McCann’s Montreal office has been selected by Norwell Consumer Healthcare to lead the launch of a new brand and product line specifically for women.

Norwell, which was established by Quebec-based pharmaceutical company Pharmascience last year, primarily markets over-the-counter brands such as Helixia, Rhinaris, Hemovel and Lax-A-Day. The company selected McCann through an RFP process, and has mandated the agency to lead across the full array of marketing responsibilities, including the development of branding and brand assets, packaging, positioning, go-to-market strategy and its communications plan.

Details on the brand are mostly confidential at this time, however, McCann was selected specifically because of the agency’s past expertise within the women’s health and wellness category, including its work on L’Oréal Paris (including the brand’s recent anti-harassment campaign), Love & Nudes (and its Cannes-shortlisted “Stage Zero Collection”), Maybelline, CeraVe and Kids Help Phone.

Through the RFP, McCann applied its “Truth to Meaning approach” in order to “identify the meaningful role Norwell could authentically play in the complex and crucial women’s health market,” says Celine Duval, SVP and managing director for McCann’s Montreal office. “What transpired was our passion for the subject, and the fact that we were already so engaged.”

“McCann Canada’s successful work across many high-profile brands in the women’s space, and their creative ideas for how we can differentiate in this complex category, just made them a perfect fit for us,” says Stéphane Langevin, Norwell’s senior marketing director.

“We are confident that this is the beginning of a true long-term partnership with Norwell’s team,” Duval adds.