Why This Montreal Agency Was Chosen to Rebrand a Hollywood Production Company

‘Bel-Air’, ‘King Richard’, ‘Red Table Talks’. If you’re a fan of any of these, you’ve got American production company Westbrook to thank. Co-founded by Miguel Melendez, Ko Yada, and Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, the company describes itself as having “Expertise in every aspect of the development and production process,” helping both established and emerging talent realise their creative aspirations across film, television, documentaries, new media, and consumer goods.

Or at least, it does now… thanks for the efforts of one small strategic design agency in Montreal - Six Cinquième. Founded by Miro LaFlaga and Ash Phillips - neither of whom felt accepted in the industry due to intense gatekeeping - its goal of working with non-traditional designers would be put to the test when, in 2022, Westbrook came knocking, in need of a rebrand. 

“Despite the company’s industry success and budding notoriety, we learned that, although there seemed to be a clear and shared vision for Westbrook amongst the executive team, employees had a hard time envisioning the future of the company and recognising its true potential,” Ash says. “And, due to its rapid growth since launching in 2019, the agency never really had the time to work on branding.” 

So how did this all get started? According to Miro, a good part of this relationship could be attributed to his and Ash’s extensive efforts to put the agency on the map. With Westbrook intentionally seeking a culturally diverse team to partner up with, Jabari Hearn, who at the time was VP of marketing, discovered Six Cinquième from a referral and brought them on board. “Being from Montreal, a multilingual city which houses many cultural backgrounds, Westbrook felt we could help with their global ambitions,” Miro says. 

But more than that, the appeal of working with a small agency was also an integral factor in this decision. “Being a smaller team, it is easy for us to adapt to sudden changes because we don't have the same type of bureaucracy, and communication with the client is more streamlined,” he continues. “And, we get the chance to really know the people we’re working with. There was more intimacy throughout this project. People weren’t constantly getting switched around, and the roles of the people involved were clearly defined.”

Despite the size of the task, even from the get-go, the Six Cinquième team was ready, with a firm grasp on the plan at hand. Mandated with expanding the current brand identity, defining Westbook’s mission and values, and assisting with strategic brand positioning, Ash recalls that the first order of business - aside from travelling to Calabasas - was undergoing a discovery process. 

“We actually do this with every client, however, we adapt it specifically to their needs,” she adds. “We never want it to feel like we are forcing our ideas down the client’s throat. We understand that they have all the answers, and we are simply guiding them while challenging them when needed throughout the process.”

In this case, the Six Cinquième squad realised the best course forward was ensuring that this exercise was not solely siloed to Westbrook’s executive team. Instead, everyone was invited to partake - from media buyers and social media managers to HR and the writing team. 

The results were staggering. As it turned out, people working there had no idea how to talk about the brand or articulate what they did exactly… or why they were there. As Ash puts it, “At its core, a clear purpose and solid foundation were lacking, providing very little for employees and partners to latch onto beyond the company’s celebrity backing.” 

Unsurprisingly, overcoming this would be the hardest part of the process. So, over the course of two days, Ash and her team would facilitate two co-creative workshops in order to consolidate perspectives. These were then amalgamated with internally-bounced ideas from Six Cinquième, before being presented to the Westbrook team in order to narrow in on what made it unique. 

“Much of this was really based on the words and ideas [the Westbrook employees] shared with us,” Miro says. “It made it easier because we all understood where ideas and creative choices came from, and it allowed us to help the agency think aspirationally about the brand and long term about the company.”

In particular, Six Cinquième would discover that ‘Westbrook’ meant a group of friendly rebels; connecting people globally through shared stories of human truth and empowering diverse perspectives. “This premium content inspired the brand’s new personality,” Miro says, adding that these ideas and concepts translated to the refinement of the logo, the refreshed design of the new brand, and the reworking of the way in which the company describes itself in words.

To this end, he’s quick to praise Ash for developing an identity that balanced Westbrook’s boldness, diversity, versatile yet inviting personalities and friendly approach to defying the status quo. “This is reflected in everything from the warm spectrum of colour to the bold and human font pairing she chose. The overall design system gives Westbrook the flexibility to show the full spectrum of its personality. Shoutout to our designers, Rachel and Joshwa, for getting us there!”

Miro isn’t the only one delighted by the results. Westbrook itself has emphasised its delight in the rebrand, especially the fact that internal contributions played such a key role in its outcome. “Since launching, there has been a tangible sense of pride and confidence,” he adds. “The brand is slowly being rolled out on their end, so I am extremely excited to see how they carry the torch over the next few years.”

Now back home, away from the “dope” Hollywood headquarters, 2023 has proven the perfect time for project reflection. Pride and portfolio-boosting aside, the experience has proven fruitful through the lessons the Six Cinquième team learned in the process. Chief among these is the importance of not being ‘yes-people’. 

“I really commend our team for standing their ground, especially Ash,” Miro says. “Being a Black woman who speaks their mind can be very challenging. But because of this, we felt that our ideas were more valued, and it showed that we really cared about our client and our work… because we actually really do! Speaking your mind and fighting for your ideas is important.”

Furthermore, this project’s success reinforces Miro’s belief that the future of successful advertising lies with smaller agencies. Going off his own experiences, he believes that bigger agencies make it harder to learn, with clients sometimes not knowing what role creatives play in projects, or what they’re doing there. 

In fact, he even goes so far as to say that the age of larger agencies is fading - something he will endeavour to prove with Six Cinquième’s upcoming work. 

“With a smaller team, I get a sense that we are more willing to take certain risks with ideas, and are not scared to rub clients the ‘wrong way’. Bigger agencies - because of shareholders and what not - might be reluctant to push boundaries because of the fear of losing a client’s business. That’s less present with us, and it’ll stay that way well into the future.”