Stop & Shop Names Curiosity as Creative AOR

Independent Cincinnati agency wins top grocery retailer following competitive review

Stop & Shop, a leading grocery retailer operating nearly 400 stores across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, has named independent agency Curiosity its new creative agency of record. The decision follows a multi-agency review process led by Mercer Island Group.

Curiosity will assume responsibility for the full range of creative ideation and execution for Stop & Shop, including strategic planning, creative campaign development, and brand platform development. The selection comes as Stop & Shop seeks to enhance its brand positioning within a tough competitive market and engage consumers through a differentiating advertising strategy.

Stop & Shop—one of the great local brands of global food retail group Ahold Delhaize—is known for its commitment to providing customers with everything on their shopping lists, including fresh produce and essential items, while prioritizing convenience, variety, and value. 

For Curiosity, the win represents a return to the grocery space, where it spent two years as creative AOR for FreshDirect leading up to its acquisition by Geitr in 2023 (FreshDirect was formerly owned by Ahold Delhaize). 

Curiosity’s first major integrated campaign for Stop & Shop is slated to debut in 2025.

“We’re really looking forward to kicking off our work with Curiosity as we continue to build upon the foundation of our ‘Feed the Moment’ brand platform,” said Lisa Martinelli, Stop & Shop‘s Vice President, Marketing & Brand Experience. “With relevant industry experience and impressive capabilities, we believe Curiosity is the ideal agency partner for this moment in the evolution of our brand strategy.”

Since 2021, Stop & Shop has been running integrated advertising under its “Feed the Moment” brand platform, which centers on the idea that grocery shopping reflects the meaningful moments of the customers’ life. The work was created by Stop & Shop’s previous agency of record.

The Stop & Shop win adds to an already impressive 2024 for Curiosity. The agency was awarded the Bridges Consumer Healthcare account in January and was named AOR for leading feminine hygiene brand pH-D in March. This, along with its existing client roster, which includes: DUDE Wipes, Native, Dr. Teals, Zevo, Gorilla Glue, Holland America Line and the Ad Council.

“Grocery is one of very few categories consumers experience every single week, oftentimes multiple times a week. That along with the fact that there are now multiple ways to shop and dozens of competitors from traditional grocery to food delivery, makes this an exciting creative challenge we are ready to solve,” said Ashley Walters, Partner and Chief Marketing Officer at Curiosity.

Source: Stop & Shop

  Agency, AOR, Brand Positioning, Curiosity, Stop & Shop