Cossette has picked up AOR duties for Indigo Books and Music, leading creative for the country’s biggest book and lifestyle retailer.

Selected following an RFP process, Cossette has also been tasked with helping Indigo amplify its brand purpose of helping customers “live their best lives” and connect with their passions through both its books and growing selection of lifestyle and decor products.

“It was immediately obvious that [Cossette] understood us and demonstrated a commitment to creating great end-to-end customer experiences that are rooted in rich human storytelling,” says Peter Ruis, president of Indigo. Daniel Shearer, president of Cossette’s Ontario and West regions, adds that it is a “pivotal moment” for Indigo, as it transforms its mission to support customers with a differentiated in-store and digital commerce experience that aligns with the needs of customers and communities.

Indigo has worked with a variety of agencies on different campaigns in recent years, as well as its own in-house studio. Nathan Williams, who had been hired to lead Indigo’s creative studio in 2019 as chief creative officer, left the company earlier this month.

As of the beginning of 2022, Indigo operated 88 large-format stores as well as 85 smaller stores under the Coles and Indigospirit banners, though that number has shrunk slightly in recent years as pandemic store closures impacted the retailer’s business. However, Indigo does appear on the path to recovery: for the three months ended Jan. 1, the retailer reported the revenue grew 17.9% year-over-year and 12.2% compared to pre-pandemic levels. The company cited a strong product assortment and scaled-back promotional strategy for the growth, which was particularly strong in the lifestyle and toy businesses over the holiday season, as well as books due to a renewed interest in reading.