Upperkut

What Upperkut does

Upperkut is a Montreal-based, privately held creative advertising and communications agency founded in 1999, operating from a single headquarters at 4200 rue Drolet. The firm provides a full-service offering spanning strategy and consulting (brand architecture, positioning, multi-platform and digital strategy), creation (ideation, copywriting, branding, motion design, social media content), media (planning, programmatic, SEO/SEA, performance reporting), web development, in-house video production (cyclorama-equipped studio), and public relations. Its client base is concentrated in Quebec and pan-Canadian labor unions, non-profits, NGOs, healthcare federations, and municipal/government entities — including FIQ, FTQ, PSAC, Teamsters Canada, Équiterre, L'Itinéraire, Projet Montréal, and OQLF. The agency explicitly selects mandates based on alignment with progressive social-impact values, positioning itself as a values-driven 'social communications and engaged marketing' firm rather than a commercial brand shop.

The business model is professional services revenue: fees from client retainers and project-based engagements for campaign creation and deployment across paid digital, traditional (TV, radio, outdoor), earned media, and social channels. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; engagements are quoted per project scope. The go-to-market is sales-led direct client engagement, leveraging long-tenured relationships within Quebec's organized labor and progressive non-profit ecosystems, supported by a multi-year institutional partnership with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens and coalition work such as SpeakVert. The agency has no proprietary software platform, no public API, no disclosed external funding, and operates with a small (11–50 employee) team led by founder/President Serge Leathead alongside Director of Client Services Marc Desnoyers, Studio Director Marc Hallé, and Director of Creation Robert Lebeuf. Marquee campaign outcomes include 300 million impressions and 3 million video views for PSAC's Vote to Stop the Cuts, and 208,196 video views for the FAE — metrics used to substantiate the firm's category credibility alongside two 2016 CALM industry awards.

Name

Upperkut

Legal name

Upperkut

Website

https://upperkut.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Upperkut is a privately held, Montreal-based creative advertising and communications agency serving Quebec and pan-Canadian labor unions, non-profits, healthcare federations, and municipal governments with strategy, creative, media buying, video production, web, and PR services on a values-aligned, project-and-retainer basis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Advertising and Communications Services: Upperkut generates revenue through fees for creative advertising services, campaign development, media planning and buying, branding, video production, and communications strategy. Revenue comes from client retainers and project-based engagements for campaign creation and deployment across multiple platforms.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Upperkut is a Montreal-based creative advertising and communications agency that delivers integrated multi-platform campaigns for social-impact clients. Its core services span strategy and consulting, creative production (branding, copywriting, motion design), media planning and buying (programmatic, SEO/SEA, traditional), web development, full-service video production, and public relations. The agency primarily serves labor unions, non-profits, healthcare federations, and municipal governments across Quebec and Canada.

Product overview

Upperkut is a Montreal-based creative advertising and communications agency that offers a comprehensive suite of services rather than a software product platform. The agency's service portfolio includes: Strategy & Consulting (strategic analysis, brand architecture, positioning, communication strategies), Creation (ideation, copywriting, branding, graphic design, motion design, social media content), Media (performance analysis, digital marketing, media planning, programmatic buying, SEO/SEA), Web (website development and presence management), Video Production (full-service from storyboarding to post-production, including TV ads and social content), and Public Relations (integrated with advertising and social media). The agency specializes in social communications, public affairs campaigns, and impact-driven marketing primarily for unions, non-profits, healthcare organizations, and social causes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stratégie et conseil (Strategy and Consulting) Strategic consulting services for organizations, including strategic analysis, strategic planning, brand architecture, brand DNA, nominal identity, positioning, brand tone and narrative, communication-marketing strategy, multi-platform strategy, digital strategy, content strategy, editorial planning, community management, and training/coaching. Designed for unions, non-profits, healthcare federations, and government clients seeking to define or reinvent their communications positioning.
• Création (Creative Services) Creative services including ideation, copywriting, branding/image de marque, graphic design, production, illustration, brand activation, advertising campaigns, motion design, and social media content creation. Built for mission-driven organizations needing bold creative output for advocacy and awareness campaigns.
• Médias (Media Planning and Buying) Media services including performance audit and analysis, digital marketing strategy, content marketing, media planning, digital and traditional media buying, programmatic, keyword research, search engine marketing (SEO, SEA), and performance reporting. Targeted at organizations seeking multi-channel reach and measurable media performance.
• Web (Web Presence Development) Web presence development and digital presence reinvention services designed to establish a bold and unique online image for organizations. Includes website creation, production, updating, hosting, and search engine marketing (SEM). Targeted at unions and non-profits needing strong digital footprints.
• Production vidéo (Video Production) Full-service video production from storyboarding to post-production, including brand manifestos, TV advertisements, promotional videos, corporate videos, social media content, web series, and motion design. Delivered through an in-house cyclorama and photography studio. Used by clients to produce broadcast and digital video assets for high-impact campaigns.
• Relations publiques (Public Relations) Public relations services integrated with advertising and social media strategies to generate public word-of-mouth and maximize campaign impact. Includes traditional and digital media outreach. Designed for organizations seeking earned-media amplification of paid and owned campaign assets.

Quantifiable outcome

• PSAC campaign: 300 million web impressions, 3 million video views, tens of thousands of shares across platforms
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de MontréalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeven-year partnership with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens for the Nutcracker Market event communications, including TV, poster, and print campaigns, original positioning, and graphic style development. The event welcomes over 35,000 visitors.
• SpeakVert CoalitionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCoalition of over 20 citizen, agricultural, environmental, union, and French language groups united to oppose the National Energy Board's refusal to provide official French translations. Upperkut developed graphic identity, website, and social media promotion tools.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sid Lee: Montreal-headquartered independent creative agency offering strategy, creative, media, digital and production services across Canada and globally (now under Havas). Direct competitor for Quebec-based brand and cause work that Upperkut targets.
• Lg2: Montreal-based independent creative agency serving Quebec and Canadian clients across brand, advertising, and digital. Comparable in size, geography, and full-service offering to Upperkut.
• Bleu Blanc Rouge: Montreal creative agency with integrated advertising, digital and strategy offerings for Canadian brands. Operates in the same Quebec creative market as Upperkut with overlapping service lines.
• Cossette: Canadian-owned full-service marketing communications agency with offices across Canada. Comparable by full-service model and Canadian client base, though generally serving larger commercial accounts than Upperkut.
• Juniper Park\TBWA: TBWA-affiliated creative agency in Toronto serving Canadian clients with creative, brand, and digital work. Comparable independent-agency operating model to Upperkut with similar mid-market clientele.
• Anomaly: Independent creative and media agency with integrated strategy, creative, and media services. Comparable by full-service independent-agency model and similar mid-market positioning to Upperkut.

Broad incumbents

• Publicis Canada: Canadian arm of global holding company Publicis Groupe, offering advertising, media, PR, and digital at enterprise scale. Competes with Upperkut on larger mandates that require network scale and multi-territory capabilities.
• Havas Canada: Canadian operations of Havas, the global network that houses Sid Lee. A broad incumbent that competes with Upperkut on integrated mandates requiring network scale and procurement-led clients.
• Dentsu Canada: Canadian arm of Dentsu, the global advertising and media network. A broad incumbent competing for Canadian advertising, media, and digital mandates that may overlap with Upperkut's larger federal/provincial work.

Emerging players

• Mekanism: Independent creative agency focused on purpose-driven and emotionally resonant brand storytelling. Comparable to Upperkut's social impact and cause-based positioning, but operating at larger U.S. scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/upperkut
• Facebookfacebook.com/upperkut
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/upperkut
• Instagraminstagram.com/agenceupperkut

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Upperkut