The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation has added Taxi to its agency roster, naming it creative and strategy AOR for its regional lottery and land-based gaming brands.

OLG confirmed it still has The Hive, BBDO, and FCB as agencies of record for other parts of its portfolio, while Taxi’s remit of land-based gaming includes businesses like casinos and horse racing. Regional brands include Lottario, Keno, and Ontario 49.

“The pandemic has changed the way consumers shop and interact with lottery,” said OLG spokesperson Tony Bitonti. While consumers are driving new areas of growth in gaming entertainment, particularly when it comes to digital gaming, the landscape has also been transformed by the new regulated gaming market in Ontario.

“We have to rethink how we can sustainably grow the business and how to prioritize spending in the most effective and efficient way,” he said. “So we are always looking for agencies with fresh and innovative perspectives to help us grow our business responsibly.”

“Taxi stood out as a new player on the government roster,” said Maxine Chapman, OLG’s vice-president brand and marketing officer, in a release. “The group impressed with their understanding of our business, their ability to lead large, complex, multi-platform campaigns, as well as their experience working with well-loved Canadian brands.”

OLG has a recent track record of green-lighting breakthrough, award-winning work, particularly that done by FCB.

“OLG is one of the most creative and visible accounts in the country and we’re starting our collaboration at a key moment in the category’s history,” said Taxi Canada president Emma Toth. While she said it was too soon to talk about its plans for OLG, she added, “I can certainly tell you that we’re excited to dig in and use the lessons we’ve learned in our 30-year history of creating iconic Canadian brands.”