Taxi has opened its first office in Europe after acquiring a majority stake in Amsterdam digital agency Ottonico.
The agency, which officially rebranded as Taxi Europe on May 13, serves clients such as Foot Locker, Heineken (a Taxi client in Canada), ING, KPN Royal Dutch Telecom and telecommunications brands Hi and Telefort.
Taxi’s co-founder and chair Paul Lavoie will add the title of chief creative officer, Europe to his business card. Both he and Taxi co-founder Jane Hope will travel between Amsterdam and Taxi New York as the company integration continues over the coming months.
Ottonico’s co-founders Eric Verhage and Maarten van Huijstee, both former Heineken employees, assume the roles of general manager and executive creative director, respectively.
“Our creative visions are a natural fit,” said van Huijstee, in a statement. “We share the belief that there is no new and no old media. Every channel can deliver results when the choice is rooted in consumer insight.”
Lavoie expects several existing Taxi staffers to move to Amsterdam, though he offered no names. However, Ottonico had did significantly less traditional advertising than the other offices in Taxi’s stable. It’s a safe bet those capabilities will be flown in from North America.
With a current staff of 22, Lavoie estimated Taxi Europe’s staff to reach 35 by the time Ottonico is fully integrated into the network.
“We want to be a European brand, a brand that’s popular in the Netherlands,” said Lavoie from his new European base of operations. “People from our shop can walk out of here and see our campaigns and feel that we’re part of this community. But at the same time, we want to use this as a hub for Europe.”
Lavoie and Hope have been exploring the possibility of a European expansion for several months. They considered starting an office from scratch, but opted instead for faster growth through acquisition giving the agency a client base at launch.
Lavoie had several rounds of meetings with Amsterdam’s digital agencies “because that’s where Taxi’s shipping more and more of its work for clients.”
After failing to find a brand fit during those discussions and nearly putting plans on hold, he met Verhage and van Huijstee, who only launched Ottonico last year.
“When I met these guys I knew right away,” Lavoie said. “I called Jane and told her to come meet them.”
Hope vetted the pair, as did most of Taxi’s senior executives when Lavoie subsequently flew them to Toronto and New York.
“I’ve got some guys who are really tough… If [Verhage and van Huijstee] could get through that filter, then we’ve got something. Everyone was coming back to me saying they were cool, smart and generous. They’re really Taxi people.” *This story has been changed from the originally published version: Clarification This morning’s Marketing Daily reported that the Amsterdam-based agency Ottonico, recently acquired by Taxi, had no design capabilities. In fact, Ottonico has created digital and print design work for various clients and employs designers with expertise in both print and digital mediums. Incomplete information was supplied from the source.
