Cossette is now the new creative agency of record in Canada for WW International.

The agency will support WW’s integrated brand campaigns within the country’s borders, with a remit that spans creative, strategy, and production. The WW account will be led out of Cossette’s Toronto office, with the first national campaign going live next spring.

According to Karen Gutteridge, director, brand at WW Canada, during the RFP process, it was clear that the team at Cossette shared WW’s “passion for making wellness accessible to all Canadians.”

This week, on the heels of its Q3 announcement of slowing membership growth and an earnings miss, WW International – formerly known as Weight Watchers – introduced clients to its PersonalPoints Program, the brand’s latest weight management initiative with individualized plans that track caloric intake and other health and wellness variables.

PersonalPoints is a personalized food program for “efficacious, livable, sustainable, healthy weight loss and overall wellness.”

On the brand’s November earnings call, Mindy Grossman, the company’s president and CEO, admitted revenue was below expectations and digital growth did not offset the expected year-over-year headwinds from the workshop business. She added that it is deliberately adjusting its ad spend by putting more investment into Q4, where it believes its new marketing assets will have greater impact by amplifying its food program innovation.

“The pandemic has had an interesting impact on our business,” Gutteridge tells strategy. “We’ve seen a lot of consumers use the extra time at home to prioritize their health and wellness by cooking more healthily and working out more at home. And while most people want to live healthier, they won’t let it come at the expense of enjoying life with family and friends. WW is very well positioned to offer health and wellness support with a program that is flexible, liveable, and personalized. No restrictions, and nothing is off the menu.”

Jaimes Zentil, ECD at Cossette, pointed to the power of WW’s creative potential to meet Canadians where they are on their wellness journey, an enticing prospect especially in light of the pandemic as “people become more tuned in to the importance of living healthier and more balanced lifestyles.”

“Communicating the evolution of a legacy brand is going to be both a rewarding and challenging opportunity,” Gutteridge adds. “More specifically, we want Canadians to understand that WW is for them. It’s liveable, personalized, scientifically proven to be effective, and all comes to life through an award-winning app.”

WW hasn’t had a Canadian creative AOR in a number of years, though has worked with local agencies on a project basis; last year, WW worked with then newly-launched shop Broken Heart Love Affair to help the wellness brand connect with its consumers. Prior to that, FCB Montreal handled multiple Canadian campaigns for the brand.

The win adds to Cossette’s roster of health and wellness-related clients that already includes SickKids, as well as Ronald McDonald House and the National Advertising Benevolent Society (NABS). Other wins for the agency this year include global AOR duties for BRP.