EQ names A+D creative and media partner

Digital-first challenger financial institution EQ Bank has named Arrivals + Departures (A+D) as its new creative and media agency of record to, according to the shop, “help the brand deliver on its next chapter of growth.”

The mandate includes brand platform development and fully integrated campaigns, built collaboratively with EQ Bank’s internal teams.

Andy MacPherson, VP of marketing at EQ Bank, said A+D’s long history of thinking and acting like a challenger and the shop’s “strategic boldness, creative instincts and integrated media model” made it the right fit as an agency partner.

For A+D, the win is both personal and purposeful.

“This is the kind of partnership we live for,” said Mike Bevacqua, partner and president at the shop with offices in Toronto and Halifax. “As an agency born out of a challenger spirit, we see in EQ Bank a kindred drive and willingness to be bold, defy expectations and chart a different path.”

“We believe the best campaigns happen when creative and media work in lockstep,” added Jennifer Sutherland, A+D’s VP of media.

The EQ mandate was last held by The Hive, whose partner and CSO, Dustin Rideout, joined A+D this summer.

EQ Bank, a Strategy Brand of the Year in 2024, boasts approximately 600,000 customers.

Public Inc. working with DSG Foundation

Indie creative impact agency Public Inc. has been named AOR for Dick’s Sporting Goods (DSG) Foundation.

Together with DSG Foundations’ partners, the shop will be launching an all-new campaign and social-media presence that focuses on supporting access to youth sports and quality coaching tools.

Earlier this summer, Toronto and New York-based Public Inc. launched a “Buy Canadian” campaign for drinkware company Grosche in downtown Toronto’s Sankofa Square.

Public Inc. has previously worked for brands such as TD Bank, Sun Life, UNICEF Canada and the Toronto Public Library Foundation.