When he first entered the offices of Rain 43 in Toronto’s “advertising alley” on King St. and saw the agency’s logo rendered in vibrant graffiti art on one of the boardroom walls, Kevin Pfuhl knew he’d found the next stop in his 18-year advertising career.
“Boardrooms are really important extensions of who you are as an agency, and when I walked in and saw this thing, I said to myself ‘This is the kind of place I want to work,’” said Pfuhl, who recently joined the independent shop as partner, client strategy.
“It gives you a shorthand of the kind of people, the kind of place and the kind of culture that it is,” added Pfuhl.
Pfuhl, 41, arrived at Rain 43 in mid-August after spending the past year as senior vice-president, managing director with BBDO/Proximity.
In the words of Rain 43’s chief creative officer and fellow partner John Farquhar, the agency’s newest hire possesses an “almost Kreskin-like” ability to read consumers’ minds. “His ability to translate that into business strategy is phenomenal,” he said.
Pfuhl’s strength, Farquhar added, lies in the strategic development of seamlessly integrated advertising, digital branding and direct solutions. His work spans numerous advertising categories for clients including Fallsview Casino and Resort, Suzuki, Canadian Tire Financial, Molson and Rogers Wireless.
“When you look at the complexity of the communications challenges we’re faced with today, you really need to blend those disciplines together,” said Pfuhl. “That really is my background and the role I’ll play at Rain 43.”
Pfuhl had previously worked with Farquhar and Rain 43 president John Yorke (“I think they probably hired me because my name wasn’t John,” he quipped) during stints at GJP Advertising (now Blammo Worldwide) and its forerunner Gee, Jeffery and Partners. Rain 43’s status as a mid-sized entrepreneurial shop similar to GJP held a lot of appeal, he said.
“I really love the spirit those agencies bring to the table,” said Pfuhl. “[Rain 43] works with people they really like to work with, and being very close to clients and the work is really what drives me, so I’m thrilled to be here.”
