Kodiak is hiring Mechanica as the footwear brand's strategic and creative agency to overhaul all of Kodiak's branding efforts. The agency will help reposition the Canadian brand as well as tweak its image and voice to broaden its audience.   “While we will always celebrate our legacy, we are very excited to work with Mechanica to revamp and polish all of our brand characteristics and expand our horizons," says Margaret Morey-Reuner, Director, Marketing, Ecommerce & Licensing for the Kodiak brand.  

Armored AutoGroup Sales (AAGS) has appointed OH Partners as agency of record for the company's STP, AC Pro and Armor All brands following a competitive review.  OH Partners' remit will include creative work, media planning, placement, social and digital. Their first work is set to debut in March.

Nashville-based Back Yard Burgers has appointed LRXD agency of record. The QSR company has 50 locations. The Denver agency won the account after a competitive pitch. The remit includes positioning, branding, developing an integrated marketing plan, media planning and buying, developing a social media/digital strategy and creative campaign development. While the chain worked with several agencies in recent years on a piecemeal basis, LRXD will be its first AOR. Two years ago, BYB was purchased by private equity firm Axum Capital.   The agency’s first work is expected to debut in the second quarter of 2019.  

Battery maker Energizer Holdings has appointed Interpublic’s UM as its new North American media agency after a review. WPP’s Wavemaker was the incumbent. The company’s ad budget last year was $80.1 million, according to its latest annual report. UM issued a statement from Daryl Lee, global CEO, UM: “We’re proud to be tapped to work with Energizer Holdings, Inc. in North America and are excited to begin a partnership that will help move their business forward in a meaningful way.”

Auto-Owners Insurance has appointed David&Goliath (D&G) as creative AOR without a formal review. This is the company's first AOR relationship, though it has previously worked with several smaller agencies, including Harvest Creative Services.  This review is part of the insurance company's search to take the "brand to the next level," says Valorie McNeal, Director, Marketing & Sales at Auto-Owners.  D&G was brought on as a strategic and creative partner to help Auto-Owners define and develop its brand positioning, with the ultimate goal of creating an integrated brand anthem and campaign including TV, radio, OOH, print, digital and social.

Iconic RV brand Winnebago, has named Kansas City-based Barkley as its lead creative agency for its Motorhome business unit following a review.  Barkley is tasked with a relaunch of the brand with a new campaign that will target consumers, owners and dealers.  Also Barkley will provide an integrated strategy across point-of-sale, collateral, digital media, social media, CRM and website. “Barkley didn’t bring us just another ad campaign, they brought us a strategy that addressed the design, innovation, and culture within Winnebago vehicles while reaching the large group of fans that make up the Winnebago community,” stated Matt Smith, director of …

Stellenbosch, South Africa-based alcoholic beverage marketer Distell has appointed WPP as its global agency partner after a competitive pitch. Distell produces, markets and distributes a portfolio of global and multi-country brands within the ready-to-drink (RTD), cider, wine and spirits categories and is acknowledged as the second largest cider producer in the world.   WPP will be responsible for Distell’s top tier brands, including Savanna, Hunter’s, Hunter’s Edge, Viceroy, Amarula Cream, Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky and Scottish Leader.   The holding company has created a dedicated unit dubbed Team Liquid to service the account. Its remit includes strategy, creative, digital, …

Global Citizen, the international advocacy platform committed to defeating extreme poverty by 2030, has tapped Havas Media Group as its global media agency of record. In addition to planning and buying duties, Havas Media will advise the organization on establishing effective brand and media partnerships. A number of brand partners have given commitments and support to the organization. Michele Anthony, executive vice president Universal Music Group (like Havas, part of Vivendi) is a Global Citizen board member. Through a mix of content, events, and grassroots organizing, the Global Citizen movement engages millions of people from around the world each month …

Garden Fresh Corporation is appointing LO:LA as AOR with a remit to refresh the branding and marketing for  the company's two national chains, Sweet Tomatoes and Souplantation. The appointment was made without a formal review. New creative will be the same across both chains and debut in-store and in-market, via digital, social, and print at all 97 locations across nine states. The creative will highlight convenience, value, "guiltless indulgence" and the ability to customize each customers’ hand-picked dining experience.

Online home search site Realtor.com has selected Interpublic ad agency Huge to serve as its creative agency of record, after a review.  The incumbent was Pereira & O’Dell. "Huge demonstrated exceptional creativity and big ideas, combined with a digital-first approach, which made a compelling case for moving forward and officially establishing this new relationship," stated  Andrew Strickman, head of brand and chief creative for realtor.com.   Michael Koziol, global chief executive officer, Huge, added, "It is a big opportunity for our team at Huge to partner with realtor.com. As the brand that defined the category of home search, they've done a …