The new name reflects the Toronto agency's dedication to putting sound ideas and strategies to work to solve difficult communications challenges and build successful brands in an increasingly fragmented and chaotic marketplace.

"As we got deeper into the thinking of what we wanted to be and to offer clients, we realized that we were always using 'reason'," says Peter Holmes, partner and co-founder of Franklin Dallas, the forerunner to Holmes and Lee, in 1990. (Partner John Lee left the agency last fall.)"It's a cue word for everything we do."

Each 'cell' at Reason will consist of proven advertising thinkers with extensive experience in strategic planning, digital technologies and creative. All projects are approached from a trans-media perspective with the key disciplines fully integrated at the planning stage to ensure the development of brand ideas that travel seamlessly and contextually across the full range of communication platforms - "totally the opposite from the silos of most agency structures," says Holmes, who holds the position of president and creative director.

As Reason Partners takes on more clients, it will add cells to accommodate the growth. To execute their work, the cells collaborate directly with in-house producers. This organizational structure was conceived to deliver true integration in a marketplace characterized by a fragmented and challenging media environment and constantly evolving consumer expectations.

"We want to get better efficiencies within the company itself, and want to apply that reasoning to our clients' problems, too. For example, in production, why are agencies using both an in-house producer and a production house producer? It's not necessary to have both.

"Marketing departments are leaner and face greater pressure than ever to deliver. We're paying attention, and we've put our money where our mouth is by inventing a new kind of communications firm — one that is nimble and responsive, works collaboratively with clients and has a deep understanding of the technologies required to engage consumers in the digital era."

Holmes had his own design shop earlier in his career and has won innumerable national and international creative awards. He's joined at Reason Partners by senior team members Simon Billing, director of strategic planning, and Mike Mulik, director of art and technology.

“It's exciting to be working with a talented group that is striving to be at the forefront of our industry," says Simon. "Reason Partners combines timeless and fundamental strategic and creative principles with in-depth understanding of mass, mobile and social media environments. Particularly in social media, there is simply no other way to understand how to use it than to immerse yourself in it.”

"New technologies and new ad campaigns have something in common," adds Mulik. "They both start off small and, if successful, eventually crash the party that is popular culture. By intertwining technology and advertising, we're helping brands break through and establish themselves as part of the cultural fabric."

Holmes has created award-winning ads for major brands across virtually every product and service category. His work is part of the inaugural and permanent advertising collection of the Royal Ontario Museum and the Canadian Graphic Design History Project. He also writes and produces music professionally in the rock, jazz and R&B genres. His music has appeared in ad campaigns for the Saturn ION and Credit Canada.

Billing, who ensures that clients take full advantage of the rapidly evolving media environment, trained in the United Kingdom as a lawyer, then gaining more than 25 years experience with big brands at major national and multi-national agencies. He co-founded Naked Creative Communications in 2000 and has directed strategic development for clients in a wide range of categories, including packaged goods, technology, automotive, retail, telecommunications, beer and spirits, healthcare, media, entertainment and the arts. In recent years, he has developed expertise in emerging media and related technologies to compliment his long experience in more traditional marketing disciplines.

Mulik, who has also won numerous awards for his digital media work, started in the digital and entertainment world, first studying film at York University and then digital media at the International Academy of Design before working with a number of top digital companies as an interactive and Flash designer. In 2000, Mulik joined Holmes and Lee as an art director in both digital and traditional media, and is now the resident teacher and preacher of all things digital.