Score another one for Publicis Canada of Toronto. Barely a month after landing the $30-million Microsoft Canada account, the agency has reeled in another choice piece of business: the AOR assignment for CIBC, which represents annualized billings of $50 million-plus.
Palmer Jarvis DDB was runner-up in the review process, which was overseen by Westport Consulting Group of Westport, Conn.
Serge Rancourt, president of Publicis Canada, says the CIBC and Microsoft wins represent a real turning point for the agency, which is on a mission to raise its stature in the marketplace.
Publicis has been hampered by the perception that it is essentially a Montreal agency, says Rancourt, who came on board last summer. Recent events, however, should help change that.
"When I came here in August, people couldn’t even pronounce the name Publicis," he says. "I think now they realize that Publicis is an entity in Toronto – a serious one with large clients."
Andrew Bruce, executive vice-president and COO of Publicis, says the agency is "thrilled" to be working with CIBC.
"They have a strong commitment internally to make changes that will lead them to a new place," he says. "That’s exciting to us, to [work with a client] that is undergoing change in the way it’s going to operate and communicate."
Publicis had already begun staffing up in the wake of the Microsoft win. In all, the agency will be adding approximately 50 new staff people across all departments, including account service, planning, creative and the media division, Optimedia Canada.
The hand-over of the business from seven-year incumbent Padulo Integrated is expected to begin in June.
