Balmoral expands OLG multicultural assignment

Balmoral has expanded its assignment with OLG to become its multicultural AOR across all lines of business, work includes research, advertising, digital, social media, community events, media and PR. For the past five years, Balmoral has handled multicultural work for OLG’s corporate marketing, horse racing and PlaySmart program, but has now been expanded to also include lotteries and digital gaming. The expanded assignment was awarded following an RFP process and work is already underway.

Sharifa Khan, founder and CEO of Balmoral, will be providing direct oversight of the account, with Jeff Almeida, VP and GM, taking the lead on strategic program development and execution. Dedicated teams will be created for each one of OLG’s lines of business.

A new CD joins Hill+Knowlton’s innovation and creativity team

Hill+Knowlton Strategies has hired Elma Foric as its new creative director, bringing more creative expertise to its Innovation + Creativity Hub. The I+C team brings together creative strategists, content strategists, behavioural scientists, digital planning experts and data specialists to provide clients with integrated solutions that go beyond the PR, comms and public affairs work it is historically known for. Hilda Kinross, SVP, innovation and integration lead at H+K, says Floric’s creative skills will help the firm “turn strategy into storytelling.”

Foric joins from agency Outpost379, and previously spent more than four years on the creative team at National. She joins a team that’s been expanding, having added Michelle Reagan as VP of creative strategy last year.

Sid Lee and Juliet join OCAD program to generate youth social engagement

Toronto ad agencies Sid Lee and Juliet have signed on to bring their advertising expertise to youth participating in OCAD’s It’s Your Future Toronto program. The program is looking to engage eight- to 12-year-old BIPOC to have a say in the City of Toronto’s efforts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and simultaneously address issues of systemic racism.

It’s Your Future Toronto aims to do that with OCAD teachers and staff, along with several partners, conducting workshops on how to share ideas with government through policy, with decision-makers through journalism (with The Globe and Mail also being a partner) and “everybody else” through advertising. The program runs until Nov. 15.