INTUR, Nicaragua's national tourism board, tapped Myriad as its agency of record for U.S. and Canada. The agency will handle all tourism marketing, trade relations and press relations. The country aims to position itself as an unforgettable and unspoiled vacation destination. "We are very excited about our new partnership with Myriad and are confident the agency will help us establish and grow Nicaragua's awareness in our critical American and Canadian market," said Ana Carolina Garcia, promotion and marketing director at INTUR. "The country has incredible natural and cultural wonders; we look forward to welcoming visitors to see our treasures for …

ATRIO Health Plans, a health insurance carrier in southern Oregon, named Leopold Ketel, based in Portland, as its advertising and branding agency of record. Established by Oregon physicians in 2004, ATRIO serves Oregonians residing in Douglas, Josephine, Jackson, Klamath, Marion and Polk Counties. The company offers Medicare, individual, family and small employer health plans. Leopold Ketel will handle advertising, design, media planning and buying and production, with a goal of establishing a strong brand presence in the southern Oregon and Willamette Valley markets. "We focused on selecting an agency that understood our objectives, our markets, and the challenges in the …

Following a two-month review, Minneapolis-based agency Yamamoto was tapped by Berkley, a division of Pure Fishing, as agency of record for its Gulp! brand of soft bait. Primer 180 previously handled the account. Berkley manufactures fishing tackle, line, bait, rods, tools, equipment and apparel. The Gulp! brand of soft bait has a scientifically formulated scent and flavor combination that's similar to live bait fishing. Work will include advertising, digital, social media and experiential marketing elements. "Yamamoto demonstrated an impressive passion for our category," said Josh Silva, senior marketing manager, North America, for Berkley. "Their creative ideas represent precisely the direction …

Ascent Protein named TDA_Boulder as its first advertising agency of record. The agency will lead all marketing efforts for the brand's first direct-to-consumer product, Ascent Native Fuel Whey Protein, as well as initiatives for Ascent's role as official performance nutrition sponsor for Spartan Race. "After intense review, TDA_Boulder stood out as the agency that most understood the mindset of our target customer – those who are dedicated at a high level to fitness. We liked that TDA_Boulder is nimble, exceptionally creative and acts like a true partner," said Paul Vraciu, general manager of Ascent Protein. "We knew that by choosing …

J. Walcher Communications was tapped by Anza-Borrego Foundation (ABF) to build brand awareness of the foundation and the offerings of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, the largest state park in California. The agency will lead ABF's media relations efforts, with the goal of generating increased funds for the nonprofit, building membership and increasing visitors to the park. Since 1967, ABF has been promoting the conservation of the land, wildlife and culture of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Through donations and dedicated efforts, ABF is able to acquire thousands of acres of land for the Park yearly, educate the public about the Park …

Advantage International was named agency of record for VKTRY Gear. The VKTRY Performance Insole, a carbon fiber performance insole, takes an athlete's own potential energy and returns it back to them, helping generate more burst, power and speed, while reducing the chance of lower leg injuries. The agency will handle strategic consulting, creative development and marketing duties. "We're excited to bring Advantage on-board," said Steve Wasik, CEO of VKTRY Gear. "They've already exceeded our expectations in reimagining the brand and we look forward to leveraging their sports marketing chops to bring our game changing product to athletes everywhere." The account …

Zenergy Communications was named North American agency of record for Valkee's HumanCharger brand. Created in 2007, the HumanCharger is a light therapy device that can be used to increase mental alertness, reduce jet lag and improve overall mood by helping the body reset its circadian rhythm. To do so, the device sends a UV-Free blue-enriched white light through LED earbuds to the light-sensitive regions of the brain. "We are excited to work with Zenergy Communications to build brand awareness and drive sales for HumanCharger in North America," said Nick Ieraci, chief operating officer, North America, Valkee. "We are confident that …

Dagger was tapped by Mizuno USA to create digital and social media content that will showcase the brand in a new light. The first assignment for the agency is to relaunch the Mizuno USA website, scheduled for the fall. "Consumers are loyal to our brand because they like our products, but we want to deepen that connection because many of our customers are unaware of our roots and the century-long story that has shaped who we've become," said Aaron Smith, senior director of digital for Mizuno USA. Mizuno spent $2.8 million on measured media in 2015, according to Kantar Media.

Publicis Groupe formed a new entity to service Walmart. The entity will serve as the primary agency of record for Walmart, handling the company's U.S. advertising and in-store creative.

Epsilon was named agency of record for Del Monte Foods, following a five-month review. The agency will handle marketing across traditional, digital and retail channels in an effort to increase product sales. Work will extend across College Inn products, Del Monte plastic Fruit Cup products and Del Monte vegetable products. Epsilon will also oversee traditional advertising, shopper marketing and digital marketing. Del Monte Foods decided to consolidate its agency relationship and replace at least three incumbent agencies. It will continue to work with its media agency, Starcom. "Today's complex consumer-driven economy demands enterprise-level integration across all parts of the business, …