Up to the Minute: Senior hires at Citizen Relations

Hires, promotions and other news

Citizen Relations has announced three recent additions to its senior team. Sarah Crabbe joins the Toronto team as SVP, leading a number of the PR shop’s national consumer accounts. Most recently, she was SVP and national practice lead for consumer marketing at Edelman Canada. Meanwhile, Alain Madgin joins as SVP in Citizen’s Quebec City office to oversee its government and public affairs practice, along with new business. Most recently, he was VP, government affairs at McKesson Canada. Lastly, Ian Baillie has joined the Vancouver team as senior account director, corporate and public affairs. He was most recently regional director for British Columbia at the Canadian Wind Energy Association.

Grey Canada, Saatchi & Saatchi Canada and Leo Burnett Toronto (alongside its Chicago office) all picked up wins at the D&AD Impact awards this week for their work with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America (one Black Pencil, one Wood Pencil), The Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity (one Wood Pencil) and P&G’s Always brand (one White Pencil), respectively. The full list of winners is available on the D&AD website.

Zulu Alpha Kilo picked up several wins at this year’s Kinsale Shark Awards, including a Gold in Film for its “Lily & the Snowman” spot for Cineplex. It also was awarded for its work for Harley-Davidson, Corona and Interac, along with its own agency work, including its “Say No to Spec” video.

The Griffin Farley Search for Beautiful Minds Canada program – a planning/strategy bootcamp and networking event – has returned this year, with tickets for the finalist showcase on Oct. 27 now on sale.

New business

Smoke’s Poutinerie has selected Rack & Pinion as its creative agency. The shop will oversee the QSR’s digital efforts, web design and development, food photography and creative video content. Rack & Pinion has previously worked with Bento Sushi, BioSteel, Psiphon, Extreme Pita, and AMJ Campbell.

Toronto’s A&C has announced two new client wins and a new website, which has a refreshed brand position centred on the shop being a communications agency, rather than solely PR and sponsorship. On the win side, the shop has picked up work for retailer Brika and the PBR Monster Energy Canada Tour, a bull riding event new to Canada. The agency will handle all strategic marketing communications planning for Brika and the national media tour for the event. The shop’s other clients include Metro Ontario, Food Basics, Carter’s OshKosh, Bayview Village, Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Bottega Prosecco, Champagne Laurent Perrier, The Shaw Festival, Art Toronto, Aimia AGO Photography Prize, Union Station, Perrier, S.Pellegrino, Acqua Panna, Sunwing Vacations, Cabot Links, Alo Restaurant and the Nestlé Pure Life portfolio.

Metroland Media has hired Craft Public Relations as its new PR agency of record. Metroland also works with The Garden as its creative shop.

Media

Vice Media and BMO have teamed up to launch Vice Money, covering money issues for a youth audience and allowing the bank to reach more millennials.

Snapchat has changed its name to Snap Inc., though its signature app will keep the name. The idea was to shift the company name away from that product only, as it develops new ones, including Spectacles, a pair of Bluetooth-connected, camera-enabled sunglasses.

Matt Ramella has been promoted from his role as VP of digital at UM Canada to become head of digital strategy and partnerships at the agency’s parent company IPG Mediabrands. Ramella had been with UM in the VP role since 2013.