Transcend3 has been named the national advertising agency of record for the “farm-to-fork” organic food company One Earth Farms.
“We’re very excited as we have a lot of work ahead,” said Fiona Haig, marketing manager, One Earth Farms, in a release. “Transcend3 will be responsible for positioning each brand, as well as national creative design including print, packaging, POS, social media, broadcast and special design initiatives.”
After a review process, Transcend3 made the shortlist of four agencies, eventually earning the nod from One Earth Farms.
“We squeezed in, actually at the end,” said Lisa McCoy, co-creative director of Transcend3. “We had been reaching out to some people and brands we believed in and wanted to work with and it just so happened that when we called them they had put out a review. We had one week to do what other agencies did in three and I think we nailed it.”
Along with its spec work for the pitch, One Earth Farm was also impressed with Transcend3’s seamless, bilingual approach, viewing it as a valuable component to its future goals of expanding further in Canada and into Europe. The agency earns it tricultural claim, with president and co-creative director Olivier Tran having lived and worked in English and French Canada, as well as France, lending to an understanding of the cultures and customs of all three. This knowledge was helpful in its pitch to One Earth Farms.
“We were very impressed with the creative credentials, deep experience in the food category and their track record for results,” said Cynthia Beretta, marketing director, One Earth Farms, in a release. “They also stood out for their unique and seamless bilingual creative approach that is developed by one team. Their concepts combined with their experience and ability to take our brands to Europe made Transcend3 the right choice.”
One Earth Farms began in March 2009, launched by Sprott Resource as a large-scale, corporate farming entity. One Earth Farms expanded its business in 2013, acquiring Beretta Farms and Sweetpea Organic Baby Food soon thereafter. Since then, it has established a strong presence in the premium food market in stores like Whole Foods Market, and Fortinos, as well as other organic food markets. The company also appointed a Canadian PR agency of record, awarding the business to Butter PR in February.
“They’re the kind of client we like because they believe in the value and power of cultural insights to build their brands,” said Tran in a release. “We’re eager to see how we can help grow all of the brands of One Earth Farms both in English Canada, Quebec and beyond.”
While Transcend3 has experience with food-centric clients, this is their first foray into organic foods, which has it’s own challenges attached, such as higher price points, a different shelf life and unique packaging. “(Organic food) is a trend, but they’ve been doing it for 20 years,” said McCoy. “Now that it’s becoming more trendy, especially in urban areas, they just want to make sure they stay ahead.”
