Rethink Communications
Encyclopedia
Rethink Communications is an independent advertising agency based in Vancouver, British Columbia and Toronto, Ontario that currently employs 75 people.
The agency was founded on November 1, 1999 by Chris Staples, Ian Grais and Tom Shepansky. All three were formerly employed at Palmer Jarvis DDB (now DDB
Vancouver). Staples was the national creative director of that agency; Grais was the creative director and Shepansky was the director of client services.
Staples, Grais and Shepansky opened Rethink with no staff and no clients. In December 1999 they won the Dominion Grocery Store account in Ontario and the A&W Food Services account nationally, in English and French.
In their first year of operation the agency grew to 20 people and was featured on the CBC-TV business program Venture
. Rethink made news by offering a money-back guarantee in the form of a five percent rebate to be earned based on client-set criteria. They also launched Rethink Beer to demonstrate their branding abilities. The product was available in BC and Alberta until 2003.
The agency currently handles advertising, design and online work for a range of local, regional and national clients. These include A&W, the British Columbia Automobile Association, Sobeys
, Bell Canada’s Solo Mobile
, Coast Capital Savings
, Mr. Lube
, Playland
, Science World at TELUS World of Science
, The Source, and Egg Farmers of Canada.
Rethink was named Canada’s Agency of the Year twice: once in November 2003 by Marketing Magazine, and a second time by Strategy Magazine in December 2006.
The agency was also ranked by Strategy Magazine as the most award-winning agency in Canada in 2008 and 2009. Partners and co-creative directors Staples and Grais were ranked the most awarded creative directors in 2006, 2008 and 2009 in the same surveys.
Rethink clients Coast Capital Savings and Mr. Lube were named Marketers of the Year by the BC Chapter of the American Marketing Association
in 2006 and 2008 respectively.
On April 5, 2010 Rethink opened an office in Toronto, headed by partner and managing director Pema Hegan and creative director Dre Labre.
The agency was founded on November 1, 1999 by Chris Staples, Ian Grais and Tom Shepansky. All three were formerly employed at Palmer Jarvis DDB (now DDB
DDB Worldwide
DDB Worldwide Communications Group Inc., known internationally as DDB, is a worldwide marketing communications network. It is owned by Omnicom Group Inc, one of the world's largest advertising holding companies...
Vancouver). Staples was the national creative director of that agency; Grais was the creative director and Shepansky was the director of client services.
Staples, Grais and Shepansky opened Rethink with no staff and no clients. In December 1999 they won the Dominion Grocery Store account in Ontario and the A&W Food Services account nationally, in English and French.
In their first year of operation the agency grew to 20 people and was featured on the CBC-TV business program Venture
Venture (TV series)
Venture is a weekly Canadian business television series that aired on CBC Television from 1985 to 2007. The show focused mostly on business documentaries, but also aired business-related news pieces...
. Rethink made news by offering a money-back guarantee in the form of a five percent rebate to be earned based on client-set criteria. They also launched Rethink Beer to demonstrate their branding abilities. The product was available in BC and Alberta until 2003.
The agency currently handles advertising, design and online work for a range of local, regional and national clients. These include A&W, the British Columbia Automobile Association, Sobeys
Sobeys
Sobeys is the second largest food retailer in Canada, with over 1,300 supermarkets operating under a variety of banners. Headquartered in Stellarton, Nova Scotia, it operates stores in all ten provinces and accumulated sales of more than $14 billion CAD in 2009...
, Bell Canada’s Solo Mobile
Solo Mobile
Solo Mobile is a mobile brand in Canada started by Bell Mobility in 2000. Solo is considered a discount wireless brand, offering low price monthly plans with some unlimited options in certain cities...
, Coast Capital Savings
Coast Capital Savings
Coast Capital Savings is a credit union based in Surrey, British Columbia, and is the third largest credit union in Canada outside of Quebec. As of 2010, the credit union had $12.3 billion in assets under administration and 454,000 members...
, Mr. Lube
Mr. Lube
Mr. Lube is a Canadian chain of automotive service centres, specializing in oil changes and other scheduled maintenance. It was founded in 1976 by Clifford Giese, who opened its first location in Edmonton, Alberta....
, Playland
Playland (Vancouver)
Playland is an amusement park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is located in Hastings Park and is the oldest amusement park in Canada....
, Science World at TELUS World of Science
Science World at TELUS World of Science
Science World at Telus World of Science, Vancouver is a science centre run by a not-for-profit organization in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...
, The Source, and Egg Farmers of Canada.
Rethink was named Canada’s Agency of the Year twice: once in November 2003 by Marketing Magazine, and a second time by Strategy Magazine in December 2006.
The agency was also ranked by Strategy Magazine as the most award-winning agency in Canada in 2008 and 2009. Partners and co-creative directors Staples and Grais were ranked the most awarded creative directors in 2006, 2008 and 2009 in the same surveys.
Rethink clients Coast Capital Savings and Mr. Lube were named Marketers of the Year by the BC Chapter of the American Marketing Association
American Marketing Association
The American Marketing Association is a professional association for marketers. As of 2008 it had approximately 40,000 members. There are 76 professional chapters and 250 collegiate chapters across the United States....
in 2006 and 2008 respectively.
On April 5, 2010 Rethink opened an office in Toronto, headed by partner and managing director Pema Hegan and creative director Dre Labre.