New business and new hires

Woodbine Entertainment Group has selected Rethink as a strategic and creative partner, following an agency search last month. The agency’s assignment includes its two venues—Woodbine Racetrack and Mohawk Racetrack. The first new work will hit the market in the summer.

Following a competitive review, Toronto agency Scratch has been named Canadian agency of record for International Comfort Products. The assignment includes strategic planning, creative and digital, along with media planning and buying for the company’s 2017 marketing efforts tied to its Tempstar heating and cooling brand. The media mix will include digital, print and OOH.

Giants & Gentlemen has been named an agency partner for Mexican QSR Mucho Burrito and Big Smoke Burger, part of MTY Group. The win comes after a consultation involving five agencies. Work supporting the brands’ growth plan will debut in the summer.

Mexican soft drink brand Jarritos has chosen Branding & Buzzing as its agency of record to manage its Canadian digital marketing and experiential events. The agency will design branded and sponsored content along with experiential events tied largely to major Canadian food festivals.

Tag has announced two business wins. Power tool and outdoor products brand Ryobi has awarded the agency its social media business, while MTY Group company Extreme Pita has selected Tag to do a brand study, aiming to uncover future positioning opportunities for the brand. Its scope will include strategic planning, research and development and creative.

Communications shop Veritas has added to its team nationally. The agency has added Michelle Palikot, previously an account manager with Brix Media Co., to its Vancouver team. Meanwhile, it has also brought on Audrey Emanuel in Montreal, where it’s opened a new office space.

Dentsu Aegis-owned performance marketing agency iProspect has promoted Sonia Allard to vice president, sales and marketing. Allard has been working for iProspect (previously NVI) for almost 10 years, holding management positions in account management and marketing. She will now be in charge of the sales and marketing strategy for iProspect in Canada.

Media

Bell Media-owned MCN Much Digital Studios will debut its first-ever original series Dan For a Week this spring. The series features Much creator Dan James (known to fans as TheDanocracy) attempting to live a normal life while adapting to bizarre limitations and extreme situations.

St. Joseph Media and Shoppers Drug Mart have discontinued publication of magazines Glow and Pure, citing the shift readers are making to digital and social channels.

NBA Canada has partnered with Samsung and NextVR to offer live-streamed, regular-season NBA games broadcast in virtual reality. The first match to be streamed in VR was the March 7 match between the Phoenix Suns and the Washington Wizards. The NBA will continue to stream one game per week on the NextVR app for the next six weeks.