News
9 March 2010
Rethink is coming to Toronto
TORONTO—Following 10 years in Vancouver, advertising and design agency Rethink is opening a Toronto office. Managing director and partner Pema Hegan says the company is ready for more national clients and its next challenge. “Toronto is where the majority of national clients are in Canada and we are really excited to bring our unique structure and services to this city,” he says. Three of Rethinks largest clients – Sobeys, Solo Mobile and Sympatico – are based in Toronto.
The team at the Rethink Toronto office
The team at Rethink Toronto

The Rethink Toronto office will be located in the King and Spadina area,  with Dré Labre as creative director. Labre most recently worked as creative director at Tribal DDB in Toronto, and is one of the best in the business, says Hegan. “Dré is a fantastic creative mind,” he says. “He also innately understands the digital world and digital culture, which is important for being successful right now. For ideas to be successful today they need to be the kind of ideas that get talked about.”

Rethink will start with a team of eight to 10 in its Toronto office, leveraging its Vancouver design team until they gain more clients. “We want to grow very quickly as we take on new clients,” says Hegan. “There is room for about 20 Rethinkers in our Spadina office with adjacent offices available.” Hegan says the first order of business is serving its current Toronto-based clients and growing to include more.

Rethink was founded in Vancouver in 1999 by Chris Staples, Ian Grais and Tom Shepansky. The Toronto office opens on April 5. Contact: Rethinkcommunications.com


 

— Val Maloney
   
Comments:
1. Anonymous says:
9 March 2010 at 3:44 PM
Looks like a meeting of the terrible shirts committee. Lets hope their work is better than their attire.
2. Baby need bottle says:
9 March 2010 at 4:07 PM
You sound scared. Perhaps you're just a hack ad goon, scared of losing business to the Vancouverites. Better step up yer game.
3. Awesome says:
9 March 2010 at 4:16 PM
Rethink does some great work.
4. Anonymous says:
9 March 2010 at 4:47 PM
Post #1: Never heard of Rethink? I think you're in the wrong business.
5. Anonymous says:
9 March 2010 at 11:46 PM
who cares - traditional ad agencies won't be around in the same form for much longer

rethink advertising.
6. R. Miller says:
10 March 2010 at 12:01 AM
ya, because "Rethink" is such an original name (I'm being sarcastic)
7. Morons says:
10 March 2010 at 11:00 AM
Rethink is a similar set up to Taxi and does some of the best work in the country. The fact that none of you know who they are is really embarrassing.
8. Anonymous says:
10 March 2010 at 12:49 PM
hey Morons ... the best work according to whom? the subjective award$ annual$?

tv/radio/print ads are on their way out

i agree with #5 ... rethink advertising.

twitter/facebook ... the advertising industry is losing it's campaign clout - who looks at ads anymore? who will be watching your "creative" tv commercials in 5 years? we all have digital ADD now

'we the people' are the real advertisers now - check twitter

Morons, enjoy your next awards show with Taxi and Rethink - while it lasts

what's embarrassing is how out of touch the Canadian advertising community is with reality ... and the future
9. R. Miller Hater says:
10 March 2010 at 1:36 PM
Dude, you keep posting on every post and have no idea what you are talking about...why don't you put up a link to some of your work. You are probably a young student or a crappy designer in buttf*ck nowhere.
10. Chad Fullerton says:
10 March 2010 at 8:22 PM
This is amazing news!!! Hope they are hiring - rethink's work is outstanding.
www.chadfullerton.com
11. Anonymous says:
12 March 2010 at 12:37 AM
"Dude" "buttf*ck" ... sounds like you're the student "man" ... don't like it when others have an intelligent opinion, hater? or maybe you're just trying to kiss up like Chad so that you can get into an agency and wear a really "cool" shirt too?

But it's not so "cool" that you couldn't pass high school English "eh"? Why don't you post some of your "wicked" high school art... "raaaad man"

at least R. Miller tells it like it is "yo"
12. Kelly Turner says:
12 March 2010 at 11:16 AM
Man, this is exciting. I'm a big lover of Rethink.
It's good to know that they will be close to home.
Looking forward to seeing what the East side will bring out in the Rethinkers.
www.kellyturner.ca
13. Brian Esterin says:
12 March 2010 at 10:12 PM
like every other west coast business that tries to be east, Rethink will most likely close their Toronto office within a couple years

i'm not saying that they are not good, it is just a fact that almost every small town agency that has tried to get into the Toronto market has failed ... check for yourself ...it's too competitive these days
14. Anonymous says:
12 March 2010 at 10:14 PM
"Man, this is exciting"
Kelly, read the comment above yours -if you want to make it in the professional world
15. BIll Douglas says:
13 March 2010 at 2:13 PM
Welcome.
16. Craziness says:
13 March 2010 at 5:24 PM
Brian what are you talking about. They have over 60 employees and did 10 million in revenue in 2009. I wouldn't call them a small town agency by any means. Vancouver is a pretty big city you know.

I gotta agree...R. Miller has terrible comments.
17. Anonymous says:
16 March 2010 at 12:20 AM
60 employees & 10 million?
that's a big agency? i am glad i don't work in canada
you guys think small and judging from the above posts kiss the a** of any agency that wins awards

wake up and look at the rest of the world, canada isn't even on the map when it comes to the global ad biz
18. Phil says:
16 March 2010 at 12:22 AM
I agree with Brian, give them a couple years
most likely they will be bought out by a U.S. holding company like all our other "Canadian" agencies - call it free trade
19. Anonymous says:
16 March 2010 at 12:43 AM
Of course, Bill says welcome. Now you can personally pick up your Coupe award$ ;)
20. Lumberjack says:
19 March 2010 at 11:08 PM
oh, wow!!!! rethink is coming to toronto!!!!!!!

since everyone in vancouver trashes toronto all the time, they should do very well!!! especially with those lumberjack outfits!!! no one will know they are west coast, yo.
21. Anonymous says:
19 March 2010 at 11:11 PM
come on boys: standing in front of a map makes you look global? rethink. fyi, toronto is male/female + multicultural. you'll see when you get here.

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