Moosehead has selected Taxi 2 as its new agency of record.
Following a 10-week RFP, the Saint John, N.B.-based beermaker has handed all strategic and creatives duties for its main brand and four sub-brands (Moosehead Lager, Moose Light, Alpine Lager and Hop City) over to the WPP-owned agency. Taxi 2 replaces Moosehead’s most recent creative partner Sid Lee, which worked on the account since 2011.
Trevor Grant, vice-president of sales and marketing at Moosehead Breweries, told Marketing the brand was looking to consolidate its account with a single partner (Extreme Group previously worked with the brand in the Atlantic market) that can help it craft a holistic strategy for its stable of brands.
According to Grant, Moosehead met with seven agencies, then developed a shortlist of three potential partners that pitched for the account. Sid Lee was not invited to pitch.
“We felt we needed some fresh thinking on the business,” Grant said. “We were looking for [an agency] that was going to deliver the horsepower on the strategic side to optimize our portfolio.”
In working sessions with Taxi 2, Grant said the agency was able to demonstrate both the strategic insight the brand was looking for and an ability to delivery quality creative.
Daniel Shearer, general manager of Taxi 2, told Marketing the agency was eager to work on the brand because of its unique position as an independent in a landscape where major liquor companies are merging and acquiring craft brews.
“Moosehead is this lovely anomaly that remains fiercely independent six generations in that a lot of us [at Taxi 2] have a personal connection to,” Shearer said, noting that Taxi CEO Rob Guenette grew up near the Moosehead brewery.
“It’s an interesting group of brands with a great story. At a time when the industry is consolidating like crazy, these guys remain completely independent. That plus the personal connections made it a hugely interesting opportunity for us,” he said.
The story of Moosehead as a longtime independent may soon weave its way into the brand’s communications. Both Grant and Shearer said they see an opportunity for Moosehead to play up its history (the beermaker will turn 150 in 2017) in its advertising.
That chance will come early next year, when the first Moosehead ads by Taxi 2 go to market. At Taxi 2, the Moosehead account will be overseen by Shearer and Haneen Davies, who joined Taxi 2 via Edelman as a group account director earlier this fall.
In the past Taxi has worked on several beer and liquor brands including Rickard’s, Heineken and the LCBO. Moosehead is currently the only liquor brand in the agency’s portfolio.
Moosehead has not made any changes to its media account, which is primarily handled by Wills & Co. The company is also continuing to handle public relations in-house.
