A+D wins Metro Ontario, continuing new business hot streak

Independent agency Arrivals + Departures has been named creative AOR for Metro Ontario, the latest win in a new business hot streak for the agency.   

The assignment comes after a competitive review that launched late last year, with the agency’s first work for the grocery retailer debuting during the crucial holiday season.

“We were looking for a partner that could serve as an extension of our marketing team, and Arrivals + Departures impressed us in every conversation with their dedication to putting consumers at the heart of every experience,” said Metro Ontario’s head of marketing, Mathieu Robitaille, in a release.

A+D and members of its leadership and creative team have amassed considerable retail experience over the years, both with current clients including Pet Valu, as well as prior work with QSR brands including Quiznos and Carl’s Jr.

The announcement follows other recent A+D account wins including lozenge brand Fisherman’s Friend and The Beer Store. Metro joins a client roster that also includes Re/Max Canada and Fallsview Casino.

“It’s been a good run for us—that happens on occasion,” said partner and president Mike Bevacqua. “The work that we’ve created with our client partners over the past three or four years has really started to showcase what we always knew we were good at—which is setting smart strategies and having them evolve into great creative platforms.”

Bevacqua, along with Martin Delaney and Daniel Tolensky, took ownership of A+D in 2021, when they acquired founder Paul LeBlanc’s majority stake in the business. The agency has been steadily growing, and now employs approximately 80 people across its creative and media operations.

Arrivals + Departures Media, which evolved out of the 2022 acquisition of Halifax-based MW360 Media, has figured prominently in the agency’s growth, said Bevacqua. “It’s an offering that’s getting recognized, which allows us to come to pitches with a full-service offering without having the multinational presence or price tag.”

Bevacqua said its high-profile work with food delivery service SkipTheDishes featuring former Mad Men star Jon Hamm helped put the agency on the map and attract new business, but it’s the approach to clients’ business needs that has been a key contributor to its ongoing success.

“The work is one thing, but it’s about clients feeling they can trust, partner and dig in with an agency team that is driven to grow their business, because at the end of the day that’s what we’re here to do,” he said.

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