Rethink is launching a new division in response to the industry merging of advertising and public relations disciplines.

Rethink, the indie shop and silver winning PR Agency of the Year behind campaigns like the Heinz Ketchup jigsaw puzzle and the “Unburnable” edition of The Handmaid’s Tale for Penguin Random House, is formally launching Rethink Brand Narrative.

It’s a move meant to deepen the cultural relevance of its partner brands through high-impact storytelling, according to Rethink.

“It’s clear that advertising, PR and content have converged, and it no longer makes sense to operate in silos,” says Rethink’s chief strategy officer Sean McDonald. “We’ve always believed there’s one brand story and lots of ways to bring it to life.”

The new Brand Narrative division is part of an evolution that started organically, as Rethink began taking on more of its own creative amplification work for clients including A&W, Scotiabank, Scene+ and McCain.

Rethink, which recently added to its Vancouver leadership, assembled a multi-disciplinary team led by Lianne George, formerly the director of lifestyle content at Rogers Media and EIC of Chatelaine, and Meredith Montgomery, formerly the VP at Ketchum.

According to George, the division is partners in the agency’s strategic and creative process from end to end, which means the same brand insights and sensibility that inform Rethink’s creative work also form the basis for the brand stories it shares across channels.

Rounding out the team are account director Sara Lemmermeyer, PR managers Jacky Le (formerly Citizen Relations) and Chenda McKissick (formerly Pomp & Circumstance), influencer strategist Karin Torn and PR coordinators Kaitlyn Vian and Claire Tam.

Most recently, Rethink hired Christina Vardanis, formerly of Globe and Mail, Chatelaine and Best Health, as content director.

One of the largest global independent agencies, Rethink was founded in 1999, and has offices in New York, Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.