In this humorous spot for RE/MAX, a dad uses peculiar methods for doing a house inspection. The campaign “The Advice You Need” from Arrivals + Departures reminds Canadians that the real estate company provides the guidance they can really use.
Brands are increasingly looking to independent agencies for their innovative thinking and innate agility. On the flip side, economies of scale and other efficiencies make a one-stop, soup-to-nuts shop appealing – rare outside of a multinational partner. But that’s what makes Arrivals + Departures a standout among indies following a series of entrepreneurial moves.
The Toronto- and Halifax-based agency has managed three mergers and acquisitions to bolster its offering and drive scale, most recently adding media planning and buying by acquiring MW360 Media, a national agency based in Halifax.
The agency’s A+D Media division now allows it to provide “full-service, seamless capabilities across Canada like any other media shop,” says Mike Bevacqua, partner and Toronto president.
For travelers unwilling to leave pets behind, A+D worked with Pet Valu in creating the Let’s Go Outside book, filled with travel tips including pet-first hotels, campsites, hikes, parks, restaurants, shops and outdoor adventures.
While 2022 marked A+D’s 25th anniversary, it feels like the agency is just getting started. It’s coming off a record revenue year, expanding its offering, moving into new territories, and has grown from a staff of 48 to 84 since the start of the pandemic.
It’s all true to the agency’s name. “We are inspired by travel and stepping outside of one’s comfort zone to see what the world has to offer,” says Bevacqua. “Departing full of anticipation, excitement and fear; returning more courageous, inspired and better informed.”
He points to four areas as the agency’s keys to success.
Leaning into Twisted Tea’s unpretentious and irreverent personality, A+D repositioned the brand as “good for the soul,” creating a campaign inviting Canadians to vibe together with friends and leave behind the hustle culture that chips away at our joy and well-being.
Firstly, there is A+D’s ability to attract unique brands and build great relationships. He calls out its work for SkipTheDishes featuring Jon Hamm as “one of Canada’s most memorable campaigns. We took a hungry challenger brand and helped catapult it to the number-one food delivery app in Canada within two years.” He considers winning that business and creating that campaign a “leaping-off point” that showcased what the agency could do.
He says the agency works closely with clients to set and manage KPIs and expectations that drive business by providing creative platforms that differentiate them from competitors: “It ultimately gets back to our mantra of seeing the world differently and challenging the status quo.”
MPG Sport is committed to creating high-quality activewear while minimizing its environmental impact. A+D helped MPG launch an awareness campaign demonstrating how choosing its clothing can have an impact on the world.
Secondly, he calls out culture. It’s important the indie agency controls its destiny and that the whole team embraces that. The senior people are accessible to the junior people, so everyone has a voice in the work and the future of the organization.
A+D understands that the industry and brand expectations are ever-changing, so it has further expanded through recent strategic hires.
In January it welcomed Chantel Brinkman, VP production. Formerly of Rethink and Grip, Brinkman allows the agency to produce the content it dreams up, bringing everything from shooting to photography and editing in-house.
A+D worked with the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia to debut a bold and vibrant brand designed to expand how we think about the world around us, and the impact of art within it.
Last year it hired Kimberley Pereira as creative director of design to work closely with its existing design team and CCO Jeff MacEachern. She will help shepherd the process as more clients want to be involved in design and branding, where they can see their feedback take effect in real-time.
And A+D’s foray into media planning and buying dovetails into the fourth of Bevacqua’s keys to success, which he calls “unconventional growth driven by entrepreneurial spirit.”
Its M&A activity dates back to 2016, when it was known as Extreme Group. It merged with Toronto’s Blammo Worldwide to create Arrivals + Departures. Soon after, A+D acquired BlueBand Digital, “which brought us a lot of back-end development work,” Bevacqua says.
A+D served up a TV and OLV campaign showing parents how easily kids can enjoy independence in financial decisions with Mydoh’s Smart Cash Card.
A+D is taking the sum of these parts and running with it. It has won new business including Sabra Hummus, with a focus on social in the US; OXY Skin Care for work in Canada, the US, and Latin America; and Earth Rated, the Montreal-based brand behind the green poop bag pet owners know well, taking on its North American business.
“Any kind of growth matters because it makes us better,” Bevacqua says. “And as responsible business owners, we see this momentum and the client engagement, and need to make sure our team has the support and infrastructure to do the work they need and want to do.“
CONTACT:
Mike Bevacqua
Partner, president
mike.bevacqua@arrivalsdepartures.com
The 2023 A-Listers:
Zulu Alpha Kilo: Reinvention shapes this global indie
Agnostic: Layering on a journalistic lens
Daughter: Designing with purpose
Zerotrillion: Crafting cultural connections
Havas: Harnessing the power of meaningful media
Mint: Culture-mining to underpin brand relevance
Berners Bowie Lee: Stepping outside the advertising bubble
Initiative: Marketing for good
