To launch Subaru’s latest model, Zulu developed a batch of Subaru BRZ Hot Sauce to give potential owners a “taste drive.” The campaign also featured a Snap AR gaming lens.
When Zak Mroueh founded Zulu Alpha Kilo in 2008, part of his original vision was that global brands would one day reach out to the agency, regardless of its location.
This past year, Zulu brought this to fruition when it expanded from Toronto into offices in New York and Vancouver.
“The founding vision is coming to life,” says Mroueh, Zulu’s CCO and chairman. “But we’re not expanding to chase revenue. We’re doing it to chase great talent, because that’s the key to driving exceptional outcomes for our clients. We’re going where the talent is – it’s borderless creativity.”
To helm the New York office, Tim Gordon, formerly of Droga5 and a winner of top global awards, was brought on board as partner and CCO. And for the managing director role, the agency hired Meghan Mullen, who spent more than a decade at Wieden + Kennedy. “Meghan and Tim both share our goal for Zulu to become the world’s number-one creative company,” Mroueh says.
The Legion National Foundation and HomeEquity Bank reminded Canadians of wartime sacrifice with “Letters Home” – a fundraiser that had homeowners sent soldiers’ letters that were originally addressed to their residences.
Months after opening in New York, the agency won two major US assignments for global brands. “Our first big project out of the gate has drawn on the combined talents of our entire agency from Vancouver to Toronto to New York,” Gordon says.
The 12-person Vancouver team is also thriving with account wins, including Destination BC and Save-On-Foods. The leadership team there has been strengthened with the hiring of new executive strategy director Erica Shalinsky from BBDO New York.
On the growth front in 2022, the agency launched Zulumatic, a modern, full funnel media buying and planning offering. “Because our media team sits next to world-class creative talent and Zulubot, our in-house content studio, it gives us the ability to be creative and drive effectiveness to a higher level,” says Alicia Petralia, head of media.
HomeEquity Bank teamed with Homes for Heroes, a non-profit that builds houses for homeless military veterans. Zulu built a virtual village in the metaverse that visitors could experience, and called upon Canadians to donate to help turn the virtual village into a real one.
Zulu CMO Christine McNab says agencies with multiple offices are often beset with squabbling and politics, but that’s not the case for Zulu’s 150 staffers. “The founding vision has always been we’re one agency, no matter the location. I’m proud to see our borderless team collaborating as one to serve all our clients,” she says. Mroueh adds that “as a creative person, I didn’t want to move into markets such as New York until I felt we’d established our global creds.”
And on the global recognition front, the agency continues to rack up kudos, finishing among the top 10 international indie agencies at The One Show, D&AD and Cannes, winning six Cannes Lions in 2022.
Goldfish brought kids’ imaginations to life on a grand scale with Makayla’s printed storybook (shown), Teniayo’s massive mural, and Aiden’s interactive video game.
For a third time, it won Ad Age International Small Agency of the Year Gold. Campaign US anointed Zulu as its Independent Agency of the Year, while in Campaign UK’s global competition, it won silver and bronze in the creative and Independent Agency of the Year categories among stiff competition from the world’s most sought-after shops.
The agency won a prestigious Gold Effie for Goldfish crackers’ “Feeding Imagination,” a national campaign celebrating kids’ creativity by showcasing their artwork and stories on platforms including OOH, a book, videogame, AR experience, and on social.
“It felt like we were firing on all cylinders, and if we were going to grow our talent base and agency, now was the time,” says president & CEO Mike Sutton. “We haven’t reached our founding goal of becoming number one in the world yet but we’re making great strides.”
The Micropedia of Microaggressions initiative, launched by Zulu for a coalition of diversity, equity and inclusion organizations, has included a traveling poster exhibit illustrating snubs and slights directed at marginalized groups.
Creative work includes The Micropedia of Microaggressions, an online resource and traveling exhibit of posters that highlight everyday expressions that are harmful to marginalized groups. It was launched by a Canadian coalition of diversity, equity and inclusion organizations and has had participation from 125 countries.
Pizza Pizza launched the first-ever “Fixed Rate Pizza” to help consumers lock in the
price of their pizza at the start of Canada’s skyrocketing inflation hikes.
“Fixed-Rate Pizza,” an integrated campaign for Pizza Pizza, used a lighthearted tongue-in-cheek tone that plays on language from the mortgage industry. With a recession looming, consumers could “lock-in” their pizza cost for up to 12 months.
“Sound Shopping,” a campaign for Interac, used music to help people spend soundly in stores, and drums home the message that retailers often use music to encourage overspending.
The “Sound Shopping” campaign for Interac uses music to help people spend “soundly” in stores, and drums home the message that retailers often use music to encourage overspending.
“The momentum we’ve created over the last 14 years is paying off,” says Sutton. “We’ve got a borderless and brave team of Zuligans who are bringing unconventional creative solutions to our clients’ most complex business problems.”
CONTACT:
Christine McNab
Chief marketing officer
iNeedANewAgency@zulualphakilo.com
The 2023 Indie List:
Intro
Agnostic: Meeting brand demand in health and food
123w: Creative-driven M.O. serves as brand accelerant
Push Media: Focus on audience and research serves changing brand needs
Lg2: Fresh lens; different perspectives
Ray Agency: Leading brands to unexpected places
Rain: Growing to reach new heights
G&G: Celebrating a decade of success
Fuse Create: Creative efficacy for the win
Round: A model for our (budget-conscious) times
Sister Merci: Homegrown cannabis brand building cred
A&C: Connecting for growth and the greater good
