Harvey’s has picked Giants & Gentlemen to support new efforts to build the QSR’s brand across Canada.

The agency was selected following a pitch process that began in December and included four Toronto-based shops.

Since 2014, parent company Recipe Unlimited (previously known as Cara) has built an in-house content and creative team, which has handled much of the advertising for Harvey’s and its portfolio of more than a dozen restaurants (the company does work with outside agencies in some instances; it named Rethink as the new agency partner for The Keg last year and worked with Juniper Park\TBWA on campaigns for New York Fries, for example).

The company added Giants & Gentlemen to its agency roster to get a fresh set of eyes on strategy and creative as Harvey’s gets into brand-building mode. Gino Cantalini, co-founder and COO of Giants & Gentlemen, says much of Harvey’s recent marketing has been value-focused, but also has “great latent [brand] equity.” Part of Giants & Gentlemen’s mandate is to better leverage that equity and Harvey’s points of difference in brand campaigns and promotional messages that will roll out this year. The first piece of work is expected to be in market this April.

Giants & Gentlemen’s selection also comes after Chelsea Kellock, who previously spent five years leading marketing for Recipe Unlimited’s casual dining chain Montana’s, was named senior director of marketing for Harvey’s in December. There are nearly 300 Harvey’s locations across Canada.