Ontario’s tourism marketing organization Destination Ontario has chosen Broken Heart Love Affair as its new creative agency of record following a competitive review.

A spokesperson for Destination Ontario confirmed the change to The Message late last week.

“Our previous creative agency, FCB Canada’s contract ended earlier this year,” said Lydia Devereaux, a director for industry relations with Destination Ontario. ”FCB Canada has been an excellent creative partner for the last 10 years doing some amazing work for Destination Ontario.”

She declined to provide any details about the reasons for change, saying only that Destination Ontario is “very pleased to be working with Broken Heart Love Affair.”

According to its most recent business plan, Destination Ontario has budgeted slightly more than $17 million for advertising and marketing for 2022-23, and about $16.9 million for the two years after that.

While it’s a significant client, Bev Hammond, partner and chief business officer for Broken Heart Love Affair, said it’s too soon to say if the agency—which now has 55 full-time employees—will have to add additional staff to manage it.

Both BHLA, which typically focuses on higher-level creative strategy, and its production and content arm Lifelong Crush will be working on the account.

It’s also too early to discuss strategic shifts for the Ontario brand, or when new work will be in market, said Hammond.

“We’ve literally just started,” she said. “We’re just onboarding right now, but the focus obviously is on increasing visits to Ontario as a four-seasons destination… It’s a big, exciting opportunity strategically.”

Top Photo by mwangi gatheca on Unsplash