For an agency whose internal motto is “good, not growth,” Rethink has spent much of the past year doing both. Following a 50% revenue increase in 2025, the independent agency expanded its New York operation, strengthened its North American leadership and continued to collect international creative honours.

The challenge is ensuring that a larger organization can maintain the standards that made it successful. With 308 employees across Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and New York, Rethink is investing in the people, processes and technology needed to deliver consistently strong work across markets and disciplines.

That includes appointing its first chief production officer, Jon Legere, to oversee production across advertising, PR and design. Mike Dubrick also moved into the North American CCO role, while Dustin Tomes joined as Toronto CCO.

“This year has really been about continuing to scale our global capabilities,” says CSO Sean McDonald. “Every year we look at where our opportunities lie, and where we need to evolve.”

Technology is another part of that evolution. Rethink is using AI to improve business analysis, forecasting, research and communication between teams, with the aim of creating more time for the human thinking that drives creative work.

The results suggest that expansion hasn't diminished the agency's creative ambitions. Rethink's 2026 honours include a Cannes Grand Prix, 14 Lions, Cannes Independent Agency and Network of the Year and 29 One Show Pencils.

For IKEA, Rethink transformed customers' unconscious sleep talk into mattress reviews, increasing trust in the retailer as a mattress destination by 12%. For Heinz, it recognized the resemblance between the brand's keystone logo and fry boxes, eventually creating The Dipper, a redesigned container with a built-in ketchup pocket. And for A&W, the agency flattened everything from the logo to a pop-up restaurant to introduce its Smash Burger, helping drive a 13.5% increase in same-store sales within three weeks.

The common thread is Rethink's ability to find simple insights with the potential to become much bigger ideas. Preserving that ability as the agency grows remains McDonald's priority.

“We have to make sure that Rethink only exists if it continues to exceed the standard.”