Sid Lee is an international

creative services Creative services are a subsector of the creative industries, a part of the economy that creates wealth by offering creativity for hire to other businesses. Creative Services also means a department within a company that does creative work such a ...

firm founded in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, Canada. It operates offices in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

and

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. The agency offers services in the fields of branding,

digital Digital usually refers to something using discrete digits, often binary digits. Technology and computing Hardware *Digital electronics, electronic circuits which operate using digital signals **Digital camera, which captures and stores digital i ...

and

social marketing Social marketing is a marketing approach which focuses on influencing behavior with the primary goal of achieving "common good." It utilizes the elements of commercial marketing and applies them to social concepts. However, to see social marke ...

advertising Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...

analytics Analytics is the systematic computational analysis of data or statistics. It is used for the discovery, interpretation, and communication of meaningful patterns in data. It also entails applying data patterns toward effective decision-making. It ...

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...

and

retail design Retail design is a creative and commercial discipline that combines several different areas of expertise together in the design and construction of retail space. Retail design is primarily a specialized practice of architecture and interior design, ...

branded content In marketing, branded content (also known as branded entertainment) is Content (media), content produced by an advertiser or content whose creation was funded by an advertiser. In contrast to content marketing (in which content is presented first an ...

and entertainment.

From Diesel to Sid Lee

· In 1993, Philippe Meunier and Jean-François Bouchard founded the advertising agency Diesel in Montreal. · Diesel quickly made a name for itself with innovative campaigns: a radio-only campaign for Sleeman Breweries and the creation of a fleet of graffiti-covered car wrecks for Pizzédélic pizza chain. · With the rise of the Internet in the mid-‘90s, Diesel quickly went digital. The agency was one of the first in Quebec to build a commercial website. · After having been one of Diesel’s clients, Bertrand Cesvet joined the company in 1997. With the turn of the century approaching and a digital revolution about to transform the industry, Diesel merged with Stratège Media in 1999 and added Martin Gauthier and Daniel Fortier to their management team. · This is also when Diesel began to develop a business relationship with Cirque du Soleil, an organization that would go on to establish itself as an innovative creator in its industry. · In 2007, Diesel changed its name to Sid Lee to avoid being confused with the clothing brand. Sid Lee is actually an anagram of Diesel.

Sid Lee International and the diversification of their operations

· In 2008, Sid Lee landed the global Adidas Originals account. In the midst of this partnership, the agency opened offices among the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam in 2008 and Paris in 2009, in what Bertrand Cesvet described as “a semi-controlled whirlwind of boundless enthusiasm.” · In 2009, Sid Lee realized that the future of retail depended on a brand’s ability to attract customers to its stores and the way it interacts with its consumers. This thought led to the founding of Sid Lee Architecture. Jean Pelland and Martin Leblanc founded this new branch within the agency. · The Toronto office also opened in 2010, an endeavour led by Vito Piazza. · Sid Lee added an office in New York in 2012 and another in Los Angeles in 2014. · In 2012, C2 Montréal hosted its first edition, a unique event imagined by Sid Lee and Le Cirque du Soleil. · During the 2013 Cannes Lions Festival, the firm announced the launch of Sid Lee Entertainment, aimed at creating engaging experiences and content for its clients. · The firm designed the Toronto Raptors’ We The North marketing campaign in 2014. · On July 6, 2015, Sid Lee was acquired by kyu, the strategic operating unit of the Japanese Hakuhodo DY Holdings, which is currently headed by CEO Michael Birkin. · In October 20, 2017, Sid Lee Paris bought YARD, a French creative and production agency. · In 2019, Sid Lee continued its expansion into the United Stateshttps://adage.com/article/agency-news/sid-lee-appoints-first-us-ceo-it-expands-region/2174426. as Hornall Anderson, Infrared and Red Peak joined the agency. Digital Kitchen also became a member of its community of talents. In the wake of these developments, the agency strengthened its US presence with an office in Seattle.

References

{{Reflist Advertising agencies of Canada Marketing companies established in 1993 Companies based in Montreal Companies based in Amsterdam Companies based in Paris Companies based in Toronto Companies based in New York City 1993 establishments in Quebec