The Agency.

We’re a Toronto-based marketing agency, founded by two industry professionals – amusedly frustrated by the widespread apathy towards our industry’s antiquated business model.

The agency name is a nod to our formative years when curiousity, creativity, and experimentation drove everything we did. When we could choose who we collaborated with and the projects that were important to us. When we were surrounded by interesting colleagues and the work was fun. We’re replicating this by surrounding ourselves with people we love to work with, people who do interesting things, and people who make us better.

As a new company, we’re in growth mode. However, the core team will remain small by design. This allows us to curate teams based on the unique and evolving needs of clients. Our approach is analogous to how a General Contractor works with specialized tradespeople. Every client project is different and we believe teams should be as well.

Bringing our combined experience together, we now have a roster of clients including technology companies, not-for-profit organizations, and interesting start-ups. It also includes other agencies that are experiencing talent gaps or bandwidth challenges. We’ll have a conversation with anyone, we chase unique people and interesting problems to solve.

The Network.

In this post-COVID and mass-layoff environment, some of the most talented people in our industry are now freelancers. We believe that the future success of our industry depends on an agency structure supported by freelance talent. To this end, we’re committed to building Canada’s first open talent community and marketplace. This platform will provide the resources for individuals new to freelancing, while also providing value to established freelancers.

It’s early days, and we’ve just started collecting nationwide freelancer perspectives to get a better (and validated) idea of what freelancers want from a network like this. We envision it as a resource hub and open marketplace that could include groups health benefits, access to coworking spaces, and job matching opportunities. Who knows? Although in its infancy, one thing we know for sure – we will never build this network or its services in any way that has us profiting off freelancers. We want to help them, not further hinder them.

The Partners

Moxie Garrett

👋 Hi! I’m a Strategist? With 20+ (eep) years under my thrifted belt, I define problems and build solutions. My agency, consultant, and entrepreneurial experience allow me to imagine the big picture and roll up my sleeves to get things done. I build brands, organizations, relationships, a ridiculous amount of plans, creative, content, and high-performing teams. I also try my best to build student acumens as a Professor at Seneca Polytechnic. Important to me at work are: curiousity, authenticity, integrity, proper team alchemy, and spirited collaboration. When not at work, I enjoy a full family life (I also built a bunch of humans) and am dedicated to many amazing volunteer commitments.

Cam Finlayson

👋 Hi! I’m a reformed AdMan with 20+ years of marketing, business and comms strategy, creative and product development, team management, artist development and music production experience. I believe that the creative and media industries are in need of widespread change after years of apathy and a lack of courage. AV Club is designed to operate differently with a mandate to instigate change through its actions. Outside of work, I stay active by chasing after my three kids. I am also a master of disguise.

We’ve been friends and colleagues since we met in agency land in 2007.

If you want to know anything else about the agency, the network, or us please reach out at play@avclub.agency.