Food & Travel Comms Agency The Cru Unveils Rebrand
The Cru, a leading specialist communications agency in restaurants, food, drink and destination, with offices in Sydney and Melbourne, has revealed a new brand identity today and launches a new-look newsletter, Cultured by The Cru.
After 11 years serving the hospitality and travel industries, and working with clients including Matt Moran, Kylie Kwong, Rene Redzepi and noma, and Tourism Australia, The Cru is re-emerging from a time of great change and reflection with an even stronger sense of purpose and identity.
The re-brand is the company’s first in 11 years- it is reflective of the evolution of the business over a decade, and a reinforcement of the services it has become renowned for. The new brand identity is contemporary, but draws on the heritage of The Cru by incorporating the crafted artisanal cues of its client community.
Jeanine Bribosia (right in main photo), The Cru’s director and founder, said, “Like many agencies, we’ve found ourselves in a time of serious upheaval and great change. The industry we work alongside has been in the eye of the storm, and we’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with them through it all, feeling the impact and shock, and now the change and evolution.”
“Everyone has had cause to reflect on what they stand for, what matters to them, and we are no different. We’re proud to be able to emerge from this time with the strongest sense in 11 years of who we are and what we contribute to our industry.”
Bribosia is also proud to welcome Shannon Blanchard (left), general manager of The Cru who has been with the business for over seven years, as a partner. Shannon started at The Cru as an account manager and quickly proved himself invaluable, working across some of the agency’s biggest accounts and then as client services director. As general manager, Shannon has learned every facet of the business over the past few years and is a vital part of the company’s continued growth and success, as well as client and team retention. Shannon oversees The Cru’s team based in Sydney and Melbourne.
Bribosia said, “Nothing could make me prouder than being able to offer this well-deserved opportunity to Shannon Blanchard. In 11 years of The Cru, we believe we have fostered some brilliant talent, all of whom are passionate about the industry we work in, none more so than Shannon. His smarts, dedication and expertise make him my perfect partner in The Cru, and I know his energy and passion will help take us into our second decade as industry leaders.”
Over the last few years, The Cru has diversified services from offering traditional media relations-led public relations to more wholistic campaigns that include content, KOL and influencer integration, talent management and specialist marketing capabilities. Over the last two years The Cru has published several books and produced sponsored video content for YouTube.
As industry specialists, The Cru prides itself on its deep understanding of the industry it works within, and its insider knowledge. The Cru’s weekly ‘intel’ newsletter curates the most interesting food, drink and travel news from Australia and around the world and collates it for curious readers. It has built a dedicated audience over the years and The Cru has decided to share it more broadly, with a new identity as ‘Cultured’.
Bribosia added, “I was asked many times during the past 18 months of Covid-19- ‘so this must be it for The Cru, are you thinking of changing industries, or diversifying, working with a more stable sector?’ And I was pleasantly surprised to find that the answer to that was a firm and instant ‘No. We will not be diversifying into vacuum cleaners or insurance. We love our industry, and we’ll continue as we began- as experts in this field.’ We want to thank our clients, past and present, for trusting us, sticking with us, allowing us to be part of their story and now their recovery.”
The Cru’s long-standing clients include: Matt Moran and Solotel; the Bentley Restaurant Group; Kylie Kwong; Food & Drink Victoria and Melbourne Food & Wine Festival; Voyager Estate; Breville; Bannisters Hotels; Two Good; Lendlease; Made in the Shade Group; NOMAD; Single O; and Three Blue Ducks.
New clients in 2021 include: Yalumba; Milpa Collective; Franca; East Coast Tasmania Tourism; The Point and Shell House; Providoor; The Henry Jones Art Hotel; and Kittawa Lodge.
Please login with linkedin to comment
The CruLatest News
The Mars Agency Announces Latest Findings Of Retail Media Report Card
The Mars Agency has developed a scorecard that assesses the capabilities of leading platforms across key criteria required to optimally plan, execute, and measure effective retail media programs. The scorecard aims To help brands efficiently evaluate their spending options across retail media networks in Australia (and New Zealand). With spending on retail media advertising in […]
‘It’s The Lesser Of Two Evils’ – NRL Eyes US Betting Market As Aussie Regulators Circle
US betting firms will be delighted by the circa 50,000 Americans who could soon watch the NRL on their favourite app.
A-League In Deep Discussions With New Partner To Keep Games On TV After Production Company Enters Administration
The A-League's insatiable appetite for scoring own goals continues.
TV Ratings (27/03/2024): Jungle Members At War Over Concealed Lipstick
A heated argument between two jungle members did the numbers for Ten last night, with I’m A Celeb obtaining a total national reach of 1,282,000. Fans were delighted as Candice Warner and influencer Skye Wheatley got into it over a stick of lipstick, leading Warner to dub the Instagram star “selfish.” Wheatley, best known for […]
Is The Australian Music Industry In Trouble? Inquiry Launched Following Splendour Cancellation
Earlier this week, an inquiry was launched into the challenges and opportunities currently facing the Australian live music industry in the wake of multiple festival cancellations. On 25 March 2024, the Minister for the Arts, the Hon. Tony Burke MP, asked the Committee on Communications and the Arts to inquire into and report on the […]
Liana Dubois, Leandro Perez, Aimee Buchanan & More Gather For Inaugural Compadres Leadership Event
Didn't get the invite? Perhaps you're not as important as you thought.
Cathay Captures The Unforgettable Thrill Of Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Rugby Sevens, Via Publicis
Nobody does rugby like Hong Kong, apparently. Certainly nobody does it as badly as Australia.
Cocogun Nabs Christine Watts, Kirsty Reynolds & Shev Tan Bolstering Management & Creative Teams
Cocogun bolsters its team with new hires. Committed to purchasing a bigger sofa, too.
The Media Store’s Jacquie Alley & Sam Cousins Take The Plunge With Pro-Bono Work For Cure Cancer
B&T chats with The Media Store bosses about their great pro-bono work and sponsored swim.
Hawke’s Brewing Co. Taps Rocket Comms For PR Agency Following Competitive Pitch
We're expecting Rocket Comms productivity to crash in spectacular fashion following this win.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Patties Serves Up A Taste Of Home For Olympians & South Sydney Rabbitohs Recommit To Gambling Reform
While the Rabbitohs commits to gambling reform, B&T reckons the team should commit to a decent auto sponsor.
Google: “Inevitable” That Bad Actors Will Abuse Ads Platform As Advertiser Account Suspensions Double
Google maintains it's simply impossible for it to entirely stop bad people placing & paying for ads using its service.
Quantcast Expands APAC Sales Team With Appointment Of News Corp Account Manager
No pressure at all when you are appointed as a client success manager.
Publicis Sapient Tests Microsoft-Powered Gen AI Search Tool With Homes & Villas By Marriott Bonvoy
Given Gen AI's record for mangling stuff, B&T cannot see the problem with letting it decide your next holiday digs.
Volkswagen & DDB Group’s “Roo Badge” To Reduce Kangaroo Related Road Collisions
Watch out for RooBadge as Cannes Lions' most debated campaign this year.
Twilio Launches Unified Profiles & Agent Copilot Features To Boost Productivity & Engagement
Agent Copilot sounds like James Bond's less interesting cousin.
Reebok & Honda Among New Clients For onetwo agency
OneTwo finally lives up to its name with this double billing.
Ogilvy Report: Throw Out The Social Strategy Rule Book, The Rules Of The Past No Longer Apply
B&T was puzzled that all 'influencers' aren't, effectively, 'virtual', but here we are.
WhiteGREY & AKQA Merge In Australia, Lee Simpson Departs
Fortunately, the combined agencies aren't opting for a trite portmanteau for the new name.
Splendour In The Grass 2024 Music Festival Cancelled!
Music fans all over the country reportedly relieved they can pack away their rain coats and gumboots for another year.
TV Ratings (26/03/2024): “Fairy Bread, F***ing Disgusting”: Gordon Ramsay Slams Aussie Food In Food Stars Launch
Ramsay not one for mincing his words, even when it comes to minced meat pies.
Paramount+ International Boss Doubles Down On Aussie Content, Says Ad-Tier will Grow Audiences And Revenue
Good news as Paramount will not be binning I’m A Celebrity for re-runs of Frasier.
Brent Smart: Telstra Pushing For 50-50 Brand-Performance Split But Warns Numbers ‘Won’t Look Great’ Initially
The old brand vs performance debate continues. But here, Brent is firmly sitting on the fence.
Crowded House, Tones And I & Dom Dolla Win Big At The Shure Rolling Stone Music Awards
B&T staffer reports back with humdinger of a hangover & feeling seriously uncool after mixing with music types.
Opinion: Dyslexia “A Hidden Gem” For Brands & Agencies
Dyslexics offer underappreciated benefits in the corporate field, according to this op-ed.
David Jones Taps Criteo To Power Online Retail Media Arm
Want to see ads for things you probably can't afford? David Jones has got you covered with new retail media play.
oOh!media Sets Up Team To Target Business Audiences Across Airports & Offices
oOh! wants brands to harass you every minute of your next business trip.
QMS Launches Australian First DOOH & TV Partnership With Samba TV
Samba TV, of course, is not a channel dedicated to dancing. Much to our dismany.
Slew Of New Hires At Amplify
Four new faces join the Amplify offices. Team say desk scarcity becoming "acute".
Adobe Announces Content Authenticity Initiative Expansions To Counter Deep Fakes
Try as they might to enlighten them, we suspect Trump supporters will continue to watch and believe Fox News.
The PR Group Appoints TechCrunch Senior Reporter Catherine Shu As Director Of Content & Media
Catherine Shu makes the bold leap from journalism to PR. Says inevitable pay bump was "unrelated".
HERO Nabs Ebony Santin From AMPR
Rumours Santin cleared out the stationery cupboard before departing are as yet unconfirmed.
Karena Noble Checks Out Of EVT Hotels & Resorts To Launch Comms Consultancy
Noble still managed to squeezed in a continental breakfast before departing.
Canva Acquires Design Platform Affinity To Bring Professional Design Tools To Every Organisation
Canva & Adobe face off continues. We're not picking sides but keenly aware that Canva's office is next door to ours.
“Lean On Our Team To Help You Find An Audience”: Why Understanding Audience Engagement Is Essential In Journalism
Engaging the audience is critical to journos, apparently. We'd thought self-loathing & alcoholism were key.
Adobe Summit: Major Gen AI Developments, Data Concessions & Partnerships
What happens in Vegas stays there. Unless it's the Adobe Summit and then you get to read about in B&T.