For the third year in a row, Taxi has walked away with strategy magazine’s top prize in the Agency of the Year competition, handed out last night at a ceremony in Toronto’s Distillery District. Strategy is a sister publication of Media in Canada.
In a departure from tradition, this year the awards for best media director and best media operation have been separated from the AOY competition. Instead these awards will be announced in strategy’s Best Media Agency issue in April, along with our Best Media Plan competition winners.
Taxi, co-founded by Paul Lavoie in 1992, continued its winning streak based on work for clients Telus, Athletes World, Nike, Worldwide Short Film Festival and WestJet.
‘They continue to impress,’ said Lisa D’Innocenzo, editor of strategy. ‘They understand their clients, and the resulting work is creatively strong and strategically bang on. More and more Taxi is emerging as an agency that clients seek out when they’re looking for work that resonates.’
Toronto-based Zig was awarded the silver and DDB Canada was awarded the bronze prize. Vancouver-based Rethink received an honourable mention, while Downtown Partners and TBWA were named finalists. This year’s shortlist included Bos, John St., Bensimon-Byrne, Lowe Roche, Diesel and Grip, whose work was also showcased at the awards ceremony, graciously emceed by Marc Stoiber, VP/ECD Grey Worldwide Canada.
The award was determined by two panels of marketing and advertising executives, who scored both the strategic and creative strength of five campaigns executed by the agency this year. strategy‘s Agency of the Year is in its 15th year.
