MOUTON NOIR

What MOUTON NOIR does

Mouton Noir is an independent, full-service communication agency headquartered in Lyon, France, founded in 2015 by Julien Tardy (Creative Director), Daniel Da Costa (Managing Director), and Guillaume Rieth (Strategy Director). Positioned as an 'anti-standard' agency, it operates across three interconnected service pillars — Inspiration (trend analysis, social listening, creative workshops), Stratégie (brand platforms, brand architecture, advertising territory, employer branding), and Activation (advertising, digital, social media, packaging, and street/guerrilla marketing) — delivering campaigns via film, print, digital, DOOH, and broadcast. Its client base spans food and beverage (Cirio, Alter Eco, Bonneterre, Pavé d'Affinois, Biolait, Saint Jean, Bionat, Evernat, Pizza Cosy), automotive (Michelin, Renault Trucks, Volvo), healthcare and dermo-cosmetics (Boiron, Bioderma, Ducray, Avène, Etat Pur, Pierre Fabre dermo-cosmetic brands, Laboratoires Gifrer), retail, building materials, and B2B (APRR/Fulli, Saint-Gobain/Placo), with documented outcomes such as Cirio's +8 points of revenue growth on a market down 1.1% and Pavé d'Affinois's +20% sales lift.

The agency operates with a core team of approximately 59 people — 29 of whom are publicly identified on the website — supplemented by 'La Bergerie,' a curated community of independent creative and production talents, and a network of recurring production and media partners (FYGOSTUDIO, Les Fistons, Riot House, SLURP Media, Studio Anatole, Goodangel Media, Compose.It, Les Prods). This asset-light model allows Mouton Noir to scale production flexibly for film, digital, and cross-channel campaigns without proportional headcount growth.

Revenue is generated exclusively through professional services — B2B communication engagements won via competitive pitches against larger holding-company agencies such as TBWA Lyon and Blue Egg, direct client relationships, and ongoing retainers. Pricing is quote-based and negotiated per project or contract, with no public disclosure of rates. The agency's go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven, layered with earned-media visibility through French trade press (CB News, Stratégies) and industry awards (Ours de la Com, TopCom). Operationally it remains a regional French player — Lyon headquarters plus a Clerlande (Clermont-Ferrand) office — with no disclosed international footprint, no institutional outside investment, and no parent company, while continuing to win national accounts through creative differentiation.

Name

MOUTON NOIR

Legal name

MOUTON NOIR

Website

https://m-n.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Mouton Noir is an independent, full-service French communication agency founded in 2015 in Lyon, providing strategy, creative, production, and multi-channel activation for enterprise and growth-stage brands across food and beverage, healthcare, automotive, and retail.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advertising & Communication Agency Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (54181)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Alternative OOH & Ambient Media (Guerrilla, Pop-Up Installations) (BPAFALAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) Advertising (MPAAAKAB), Guerrilla & Street Marketing (MPAAAGAH)

Keywords

• Advertising agency services
• Brand strategy consulting
• Creative campaign production
• Digital marketing services
• Social media management

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Communication and Advertising Services: Professional services revenue generated from providing full-service communication agency capabilities including strategy, creative development, production, and campaign activation for brand clients.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MOUTON NOIR is an independent communication agency delivering full-service brand communication through three pillars: Inspiration (trend reports, social listening, creative workshops), Strategy (brand platform, brand architecture, advertising territory, employer branding), and Activation (advertising, digital, social media, packaging, street marketing). The agency produces multi-channel campaigns including TV spots, digital films, billboards, DOOH, and social content for French and international brand clients.

Product overview

MOUTON NOIR is an independent communication agency founded in 2015, positioned as 'anti-standard' with a focus on helping brands become remarkable. The agency operates through three interconnected service pillars: Inspiration (trend analysis, social listening, creative workshops), Strategy (brand platforms, brand architecture, advertising territory, employer branding), and Activation (advertising, digital, social media, packaging, street marketing). The agency serves a diverse portfolio of clients across food/beverage, cosmetics, automotive, retail, and professional services sectors, with notable work in TV advertising, digital campaigns, brand identity, and content creation. Their approach emphasizes creative problem-solving without preconceived notions about the 'right' way to achieve results.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• La Bergerie: A community of independent talents and complementary expertise, serving as an extension of Mouton Noir to support clients based on their actual needs

Products and services

• Inspiration Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Cirio: +11% sales on market down -1.1%, +13.1% volume increase, +3.2 points spontaneous awareness with budget 5x lower than leader
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers61 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• FYGOSTUDIOcoreTechnology or IntegrationProduction studio partnership for high-quality film production. Collaborated on Cirio campaigns delivering professional content meeting high production standards for tomato products advertising.
• Les FistonscoreTechnology or IntegrationProduction company for Fulli (APRR) campaign including 35-second film, 3x15-second capsules, and poster series. Long-term collaboration partner for video content production.
• SLURP MediasupportingTechnology or IntegrationProduction company for Benco campaign, collaborating on behind-the-scenes content and production support.
• Studio AnatolesupportingTechnology or IntegrationProduction studio partner for recording voice-overs and filming, used for Baïko and Benco campaigns.
• Goodangel MediasupportingTechnology or IntegrationMedia consulting and space buying partner for Fulli (APRR) campaign media placement.
• Riot HousesupportingTechnology or IntegrationProduction partner for Picture Organic Clothing campaign, noted as excellent filming collaborators.
• Compose.ItsupportingTechnology or IntegrationProduction partner for lePERMISLIBRE TV campaign films.
• Les ProdssupportingTechnology or IntegrationSound production partner for Fulli campaign signature sound.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rosbeef!: French independent creative agency based in Paris. Directly comparable as a similarly-sized French independent shop; Mouton Noir's strategic planner Céline Jeannin was previously Director of Strategic Planning at Rosbeef, indicating direct cultural and operational overlap.
• TBWA\Paris: French office of the TBWA global network. Direct comparator in pitches (Mouton Noir beat TBWA Lyon for the lePermisLibre account) and competes for the same French enterprise brand clients in the same creative-territory territory.
• Marcel (Publicis): Paris-based creative agency operating independently within Publicis. Comparable creative reputation and French brand-client base, with similar award-winning positioning to Mouton Noir's anti-standard stance.
• Herezie: Paris-based independent creative agency with strong award profile and brand-content specialisation. Comparable to Mouton Noir in scale, independent ownership, and creative-led positioning for French and European brands.
• Fred & Farid Paris: French independent creative agency with strong international award pedigree. Directly comparable to Mouton Noir's positioning; the agency's Creative Director Julien-Pierre Mallet was previously Directeur Artistique then Directeur de Création at Fred & Farid Paris.
• Romance: French independent creative agency serving brand clients across packaging, brand content, and activation. Comparable in business model and customer base to Mouton Noir's full-service creative offering.

Broad incumbents

• DDB Paris: Paris office of the DDB global creative network. Competes in the same French enterprise pitch landscape as Mouton Noir and serves overlapping brand clients across food, beverage, and consumer goods.
• Havas Paris: Global advertising and communications network headquartered in Paris. Mouton Noir's strategic planner Céline Jeannin previously held strategic planning roles at Havas Paris, illustrating direct overlap in talent and client-targeting.
• Publicis Groupe: Global communications group and France-headquartered incumbent. Competes with Mouton Noir for French enterprise brand budgets and has the scale, procurement, and global reach that anchors it in the same pitch processes.
• BETC (Havas): Highly awarded French creative agency within the Havas network. Direct comparator in creative reputation and Cannes Lions presence, with similar brand-building territory and French enterprise client base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mouton-noir

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 MOUTON NOIR