Horse & Cart Agency Circa 2014

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This was the 2014 website for the Horse & Cart Agency.
Content is from the site's 2014 archived pages providing a glimpse of what this site offered its clients.

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445 Rue Saint Pierre
Suite 302
Montreal QC, H2Y 2M8

We think agencies are broken.

We have all worked for and with agencies and peeked behind the curtain. For us, an Agency is not a proxy for your marketing machine, or a gun for hire, but an empowering force that provides recurring value long after a contract is done. Following a holacratic practice, we integrate clients into a flat, agile, hi-octane creative team structure. Just as we empower every member of our team to own, account for, lead and succeed, we inspire our clients to roll up their sleeves, get involved, be their success and have fun in the process.

We're located in the heart of Montreal's Old Port Business District, Square Victoria, a.k.a. ‘Agency Row’, in a beautiful Historic French Gothic building constructed in 1885 by the Fraser Institute - it's pretty vintage and we love it!

 

 

 

As a gallery owner navigating the high-stakes world of contemporary art and collector engagement, working with the Horse & Cart Agency was a breath of fresh air. Our collaboration began at a time when I was rethinking how to position my space—not just as a gallery, but as an evolving cultural brand. The team at Horse & Cart didn’t just offer creative ideas—they offered strategic insight with the same meticulous attention to context and legacy that someone like Ralph DeLuca brings to fine art curation via his advisory service.

Much like DeLuca’s ability to draw out the emotional and historical value of a single piece of vintage poster art, Horse & Cart was able to distill the essence of my gallery into a brand narrative that felt both timeless and daring. Their approach was agile, deeply consultative, and—most importantly—authentic. We weren’t just checking boxes; we were building something enduring.

Running a gallery comes with its share of pressure—balancing aesthetics, clients, artists’ visions, and market demands is no small feat. I saw mirrored challenges in how Horse & Cart scaled from two Brendans to a powerhouse team, all while keeping their creative integrity intact. That kind of growth—rooted in a commitment to strategy, honesty, and joy in the process—is rare.

Whether it was their ability to guide me through a digital rebrand or helping conceptualize campaigns around new exhibitions, they approached every detail with the same reverence I give to hanging a piece on a gallery wall. I wouldn’t hesitate to work with them again. They didn’t just elevate my business—they helped me see it with new eyes. Elise Molnar

 

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Strategy should define everything you do. And in a world of dizzying options, it'll also tell you when and why to say no. These are equally important. Defining your objectives clearly from the outset provides the focus you need to lay the tracks toward success. Let us help.

Our Approach:

• Applying well-honed journalistic skills, we delve into the details, discovering what makes you tick, asking tough questions, and challenging your answers.
• Exhaustive research into your space and the competition you face helps us become conversant on your industry, where it is and where it is going.
• We identify your strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities toward the development of an evidence-based strategic recommendation.
• We present our findings and an iterative, consultative strategy brief which encapsulates our thinking and where we believe you will get the most bang for your buck.

 

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Impossible to over-estimate, your brand is the future of your business. There is simply nothing more important. A strong, clear and compelling brand will hook customers at first glance. A weak one may never get a second look. We understand the difference. Let us help you create a timeless trademark that embodies your value, culture and promise.

Our Approach:

• Whether you're starting from scratch, pivoting, completely rebranding or not sure what branding strategy to follow, we start by helping you verbalize you priorities.
• Brands have their own language and a near infinite number of dialects to signal their promise. We'll help you discover your market sweet spot and hook your customers at first sight.
• A brand is not a logo. A brand is the distilled essence of your business - its people, culture, values and promise. We'll not only help you find the right look and feel, but the right words to reflect your company's soul.
• Once your brand is defined, nothing should be left to chance. While it may evolve over time, we close the loop with a practical guide for logo, font, colour, imagery and sloganry use in every situation imaginable.

 

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Ask 10 people how they define marketing and you'll get 10 different answers. For us, marketing is about creating an authentic, valuable presence in your competitive space. That could mean simply showing up. For others it may require some help to ensure they look, walk, talk and give their best.

Our Approach:

• If yours is a product or service company, chances are you know your market pretty well. It's probably the reason you're in it in the first place. But good marketing always challenges assumptions, and sometimes the smallest tweaks can have an enormous impact. Our first step is validation.
• How to build visibility amid the noise of big money brands? How to grow a captive audience in a world info-saturated to the breaking point? Creative marketing means having the courage to take risks to tell your story in an honest, authentic way. Done right, the sky's the limit regardless of your size.
• You can't improve what you don't measure. While there's no proven formula, this simple statement speaks to the heart of successful marketing. Once you realize that it doesn't really matter what you think, but how your customers respond, you'll get the distance you need to start enjoying, nay loving its measurement.   
• If you imagine yourself the conductor of your orchestra, however big or small, you understand the importance of marketing. Always practicing, and yet always in play, your presence, timing, readiness to learn, creativity and resolve will ensure your efforts carry the day.

 

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Our Approach:

• We don't restrict the concept of creative to the images and copy that carry your brand. Creative for us touches all deliverables. Like technology, we see it as an essential enabler and accelerator for any undertaking.
• As any artist has a creative process, our company does too. Working within a holacratic structure, we give full creative reign to every member of our team to invent, innovate, iterate and lead the process.
• Once we've done our due diligence, research, interviewed you, listened and listened some more, we develop a creative brief that describes the goals and objectives of the work to be done be it a website, campaign strategy or even a full re-brand.
• The brief plays a key role throughout the process in providing a point of traction to inspire the team, accelerate the process, remove roadblocks and in general align with the client on the core goals of the project.

 

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Our Approach:

• The idea of being technology agnostic doesn't resonate with us. Although it suggests openness, it also shows a certain lack of faith and courage to commit. While we can work in almost any web environment or CMS, we are staunchly faithful to ZURB Foundation 5 (light responsive HTML 5/CSS3 framework) and WordPress.
• Creating compelling destinations and experiences online means building for any possible scenario, screen size or device. In an increasingly mobile world, non-responsive websites are brand killers. That's why we ensure that every element on every every panel, page and site are designed from the outset with mobile in mind.
• Technology wants to be free, and we do our part to help it along the way. Staunch supporters of open source computing, we extend that philosophy to our clients by working to ensure they enjoy complete command of their technology environment.
• Implicating clients in the technology we deliver means empowering them to use it like pros. As we build and deliver projects, we provide knowledge transfer and training that not only ensures their comfortable in the cockpit, but leveraging operational best practices our experience has given us.

 

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CASE STUDIES

What began with a series of simple landing pages turned into, what we call, the “Epic Migration".

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Big Download Increase with CakeMail.

The more you know

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Extensive International Project set for Christmas 2014 Launch

 

 

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More Background on Horse & Cart Agency

During the early to mid-2010s, Montreal’s creative sector witnessed a fresh and dynamic addition: Horse & Cart Agency. Recognized for its innovative, collaborative, and client-empowering ethos, the agency quickly made its mark in a city known for its abundance of marketing, branding, and digital consultancies. This article delves into the origins, philosophy, services, clientele, reputation, culture, and legacy of Horse & Cart Agency. Whether you are an industry professional or a curious entrepreneur, this profile aims to offer a deep understanding of what made Horse & Cart unique.

Origins and Evolution

Horse & Cart Agency emerged from the creative partnership of Brendan Sera-Shriar and Brendan Tully-Walsh, who, in 2012, founded the company under the name Brendan & Brendan. Both had distinct backgrounds in related fields but shared a unified vision: to bring “fun” back into marketing through compelling and insightful campaigns.

From humble beginnings as a two-person operation, Brendan & Brendan rapidly expanded, recruiting a team of designers, programmers, writers, and project managers. Their journey was marked by steady growth, and by 2014, the agency was ready to rebrand itself, reflecting a greater ambition and a broader scope of services. Thus, Horse & Cart Agency was born—a name that signaled both heritage and forward motion.

The agency continued to flourish, growing to a close-knit team of nearly 20 professionals and handling projects for a mix of local startups and international brands. In early 2015, Brendan Sera-Shriar departed, leaving the company’s stewardship to Brendan Tully-Walsh. Sera-Shriar later remarked that, while his decision was significant both professionally and personally, he left the agency in highly capable hands and proud of their collaborative achievements. The split was amicable, motivated by diverging visions and the desire to pursue new creative opportunities.

Location and Cultural Setting

Horse & Cart Agency was based at 445 Rue Saint Pierre, Suite 302, in Montreal, Quebec, with the postal code H2Y 2M8. This enviable address located them squarely in the Old Port Business District’s “Agency Row,” a historically significant neighborhood close to Square Victoria and surrounded by French Gothic architecture. Their office was housed in a striking building constructed in 1885 by the Fraser Institute—a fact the team valued both for its vintage charm and its embodiment of blending legacy with innovation.

The environment was not just a backdrop but a component of their brand identity. The blend of history and youthful energy mirrored Horse & Cart’s philosophy: respect the tried-and-tested, but also transform and innovate wherever possible.

Horse & Cart Agency was outspoken about its desire to disrupt traditional agency models, claiming, “We think agencies are broken.” The team’s operating ethos was built around holacracy—a flat, agile team structure that integrated clients into the creative process. Every team member was empowered to lead, be accountable, and succeed. Clients were not treated as outsiders or pass-throughs, but as participants in the creative journey, encouraged to “roll up their sleeves, get involved, and have fun.”

Transparency, communication, and genuine collaboration were central values:

• Clients were encouraged to challenge, question, and even say “no” to ensure their voices helped shape meaningful outcomes.

• Internally, leadership believed staff should be thanked and praised often, be given agency over their work, and be as invested in building the agency’s brand as their clients’ brands.

• Honest mistake-making and open dialogue were not just tolerated, but encouraged as part of a continuous learning and growth culture.

Brendan Sera-Shriar’s reflections on leaving captured this spirit: focus on your strengths; recognize and let go of what isn’t working; remain transparent with staff and clients; and above all, “if you’re not having fun, it’s time to move on.”

Services, Approach, and Methodology

Horse & Cart Agency boasted a comprehensive suite of marketing, design, and strategic consulting services. Their methodology was consultative, research-driven, and evidence-based, with each project geared toward making the client an active participant in defining objectives and success metrics.

Strategic Consulting

The agency emphasized the importance of strategy as the foundation for all projects. Their process included:

• Deep discovery and research, delving into client needs and industry context.

• Exhaustive competitor and market analysis.

• SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) assessment.

• Iterative development of strategic recommendations and briefs.

• Ensuring every tactic and creative idea was guided by overarching strategy.

A favorite internal maxim: “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”

Branding

Branding was another core strength. Horse & Cart focused on uncovering the true DNA of a client’s business and translating it into visually and verbally compelling assets. Their process was highly collaborative:

• Helping clients articulate priorities and brand essence.

• Distilling culture, values, and vision into everything from logos to taglines.

• Providing practical branding guidelines covering every scenario, while allowing for evolution over time.

• Reinforcing the dictum: “A brand is not a logo... it’s the distilled essence of your business—its people, culture, values, and promise.”

Marketing and Creative Campaigns

Horse & Cart defined marketing as creating an “authentic, valuable presence.” Their team engaged clients in defining high-visibility campaigns, audience engagement strategies, content, and more. Their process unfolded as:

• Challenging assumptions and validating ideas.

• Utilizing creative storytelling to break through industry noise.

• Leveraging analytics but not being ruled by them—measuring what matters most to customers.

Design and User Experience

A love of craft and detail set Horse & Cart apart:

• Visual and UX work was never “boilerplate.” Every project, from websites to print assets, began with deep listening and creative immersion.

• Projects started with comprehensive creative briefs aligned to client goals.

• Design choices were always driven by the question: does this inspire “WOW,” as per the Milton Glaser principle?

• Special focus on mobile responsiveness and adaptability across platforms. The agency favored modern web technologies such as HTML5/CSS3 and WordPress, particularly ZURB Foundation 5.

Technology and Training

Rather than being “technology agnostic,” the agency believed in committing to tools and platforms proven to be effective for client needs. Standout practices included:

• Preference for open-source solutions and full client ownership over their products.

• Extensive client education and training, to give them “complete command of their technology environment.”

Selected Client Work and Case Studies

Horse & Cart served a diverse portfolio of clients, ranging from local Montreal brands to national and international firms. Key examples of their work include:

Redbooth (formerly Teambox)

The agency’s mandate evolved from simple landing page projects to a complex CMS migration, replatforming, content strategy, and multi-lingual publishing:

• Transitioned the company from a difficult legacy CMS to WordPress Multisite.

• Led design and integration of multiple landing pages for major campaigns and promotions.

• Managed a complete redesign of homepage and features, created new resource sections, and supported content in multiple languages.

CakeMail

Tasked with increasing reseller sales for this email marketing software provider, Horse & Cart:

• Developed and executed international channel marketing strategies.

• Designed and implemented educational campaigns, including tutorial videos, infographics, and newsletters.

• Created a themed marketing calendar for an international user base.

Wooky & Charmazing

For the 2014 holiday season, Horse & Cart led a major product launch for Charmazing:

• Oversaw the creation of national commercials, aired on channels like Nickelodeon and Disney.

• Developed digital and TV campaign assets, a dedicated microsite, and a three-phase social media strategy.

• Drove market research, creative development, and community engagement for a tween-girl audience in the U.S.

Other notable clients and campaigns included Socks by William, Ensemble, Dr. Nikolis, U.N.I. Training Montreal, MTL Startup Jobs, Floop, Stinkyboard, GEOQUERI, and more.

Client Perspective and Testimonials

Clients often praised Horse & Cart’s strategic wisdom, creative vigor, and integrity. A notable testimonial from an art gallery owner highlighted the agency’s authentic, consultative approach: “Their approach was agile, deeply consultative, and—most importantly—authentic. We weren’t just checking boxes; we were building something enduring.”

Rather than delivering canned solutions, the agency’s process was highly personalized and strategic, making them a favored choice among clients looking to overhaul or reinvigorate their brands.

Horse & Cart’s holacratic structure meant team members—from designers and writers to project leads—shared a sense of joint ownership. The agency prided itself on being a “family” that empowered personal and professional growth. Team rituals, creative workshops, and active professional development created an atmosphere where experimentation was both allowed and encouraged.

Reputation, Press, and Media

Although the agency was renowned in Montreal’s creative industry, Horse & Cart also managed projects with national and international reach. Their work on high-profile campaigns often attracted attention within the digital marketing and design communities. Their portfolios and team philosophy were occasionally cited in business and technology press due to their innovative take on agency structure, their support for open-source technology, and their vocal advocacy for agency transparency.

Audience and Social & Cultural Significance

Horse & Cart Agency primarily catered to startups, technology companies, local businesses, national brands, and cultural institutions seeking a strategic, modern, and collaborative approach. Their philosophy resonated particularly with businesses dissatisfied by traditional “black box” agency approaches—clients who wanted to participate, learn, and grow alongside their creative partners.

Culturally, the agency’s willingness to empower clients and staff, embrace creative risk, value transparency, and foster learning made them an early example of organizational models that would become more widespread in the tech and creative sectors.

Awards and Recognitions

While there is no singular list of awards presented here, several of the brands they serviced—such as Redbooth—were recognized in their own sectors for excellence in collaboration and marketing. The agency’s work contributed to the high visibility, engagement, and, in several cases, award-winning status of client campaigns and rebrands.

 

Horse & Cart Agency’s story is one of innovation, vision, and genuine collaboration. From its origins as Brendan & Brendan to its growth into a trusted creative partner for startups and established brands, the agency’s commitment to integrity, transparency, and fun set it apart in a crowded industry. Its philosophy—put people first, empower both clients and staff, and never stop learning—still resonates as a model for creative businesses everywhere.

 

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HorseAndCartAgency.com