Open's Secrets to 15 Years of Success

Staying independent in Canada’s competitive ad market for 15 years is no fluke. And for creative agency Open, it’s proof that remaining true to your values pays off. Since launching in 2010, without the backing of big networks or holding companies, this Canadian indie has built a reputation for delivering effective, bilingual creative for an array of brands.

While other shops have also reached this milestone, for founding partners Martin Beauvais and Christian Mathieu, it’s particularly meaningful. In an industry defined by constant change, they didn’t necessarily expect to get this far.

“We feel extremely lucky,” Martin says. “Not a lot of independent agencies in this country get to make it to 15, and we didn’t start out with a clear plan beyond doing great work for great clients (which we still aim to do everyday).”

Despite their humility, however, it’s clear that the founding partners’ business model is immensely strong. Since day one, according to Christian, the two have shared an obsession with making Open’s clients successful, measured primarily through the lens of business results, rather than awards.

“Stemming from Martin’s disenchantment with agency awards obsession, and my experience as head of marketing for IKEA, we both quickly recognised that while awards are nice, a CEO is more concerned with market share, store traffic and basket size,” he continues. “Don’t get me wrong, we firmly believe that great, award-winning work works, but our priority is making sure our clients meet and surpass their objectives. This is where Open focuses its attention.”

The decision to remain independent has been vital to the business’ continued success. Although this might not be surprising from a 2025 lens filled with trending indies, it’s worth noting Open launched at a time when this wasn’t necessarily the norm. Rather, Martin and Christian’s desire to do things in a very specific way meant that remaining a “boutique” needed to be at the heart of future goals.

“Independence means we make all the decisions keeping in mind what’s best for our people and clients, not foreign shareholders and agendas,” the former explains, to which the latter specifies that the pair are by no means against big agencies. Rather, acknowledging that both have successfully worked in bigger systems, he emphasises that this decision is entirely influenced by the desire to consistently do their own thing.

“What is important is ensuring a sense of ownership and entrepreneurship in what we are doing,” Christian adds, before reflecting that this is also possible within large organisations. “Independence just helps.”

What’s In a Name?

Given the nature and freedom that comes with being an indie agency, it’s fully expected that ‘doing things differently’ is going to be a core part of any successful shop’s ethos. Rather than just talk about it on their website, Martin and Christian wanted to be a bit more obvious… and playful.

The agency’s very name is an acronym for the business’ core tenets: original, purposeful, enduring and newsworthy. Filters through which all work is run on a day to day basis, for Christian, ‘Open’ is a state of mind for how the entire business needs to function. As he puts it, “From how we work with our people with complete ‘open’-ness and transparency, to our process which since day one has been silo-free and collaborative, to our product, it all starts with the name.”

Of course, ‘starts’ might be the operative word here. Other notable facets of Open’s enduring success include its structure, strong culture, and the aforementioned bilingual offering.

On structure, Martin highlights the advantages of enabling talent to focus solely on producing great work. Citing the agency’s continuous mission, ‘work that works’, he points out that when you’ve got no layers, bloat, or an office in New York to dump funds and resources into, this pursuit gets significantly easier.

Meanwhile, when it comes to culture, he jokes that it’s probably better to ask Open’s people – rather than the owners – but share this. “What I can say is that in addition to fostering a climate of ‘open’-ness, from day one, we believed in nurturing young talent. We firmly believed fresh ideas come from fresh minds, so we always started there. And while many of them moved on to have amazing careers at some of Canada’s best agencies, many of them stayed with us for a long time.”

As for the bilingual front, Christian praises his partner’s direct influence as creative director, citing it as pivotal in Open’s ability to deliver across both the English- and French-speaking markets.

“It’s an enormous competitive advantage,” he says. “There is not another Toronto-based agency that can claim a French founding creative director. We truly operate as one office, two languages, with Martin ensuring that the work ‘works’ in both markets.”

So, just what does ‘work that works’ look like? For Christian, four distinct choices come to mind. First up is ‘Flags’ for SMYTHE, which saw the agency launch international shipping for the Canadian fashion brand. There’s also ‘Don’t Kill Your Grandma’, a piece of work which got the attention of Canadian millennials during covid-19 while encouraging them to stay home, and two strong advocacy campaigns, ‘NO’, which supported the artisanal brand Boulart in its endeavour against GMOs, and ‘Get Dirty’, which furthered the mission of the nonprofit Evergreen.

Martin’s favourites include Metro Inc.’s ‘Bags Up’ work – an initiative encouraging Canadians to support local products and grocers – as well as its online rebrand, as well as disruptive packaging for women’s health brand Damiva, a set of always-on Twitter posts that instilled what the founding partner refers to as ‘FUNK’ (fear of not knowing), and work for WoodGreen, which saw the agency address the unmet needs of Toronto’s most vulnerable.

Here’s to Another 15

Open’s recent milestone has been cause for internal celebration, but it’s also served as a reminder to both founding partners that reflection on what’s coming next is vital for the long-term health of the agency.

While Martin and Christian agree that the business is “serendipitously” well-positioned and in a great spot, they’re also aware that the future “couldn’t be more challenging” and that they’ll need all their entrepreneurial know-how to navigate it effectively. “One thing has been constant for us over 15 years, and that’s change,” Martin says. “As such we embrace it.”

​_{Caption: Open Creative's ChatGPT rendering of what Martin Beauvais (left) and Christian Mathieu (right) will look like in another 15 years} 

With that in mind, a vital point of focus for the two, presently, is the implementation of AI where and when relevant. In fact, both see it as the ticket to unlocking Open’s next chapter.

“These changes have really made it possible for an agency of our size to compete successfully against much larger shops,” Christian explains. “The arrival of AI only magnifies that. We will embrace it with open arms. We will use it to our advantage to make us smarter, sharper, faster and ultimately more productive, and that to the benefit of our people and clients. The future is glorious.”

Still, both partners also understand that the core makeup and DNA which got the agency to this point cannot be sacrificed for the sake of new pursuits. Even if the industry itself appears to be trending towards an emphasis on short-term results, Christian affirms that the duo intends to keep emphasising ‘work that works’ above all else.

Martin adds, “While [short-term] is important, it cannot be to the exclusion of building a brand for the long term. We are real believers in the economic value of building long-term equity in a brand. Maintaining a balanced perspective ensures we remain relevant.”