Clients can come from all sorts of places, and Ark, the agency founded by ex-adam&eveDDB CEO Mat Goff, has found a new one in the Canadian Board for International Education. The agency has been hired, after a pitch against an multi-national line up of agencies, to promote Canada as a destination for international students.
Ark’s brief is to showcase Canada’s position as one of the world’s most progressive and diverse countries, home to plenty of academically impressive universities and schools. The Canadian government, unlike many others around the world, has changed its policies to make the country more welcoming to students from abroad.
Sabrina Heinekey, director (global campaign initiative) at the CBIE, said: “We are excited to have Ark lead the creative development of the campaign. The ambition and quality of the creative thinking, the innovative approach to how the brand connects with audiences, and the passion for the mission made them the clear partner choice for this crucial initiative.”
Mike Wilton, co-founder of Ark Agency, said: “What an interesting and fascinating challenge this is. At a time when the world feels divided and unwelcoming to so many, we could all do with being a bit more Canadian. Attracting students from around the world will require the sort of big and progressive creativity that we relish.”
Ark’s new global initiative will launch this autumn, targeting not just international students, but also their parents and families, as well as government decision makers and educational authorities. Interesting that the pitch was won by a UK agency – we might not be good at welcoming people from abroad, but we can still do advertising.
