Late last week, Toronto-HQ’d ING Direct tapped Toronto’s Media Experts agency to handle its entire national and regional media planning and buying. ‘We like their thinking, their enthusiasm and their experience in helping to grow challenger brands,’ says Mark Deep, the bank’s VP and head of marketing.

The announcement came as something of a surprise, given that ING Direct had partnered with Toronto-based MBS/The Media Company since its Canadian launch in 1997. The virtual bank is the largest of its kind here, with over 1.4 million Canadian customers and more than $20 billion in total assets.

Media Experts’ other clients include: Amp’d Mobile, Marc Anthony Group, O.K. Tire Stores, the Family Channel, Bombardier, Biovail, WestJet and Liz Claiborne Canada.