UPDATE: Telus says the cancellation of its long-running contract with ad agency Taxi does not mean those cute little animals in Telus ads will disappear.
“The Telus critters and nature platform has become a mainstay of our brand and really resonates with our customers,” a Telus spokesperson told the Globe and Mail. “We will continue delivering on a brand that is loved by our customers.”
Earlier news reports, including this one, had suggested the animal ads could be on their way out, noting that shake-ups in ad agencies frequently accompany changes to a company's image.
Original story follows below
Those ads with baby animals on white backgrounds that have defined Telus’ image for the past decade will likely soon be history.
Telus has ditched ad agency Taxi, the creative force behind the TV ads and billboards that have come to be synonymous with Canada’s third largest telecom by revenue.
While it’s far too soon to say what Telus’ branding will look like under new creative management, companies typically only change ad agencies when they’re looking for an image makeover.
Telus announced Friday it has hired The&Partnership, a recently formed holding company of various ad agencies, to be the company’s “creative agency of record.”
The company’s flanker brand, Koodo, will move its business to Vision7, the parent company of world-renowned ad agency Cossette, Marketing magazine reported.
The future of ad agency Taxi is unclear following Telus’ move, Strategy magazine reports.
The agency had opened a new office in Toronto dedicated to the Telus account just last fall, the magazine reported.
In a statement, Telus thanked Taxi for its years of service, calling it “a trusted partner” who “played a significant role in Telus’ incredible brand journey.”
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