Toronto agency Axmith McIntyre Wicht has changed its name to Agency59. To celebrate the change, it went back in time, if only temporarily.
For a few hours today, visitors to the agency’s old website, Amw-com.com, were redirected to a temporary page at Agency59.ca. It appeared as a standard browser error page, reading “Server not found. Internet not yet invented. If you are unable to load any pages, it is because the worldwide web is still years away from being created.” The copy was followed by the agency’s new logo and contact information for its creative director, Brian Howlett.
The redesigned website, which has a retro style and colour palette, went live at approximately 1:00 p.m.
The rebranding is in anticipation of the shop’s 50th anniversary next year. Founded in 1959 as Dalton Camp & Associates, the agency made a name for itself in the 1960s doing government work. It crafted the “Yours to Discover” slogan for the province of Ontario, which began appearing on provincial licence plates in 1982.
Dalton Camp became Axmith McIntyre Wicht in 1992, but control of the company has rested with Howlett, Al Scornaienchi, president and CEO, and David Foy, president of the agency’s response division, for some time.
“Al and I have been partners for over a decade now,” said Howlett. “Axmith and Wicht have been retired for a while, and it’s time to rebrand and put a new stamp on the place. We’re really proud of our heritage. In fact, one of the first things we say in a new business pitch is that we’ve been around since 1959. What better way to differentiate yourself than to put that fact in your name?”
The 40-person agency’s current client list includes Stewardship Ontario, Interac and Inco.
It is also Labatt’s longest-serving agency of record, overseeing its “Know When To Draw The Line” campaign.
