Seattle-based high-end retailer Nordstrom has selected DDB Canada as its AOR for its Canadian launch.

The retailer, which is set to open its first stores in Calgary in fall 2014, will work with the agency’s Vancouver office for its mass advertising, PR, shopper marketing and digital and social media plans.

The brand picked up the account following a competitive pitch against two other agencies.

“We recognize that we’re new to Canada and that we have a lot to learn before we open our first stores,” said Karen McKibbin, president of Nordstrom Canada, in a release. “We feel fortunate to work with the innovative and passionate team at DDB Canada as we endeavour to create meaningful relationships with Canadian customers.”

Omnicom Media Group will take on media buying for the retailer.

The company will open five Canadian locations over the next three years, with plans for eight to 10 stores in total. The brand will also unveil 15 to 20 of its lower-cost Nordstrom Rack locations north of the border (which has prompted main competitor Holt Renfrew to launch its own discounted line, H2).

Past media reports have suggested that advertising for the brand will begin a year before launch in order to build brand awareness, which means we could begin to see ads as early as this fall.