Sleeman Breweries has chosen the Toronto office of digital agency Isobar Canada to redesign its website in a manner that reflects the beer company’s “Notoriously Good” advertising campaign.
Sleeman.ca’s last makeover occurred two years ago and was handled by Mindblossom, a digital firm owned by Isobar’s parent company Aegis Media. Mindblossom rebranded as Isobar Canada in 2010.
Keith Gillespie, national director of marketing for Sleeman Breweries, said he spoke to several agencies about taking on the web project before choosing Isobar.
“I was interested in a company that I thought would be a better fit, and it turns out that, in their new configuration, (Isobar) was exactly what I was looking for,” said Gillespie, who cited personnel changes as one of the factors that added to Isobar’s appeal.
Among those personnel choices was Matt Carter, senior vice-president and managing director for Isobar Canada, who joined the agency last December. Carter said reclaiming Sleeman was an important victory for the reconstituted agency.
“It was quite a success for us to turn around a relationship that had been kind of quiet for the past year,” said Carter.
Sleeman’s “Notoriously Good” media advertising campaign, developed by Dentsu Canada, debuted last year. The second iteration of the campaign is set to launch in May along with the revamped website.
Gillespie said Isobar was working closely with Dentsu to ensure that the “Notoriously Good” branding initiative is consistent across on and off-line media.
“I wanted the website to reflect the personality we’re trying to convey through our TV and other forms of communications,” he said. “I made it clear that I wanted digital experts who were prepared to work with a creative agency, and they did so.”
Carter said the redesigned site would also feature a heavier emphasis on social media tools.
