Blue Diamond Names McKinney New Creative Agency-of-Record

LOS ANGELES, May 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Diamond Growers – the leading producer and marketer of almonds in the world – has selected McKinney as their Agency-of-Record (AOR) for all the creative work across Blue-Diamond's consumer-facing branded business, including Blue Diamond® Almond Breeze® and Blue Diamond® Snack Almonds. This new partnership will focus on expanding the brand's reach into more US households by showcasing the healthy, flavorful and satisfying product choices within the Blue Diamond portfolio. Aside from being a well-known and loved CPG food brand, Blue Diamond is also an agricultural cooperative owned by thousands of family farms, which makes the successful marketing of its products even more important. Throughout the pitch process, McKinney demonstrated a great understanding of the industry and how purchase decisions are made, ultimately turning simple human insights into attention-grabbing creative work. 

"When searching for a new creative agency, we knew we wanted more than just an agency. We wanted strategic partners who shared Blue Diamond Growers' values and goals. The McKinney team stood out as the best partner throughout this entire process," said Raj Joshi, Senior Vice President, Global Consumer Division at Blue Diamond Growers. "Working with McKinney will enable us to showcase our commitment to excellence, innovation, and high-quality in visionary and creative ways." 

The opportunity was brought to McKinney through search consultant, SRI (Select Resources International). McKinney participated in a highly competitive, several months-long pitch process alongside some of the top creative agencies in the country, and ultimately won after being one of the four finalists. From its data-driven approach to identifying Blue Diamond's untapped potential, to the social-first strategic thinking to team chemistry, McKinney's Smarts & HeartsⓇ were on full display.

"We are extremely excited about our new partnership with Blue Diamond," said Joe Maglio, CEO of McKinney. "We have a lot of passion for the food and beverage category, so the prospect of working with such a great brand and great clients was the perfect mix. There was immediate chemistry between our two sides, and as the pitch went on we already felt like we were one team. Everyone is excited to dive in and help the Blue Diamond brand and business continue to grow." 

The account will be led out of McKinney's LA office, with support from team members in both its Durham and NYC locations. The first campaign from McKinney and Blue Diamond is set to break in January of 2023. 

Blue Diamond Growers, a grower-owned cooperative representing approximately 3,000 California almond growers, is the world's leading almond marketer and processor. Established in 1910, it created the California almond industry and opened world markets for almonds. Blue Diamond® is dedicated to delivering the benefits of almonds around the world and does so by providing high-quality almonds, almond ingredients and branded products. Headquartered in Sacramento, the company employs more than 1,800 people throughout its processing plants, receiving stations and gift shops. Blue Diamond markets and sells a wide range of almond-based snacks, beverages, and ingredients, including Blue Diamond Snack Almonds®, Nut-Thins® crackers, almond flour, baking mixes, and Almond Breeze® almondmilk and almondmilk creamers. For more information, visit www.bluediamond.com or like us on Facebook and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

McKinney is a creative and media agency headquartered in Durham, NC, with locations in Dallas, Los Angeles, and New York. Part of the Cheil Worldwide network, McKinney's footprint gives us direct access to Main Street America while being steeped in the latest in entertainment, emerging trends, and innovation. We partner with clients — from the top marketers in the world to nonprofits — to help them realize their untapped potential. 

We've been recognized by Cannes Lions, Effies, The One Show, D&AD, ANDY, CLIO, LIA, the Shortys, and The Webby Awards, among others. Our client roster includes Pampers, Little Caesars, Stop & Shop, Crocs, ESPN, Samsung, Columbia Sportswear, Sherwin-Williams and Choice Hotels International, as well as pro bono clients Urban Ministries of Durham and the Ad Council. For more information, visit mckinney.com.

SOURCE McKinney