Hires and promotions
Léa Campinos has been promoted to account director at Bob, following three years in the role of account executive in shopper marketing. She will continue working on accounts in various retail sectors, including Unilever Canada and Danone Canada.
Derek Gross recently joined Influence Marketing Group, specializing in experiential, digital and retail programming, as SVP of sales. He is a former sales and marketing executive who has held positions with IMG, NFL Canada, CCMC Sports Group, Molson Sports & Entertainment and Xerox.
Aaron Michiels, whose experience spans marketing and brand strategy in the beauty and lifestyle spaces, has joined Zak Communications as VP of the PR shop’s Toronto office. Earlier this year, the agency became global AOR for Montreal-based luxury skincare brand Nannette de Gaspé Beauté. It was also recently named AOR for U.S.-based skincare brand Rodan + Fields, with a mandate that includes media relations, product launch events and influencer engagement.
RNMKR PR has added creative design, brand strategy and content development to its offering as it looks to become a full-service agency. In the process, it has brought on Alastair Sharp, a former Thomson Reuters journalist, as senior editor. He will lead narrative development, brand positioning and content creation for the agency. RNMKR PR works with clients in the cannabis, lifestyle and technology spaces, namely CannaRoyalty, BRNT Designs, Bissell Canada, D1g1ts, Vapium. and Hotbox.
PR shop MSL has brought on Kevin Gonsalves as director of social and digital. He was most recently senior manager of social media marketing at Loblaw Companies and previously worked at Pepsico Canada. In addition, Renee Weekes has been hired as account director, having held roles at High Road, Mosaic, Veritas and CBC. The hires come as MSL becomes Canadian public relations AOR for the gaming division of Warner Brothers, Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment, and for biopharmaceutical research company Scientus Pharma. It has also recently added global healthcare company Fresenius Kabi to its client roster.
New business
Florida-based Rewired Solutions, an AI-driven hiring tech company, has retained Toronto’s LP/AD to help grow its international footprint. This company is taking on new global clients and will be launching a new automated hiring solution.
Toronto’s BPR Inc, a food and lifestyle PR agency, has received a number of new business wins, including Jackson Family Wines, organic grocer Organic Garage, restaurant group The Aburi Group and market-style dining brand The Forks. It has also been named AOR for bakery Nadège Patisserie, and will support Toronto’s Oretta Restaurant, Labora Restaurant & Bar and Western Canada’s Original Joe’s Restaurant & Bar on traditional public relations and social media strategy. To support the new wins, BPR has grown its team with a series of new hires: Zai Karim as an account manager, Melissa Ferris as an account specialist, Olivia Neukamm and Sydney Boivin as account coordinators, Katherine Sousa as a social media strategist and Danielle Gobbo as the agency’s influencer strategist.
Other news
This week, the Institute of Communication Agencies announced the 23 members on the steering committee for the inaugural Effie Canada awards. They are: Melanie Dunn (Cossette) as chair, Robyn Adelson (Weber Shandwick), Tahir Ahmad (Leo Burnett), Hope Bagozzi (McDonald’s), Lori Davison (SickKids), Angela Harvey (Traffik), Robin Heisey (Humber College), Alyssa Huggins (Pizza Pizza), Lance Koenig (KBS), Vanessa Lester (OLG), Rob Levy (Brandfire), Jean-François Mallette (DDB), Christian Mathieu (Open), Margaret McKeller (Kantar), Sheri Metcalfe (Jungle Media), Heather Nobes (Visa Canada), Jill Nykoliation (JP \ TBWA), Vito Piazza (Sid Lee), Mylene Savoie (McCann), Axel Schwan (Tim Hortons), Matt Shoom-Kirsch (Taxi), Megan Towers (John. St), Rob Woyzbun (Vector Media). The call for entries for the awards (previously the CASSIES) are open on Sept. 10.
Six Canadians have been named finalists for The One Club for Creativity’s Young Guns 16 competition celebrating international creatives aged 30 and under. Among the 86 finalists from 14 countries, the following Canadians made the shortlist: Xavier Blais and Jordan Hammer in advertising (Toronto); Michael Fohring in architecture, environmental and interior design (Toronto); Cécile Gariépy in illustration (Montreal); Benjamin Johnston in typography and lettering (Toronto); and Eric Pautz in film and animation (Vancouver).
Media
Amazon has renamed and repositioned its ad offering. Going forward, Amazon Media Group, Amazon Marketing Services and Amazon Advertising Platform will be known simply as Amazon Advertising. It has also renamed Headline Search Ads to Sponsored Brands. Media in Canada spoke to Wavemaker’s Scott Stewart about what the change means for the company (for MiC subscribers).
Programmatic and analytics company MightyHive has launched in Canada. Tessa Ohlendorf has been tapped to oversee local operations as managing director, in which she will oversee a services teams specializing in programmatic and digital buying, enterprise data and analytics consulting (for Media in Canada subscribers).
