The Firm
STRANO + PETTIGREW DESIGN ASSOCIATES
Brand architects. Brand builders.
An award winning, full service design firm, S+PDA specializes in brand strategy, corporate identity design, packaging, advertising, custom publishing and new media design.
Based in Toronto, the agency serves clients nationally and abroad, spanning a diverse range of industries and all united by their commitment to providing the consumer an uncompromising brand experience within their respective sectors. The agency delivers compelling creative solutions that win hearts and minds while ensuring that the authenticity of the brand is at the core of every execution.
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ALBERT STRANO | CO-FOUNDER + CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Albert is an award-winning creative director and designer with over 20 years industry experience and an extensive body of work ranging from brand identity, traditional advertising, packaging and editorial design to interactive new media.
Albert’s career began in the UK working in London’s creative hub, the Clerkenwell district, as designer and pre-press production lead for one of the city’s premiere print firms.
Upon his return to Canada, Albert provided design services for some of the world’s leading advertising agencies and design firms; agencies such as Young and Rubicam, Saatchi and Saatchi and Gee, Jeffery and Partners. As a result, he has had the opportunity to work on brands of global recognition—most notably: BMW, Toyota, Ford, Volvo, FILA, Canadian Airlines, Jågermeister, Absolut, Courvoisier, Rémy Martin, Fuji and Pitney Bowes.
With a desire to expand into new media, Albert began work as senior designer and later Associate Creative Director of award winning interactive firm Blast Media in Toronto. Albert’s interactive portfolio includes site design for clients such as The Second Cup, The Vancouver Canucks, Sleep Country Canada, Air Canada Cargo, Cogeco Cable and Fido.
In 2004 Albert co-founded Strano and Pettigrew Design Associates and has successfully lead the design and creative direction for a diverse and well respected group of firms nationally and abroad. Firms which include Beam Global, Air Canada, Xstrata Nickel, University of Toronto Press, The University of London UK, Aramark, Canada Lands Corporation, MaRS Discovery District and The Childhood Cancer Canada Foundation.
Albert’s work has been recognized and published in internationally respected creative publications Communication Arts, HOW Magazine, Coupe Magazine and Marketing Magazine.
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JENNIFER MURRAY | STRATEGIC PARTNER
Jennifer Murray is an innovative senior executive skilled in brand strategy and brand development for both consumer and business to business products and services. She has held top positions in both agency and retail organizations giving her both the client and agency perspective on bringing creative ideas to life. She has a track record of delivering fully integrated strategic solutions to maximize growth in demanding environments.
Her career began in retail at Michel’s Baguette and Second Cup where she played development, operations and then marketing roles. She successfully transformed the Michel’s Baguette division from unprofitable to the highest performing division in the company. As Vice President of Marketing for Second Cup, Jennifer’s natural ability to understand the personality of a brand was a driving force in defining the Second Cup brand and it’s strategic positioning.
Jennifer took her passion for strategic branding to the agency side, most recently as Managing Director of the Toronto office of Anthem Worldwide, a branding and strategic design agency. With full profit and loss responsibility, she successfully grew the business by 30%, created an optimal client experience and played the lead brand strategist role.
Today Jennifer works as a consultant, specializing in brand strategy, development, implementation and brand management. This has included the retail revitalization of The Beer Store, and involved defining the customer value proposition and brand position, store format and design, and related products. Most recently Jennifer completed the brand repositioning of Childhood Cancer Canada clarifying their strategic positioning, renaming their Foundation, developing their brand identity and spearheading brand implementation.
