For the Newfoundland Distillery Company, Ray highlighted local ingredients such as seaweed, rhubarb, cloudberry and chaga mushrooms as components in “Rocktails,” beverage creations that invited drinkers to take a distinctly Newfoundland adventure. The campaign ran on digital, social, print and OOH.
Based in St. John’s, N.L., Ray has a decidedly unique perspective on the world of advertising. And not just because of the epic ocean views. As the only female led creative agency in Atlantic Canada, Ray is where clients and creatives go for an alternative to the mainstream and a different kind of relationship, posits president/ECD Jenny Smith.
Its unique point of view is its superpower, she says, flavouring everything from its approach to strategy and the way it uncovers insights to the adaptive, flexible, and inclusive culture it has created.
Ray teamed up with Business and Arts NL to create “The Art of Going Out” to encourage patrons to get back out post-pandemic lockdowns. Ray developed the campaign using custom illustrations from artist Mike Butler inspired by Newfoundland’s beauty and whimsy. Animated short videos offer playful tips to audience members who may be out of practice.
As Ray nears its 10th anniversary, Smith recalls that she had plenty of agency experience but no business background when she launched the firm from her kitchen table in 2013 – “just my phone and laptop,” she says with a laugh. But it was enough.
That entrepreneurial spirit is still very much part of the cultural fabric. Today with a staff of nearly 20 and clients all over Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, and the US, Ray remains fiercely independent as it evolves and grows.
“It still feels very young and ever-changing,” she observes. “And that’s a good thing – it keeps things fresh. We’re adapting to the market as our clients are, going through the same things, and finding a path that works for us. Everyone here is passionate about doing great work and having fun doing it.”
Among her primary goals at launch was to get rid of “all the layers and the hierarchy” and create a transparent agency based on great relationships. “The best work comes from the strongest relationships,” she says, “so ‘fit’ is something we take seriously – just being open and collaborative and honest. If you can’t trust your teammates, clients and partners, the work won’t come easy.”
One of Ray’s specialties, she explains, has been its ability to turn client insights into unexpected creative concepts. Take recent work for Steers Insurance. The “Brokers to the Rescue” spot casts insurance brokers in the unlikely role of heroes, charging across a pebbly beach to save the day. Providing the soundtrack is a hair-band power ballad called “Don’t Fall in Love” sung by rocker Paul Laine which generated buzz and radio play.
To help the Newfoundland & Labrador Association of Fire Services reach a new generation, Ray created a series of animated videos to take the fear out of fire safety. Freddy the Fireball is a fun-loving emoji brought to life with the help of animators Stellar Boar and audio partner Toast + Jam.
“We were inspired by Baywatch,” she sums. “It’s an unusual type of campaign for that category – but we built that trust with our client. Sometimes clients don’t realize how far they can push their brand.”
It’s an approach, she notes, that has worked with many clients, be they in the traditionally staid seafood category or crowded alcohol category. “It comes down to finding those insights and creating work that speaks to audiences in an authentic but also unignorable way,” she says.
Ray was engaged to refresh Quidi Vidi Brewing’s Iceberg beer brand and respond to the growing market desire for cans. The iceberg image references the ice giant that drifted into Ferryland in 2017, reinforcing that the beer is local through and through.
Further making the case are recent campaigns for wildcrafted skincare producer East Coast Glow, True North Seafood, the NL Association of Fire Services, and the Newfoundland Distillery Company.
For the latter, Ray created “Rocktails” – a creative platform that celebrates hand-crafted spirits made with locally foraged ingredients including seaweed, rhubarb, cloudberry and chaga mushrooms – and injected the campaign with that unique Newfoundland spirit and humour. It ran on digital, social, print and OOH over six weeks and resulted in online sales 183% over the previous year (153% at NLC stores). Facebook reach was up 774%, Instagram up 4,900%.
Plant-based skincare company East Coast Glow crafts luxury skincare products using sustainable local ingredients. The “Wash Wildly” campaign – including digital, OOH and video – speaks to the brand’s mission to connect people with nature.
The agency has landed a slew of new clients this year, including Steers Insurance, East Coast Credit Union, Business & Arts NL, engineering services company Wood PLC, Atlantic Lottery, and Tourism Southwest.
As for the future, Smith takes a pragmatic approach, letting opportunity guide her. But the core offering will always be the same. “I like our size right now,” she says. “We’re a nimble, seasoned team that can bring a lot more to the table, including standout creative solutions. We understand strategy and the creative process better because we’ve been doing it a long time.”
Insurance can be pretty boring. But Ray likened having a Steers Insurance broker by your side to having your own lifeguard à la Baywatch – always there to watch out for you and ready to spring into action when you need them most. The integrated campaign includes television, cinema, radio, OOH, digital and social media.
“It seems like, more and more, clients are realizing they’ve never had this type of agency as an option before. And now that they’ve got a taste of it, they’re saying, ‘Yeah, bring it on!’”
CONTACT:
Jenny Smith
President, executive creative director
jenny@rayagency.ca
The 2023 Indie List:
Intro
Zulu Alpha Kilo: Borderless creativity
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
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
