DentsuBos, which was not involved in the review. Scotts was looking for a new agency in Canada after the global arrangement with Dentsu’s 360i – which brought the business with Scotts into Canada when it expanded here in 2013 – came to an end.
Work with the new client will begin immediately, although the first campaigns are not expected to debut until early next spring.
“We had a good meeting with their U.S. team and we have the same values and principles in terms of advertising, especially in terms of social,” says Aaron Starkman, partner and creative director at Rethink. “We intend on doing what we’ve done for some of our other clients in terms of what has resonated in that space. We helped boost Molson to the number two social brand in Canada, and that was done through a mix of TV, traditional platforms and social capitalizing on the same message. That’s part of the reason why we’re a good ally for Scotts.”
Glenn Martin, director of marketing at The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company Canada, says the nature of lawn care as a category is conducive to social-focused work.
“One of the most critical sources of lawn and garden information is still knowing someone,” he says. “You see someone down the street with a beautiful lawn and find out what he does. The way knowledge is disseminated in the category is perfect for social and digital platforms, and there are some interesting places [Rethink] could take that.”
Martin adds that Scotts has new product innovation coming down within the next year that will take the company into new territory, and believes Rethink will also be helpful in approaching that.
Starkman says Scotts is one of many recent wins for Rethink, including Sport Chek in May and Coors Light in October, that will allow it to continue to grow and hire new staff.
Image courtesy LunaseeStudios/Shutterstock
