Mint’s senior leadership team, from left: Kim Tarlo, ECD; Samantha Margolis Fogle, president; Jordan Fogle, CEO; and Ashley White, VP.

Toronto’s Mint Agency has enjoyed a strong first quarter, winning a significant amount of new business that includes start-ups and established category leaders and has necessitated new additions to its staff as it heads into the summer.

Among the wins are PMA, which has tapped Mint for a new national campaign for its Hendrick’s Gin brand. The agency has also won the social and digital remit for Swiss Chalet’s launch of its Nashville Hot Chicken products and will be developing a campaign for the restaurant chain this summer. Danone, meanwhile, has retained the agency for its Evian brand, and new work for that client is expected to launch in August.

Meanwhile, the agency has also won AOR assignments on the PR front, including a North American remit for tech startup Clyx and Canadian remit for craft brand Cricut, as well as a creative AOR assignment with food waste management brand FoodCycler. In addition, the agency will be providing XM support for underwear brand Parade.

“We’re very particular about the clients we bring on and I think our clients are particular about their partners. For us, every partnership is significant because it’s very strategically thought out,” says Samantha Margolis Fogle, the agency’s president.

“Our agency participates in culture and so do these brands. We don’t discriminate on size or where the client is at in their lifecycle,” adds Kim Tarlo, ECD with Mint. “Whether it’s a startup trying to find its role within culture, or a huge brand that’s trying to evolve to keep up, our offering is pretty universal.”

“The consistent thread, whether big or small, is that a lot of our clients are interested in converting with a new audience. That’s the sweet spot for us, and a lot of clients come to us with that problem to solve,” adds Fogle.

The new business has led to growth at the agency, too. Mint currently sits at a headcount of 66 people – “bigger than we were pre-COVID,” says Fogle – including a wave of new additions to its account services team. Among those new hires are Gigi Rabnett and Andreea Vernescu, both account directors, as well as account executives Ron Vendrov, Isha Pelrine and Tremayne Gomes. Additionally, Alexandra Beaton has been hired as a creator and talent specialist, and the agency has also hired Tonisha Delaunay as account coordinator and Jeff McQuarrie as copywriter.