When the team at Metro Canada was making the decision to hire Rethink to shepherd its first large-scale national brand campaign, they were surprised to discover that Chris Staples has a journalism degree.

‘On second thought, maybe that isn’t so surprising given Rethink’s history of creating ad campaigns that, literally, make the news,’ commented Jodi Brown, marketing and interactive director, Metro Canada, in a release.

Back in July the free national daily newspaper brand put out an RFP to begin the selection process, attracting responses from 37 agencies. Previously, it had worked with Cossette on a Toronto-focused mobile campaign, a decision that was made without a formal process. This new, rigorous effort was an attempt on Metro’s part to widen its search based on its desire to launch a campaign of a considerably greater scale.

It recently announced that Rethink won the day and would helm its first national brand effort. The decision was not just as a result of the agency’s ability to create news-making creative campaigns, but also because of the amount of newspaper experience it brings to the table, its comprehensive approach to advertising – and how that aligns with the brand’s media partner, Starcom – and its ability to make an impact says Brown.

‘We really felt that Rethink has consistently done an amazing job of breaking through the clutter to reach young and young-minded active metropolitans,’ Brown tells strategy. ‘We also love the fact that so many Rethink team members have media – and many, specifically newspaper – backgrounds. We also love their approach to digital and engaging community, which is big with Metro.’

The campaign, which is being planned by Starcom, is scheduled to go to market in October and will be led by Rethink’s Toronto office.