Are you in the market for a $210,000 Siiiiid Delivery Truck? How about a $10,000 Sid Lee nameplate that once hung above the agency’s office. If you’re looking for something slightly more affordable, then a $42 T-shirt from the agency’s new Ad wear collection might be the answer.
Only one of those items can be purchased on the Sid Store, a new online shop celebrating the agency’s maker/creative culture that it describes as an archive of its past creations and the introduction of its first shoppable collection, AdWear—which includes a “Not Gonna Happen” oversized tote bag, along with “Big Idea,” and “Jazz it Up” T-shirts.
The site is also home to a series of, shall we say esoteric items, like a grape suit and a cassette tape of CEO Martin Gauthier’s “popular single ‘Une Rangée'”(which, the site says, is available at a pawn shop near you).
Those items aren’t for sale, with Sid Lee saying instead that the store is a way for the agency to connect with creative enthusiasts, shine a light on some of its unique internal activities, and potentially foster new creative collaborations with local artists and partners.
“Extracurriculars have always been important to us; doing projects that are outside the client’s scope is part of DNA,” said Sid Lee’s director of culture and internal communications. Marie-Christine Chamberland (pictured). “It was also a unique opportunity for our digital, creative, production and brand teams to collaborate. A project like this has multiple retention and R&D hats for our teams, and it’s a good recruitment tool.”
The site is also an archival trawl through the agency’s history, with quirkier products intended to be “Easter eggs” referencing various projects it has put out over the years. The Siiiiid Delivery Truck, for example, was an idea developed during the pandemic as a way of delivering small gifts to its employees. The site will evolve as the agency’s history unfolds, said Chamberland.
Meanwhile, the new (and actually shoppable) AdWear collection features a series of T-shirts and a tote bag inspired by what Sid Lee describes as the “eye-rolling and relatable lingo” that its creative use in their day-to-day work.
But there’s also plenty of weirdness to be found for anyone who delves deeper into the site. There’s a link to a Spotify playlist of “Random Convos,” as well as to Tobasco sriracha sauce and Catelli lasagna pasta sold by longtime Sid Lee client IGA.
Chamberland said that the Sid Store has opened a new channel for the agency to collaborate and connect with clients, partners and our local communities. “It’s good for recruitment in the sense that it gives potential employees a taste of our culture, which includes opportunities like these kinds of projects,” she said. “It’s also a great way to showcase our amazing digital team and how fun e-comm can be.”
