Hot on the heels of one new partnership deal, Montreal agency BleuBlancRouge has acquired design agency Kolegram.
Based in Ottawa, the acquired shop now goes by BleuBlancRouge-Kolegram. Predictably, given its location, it has a number of public-sector clients such as the Government of Canada, several governmental agencies, CBC, and Tourisme Outaouais. It has also served several arts organizations such as the National Arts Centre, Ottawa’s Opera Lyra and Galeries de Hull.
Kolegram’s design staff will be bolstered by BleuBlancRouge’s offering including public relations, media planning and full-service creative.
Kolegram has already won business with its new owner’s backing. The acquisition overlaps news that Algonquin College, Brigil Platine, Telefilm Canada and Tourisme Outaouais have all tapped the agency for work in the near future. Kolegram was pitching the companies with creative and strategic support from BBR.
“This is a great opportunity for us to go to the next level,” said Nicolas Cazelais, Kolegram founder and now president and partner of BBR-K. “It’s always been a dream for us to provide the region with a great full-service creative shop.”
Discussions for the deal began last autumn. Cazelais and SĂ©bastien FaurĂ©, BBR’s president, served together on the board of the AAPQ (Association des agences de publicitĂ© du Quebec). While FaurĂ© was not actively looking to expand, he was impressed by Kolegram’s operation and design work.
“Right now we have a good basic team in place,” FaurĂ© said of his new agency. “Based on what business we win, we will increase the size [of the agency],” FaurĂ© said.
The acquisition announcement comes just more than a week after BBR announced a partnership with Montreal digital agency Revolver 3.
While the companies remain separate, they’ve agreed to offer their services in tandem to clients, adding stronger digital skills to BleuBlancRouge’s offering, and stronger traditional media skills to Revolver 3’s.
