What 17MARS does

17MARS is a French design agency founded in 2003 and headquartered in Le Pré-saint-gervais (Paris suburbs), with a secondary office in Nantes opened in Spring 2022. The agency specializes in brand motion design, broadcast design, and digital content creation, serving enterprise clients across French and international broadcasters (Arte, TF1, France 2, Warner Media), luxury and premium brands (Dior, Chaumet, Printemps), automotive and mobility (Renault, Nissan), and technology and finance (Ledger, Coinshares, Tikehau Capital, Free). Its service portfolio spans brand strategy and visual identity, 2D and 3D motion graphics, VFX, full broadcast channel packaging, XR and event production, and digital out-of-home (DOOH) content.

The studio operates a hybrid creative-technical stack combining advanced third-party tools — Unreal Engine for virtual/XR spaces (in partnership with PRG France), TouchDesigner for real-time interactive displays, Houdini for procedural design, and Smode for motion design — alongside emerging generative AI workflows. It maintains an experimental LAB division producing AI-augmented projects (CARAT, ARTIFICIAL SERIES #1, KEEP IT REAL) and procedural design studies (COSMETIX, BIOMIMETICS, Hasard Organique). In 2023, the agency spun out 1703, a wholly-owned digital arts hub focused on immersive installations and NFT-based artistic projects for brands.

Commercially, 17MARS runs as a private, founder-owned SAS (17 MARS SAS, RCS Bobigny 444 737 670, share capital €7,500) generating project-based professional services revenue through direct enterprise sales and account-based relationships, supplemented by industry visibility via GEMA Awards, Club des D.A., and design community sponsorships (Motion Plus Design, ADC). Leadership transitioned in March 2025 with the appointment of Cécile Rousseau as Managing Director to professionalize operations alongside founder and Creative Director Géraldine Karolyi.

Name

17MARS

Legal name

17 MARS

Website

https://17mars.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

French design agency specializing in brand motion design, broadcast packaging, XR experiences, and digital content for broadcasters, luxury brands, automotive companies, and technology firms across Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Le Pré-saint-gervais

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Design Agency Services: Project-based design services for brand identity, broadcast design, motion graphics, XR experiences, and digital content creation for enterprise clients. Services include logo creation, type design, branding guidelines, ident and jingle production, trailer creation, and event video production.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

17MARS is a French design agency that creates brand identities, motion design content, and audiovisual experiences for broadcasters, brands, and cultural organizations. Its core deliverables include channel packaging, broadcast idents, 3D motion graphics, visual effects (VFX), brand identity systems, extended reality (XR) virtual stages, and digital out-of-home (DOOH) video content. The agency supplements its commercial work with an experimental LAB division and a digital arts sub-brand (1703) that explores procedural design, AI-generated art, and immersive installations.

Product overview

17MARS is a design agency specializing in brands in motion and digital content creation. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of services organized around core offerings (Brand Strategy & Visual Identity, 2D/3D Motion Design, VFX, Broadcast Design, XR/Event Production, DOOH) and an experimental LAB division. The LAB develops emerging creative technologies including NFT collections, procedural design tools using Houdini, and AI-powered creative projects through the 1703 Digital Arts Hub sub-brand. The agency serves clients across media (ARTE, TF1, France Télévisions, Warner TV), mobility (Renault, Nissan, Dacia), finance (Tikehau, Ledger, Coinshares), luxury (Chaumet, Dior, Printemps), and sports (Puma, Vivendi Sports) sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 1703: Digital arts hub created by 17MARS focused on developing digital art projects, immersive experiences, and artistic digital content for brands

Products and services

• Brand Strategy and Visual Identity Strategic brand consulting and visual identity design services including logo creation, type design, and branding guidelines for brands. The offering targets enterprises seeking distinctive brand systems expressed through motion.
• 2D Motion Design Two-dimensional motion graphics and animation services for broadcast design, advertising idents, jingles, and promotional content. Serves broadcasters and brands requiring animated on-air and digital assets.
• 3D Motion and VFX Three-dimensional animation and visual effects production including 3D motion graphics, VFX compositing, and realistic 3D rendering for film, broadcast, and brand content.
• Broadcast Design Complete television channel packaging including idents, jingles, credits, promotional content, and on-air graphics systems. Targets television networks, streaming platforms, and media groups such as Arte, TF1, France 2, and Warner TV.
• XR and Event Production Extended reality content creation and event video production including XR stage design, AR experiences, virtual event spaces built in Unreal Engine, and live event broadcasting services.
• DOOH Video Production Digital out-of-home video content creation for advertising displays, billboard animations, and large-format screen installations such as the Times Square Art Innovation billboard.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2 Gold Awards + Agency of the Year nomination at GEMA Awards Europe 2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 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

Integration6 records

AI capability5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PRG France GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with PRG France for XR stage design and virtual space development. The collaboration enabled testing of virtual set designs at PRG's Épinay-sur-Seine set, one of the largest in Europe, for virtual speaker and product hosting environments.
• HopscotchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Hopscotch event agency for YouTube's 20th anniversary celebration at Opéra-Comique, demonstrating event production partnership capabilities.
• Motion Plus DesigncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAgency is a sponsor of Motion Plus Design organization which promotes graphic design in motion through events organized in Paris, Los Angeles, and Tokyo. Agency leadership presents talks at Motion Plus Design events.
• Association Design Conseil (ADC)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAgency is a member of Association Design Conseil, which brings together the main design agencies in France. Participates in events including In Design We Trust.
• We Love Your NamesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAgency supports the association We Love Your Names that organizes 'La Nuit du Générique' event celebrating graphic culture of fictional credits at the Forum des Images in Paris.
• Motion Motion FestivalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAgency sponsors the Nantes-based Motion Motion festival which promotes digital graphic arts through workshops, conferences, and exhibitions open to the general public.
• JobIrlminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAgency supports JobIrl which advocates for French middle-schoolers, highschoolers and the business world to come together.
• MediaClub EllesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAgency is partner of MediaClub Elles, an organization gathering professionals in the audiovisual sector working for better representation of women in media.
• OVHminorOthersWebsite hosting services provider mentioned in privacy policy. Data processing within secure infrastructures in the European Economic Area.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ordinary Folk: UK-based motion design and brand studio with strong broadcast packaging portfolio. Comparable to 17MARS in boutique scale, broadcast design specialization, and premium client work.
• B-Reel: Creative agency with strong motion design and brand experience capabilities serving major brands. Comparable to 17MARS in offering design, motion, and digital content for premium global brands.
• Art&Graft: London-based independent motion design studio delivering brand identity, broadcast design, and digital content. Closely parallels 17MARS's boutique size, broadcast client base, and motion-led brand work.
• Tool of North America: Los Angeles-based commercial production and motion design studio with broadcast and brand work. Similar service profile to 17MARS in motion graphics and brand content production.
• Buck: Los Angeles-based motion design and brand experience studio with strong broadcast design and tech-enterprise clients (Apple, Google, Nike). Closely comparable to 17MARS in motion design, brand animation, and broadcast packaging service mix, though at significantly larger scale.
• Hype: UK-based motion design studio serving broadcasters, brands, and cultural organizations. Directly comparable to 17MARS in identity systems, broadcast packaging, and brand motion for European clients.
• Zeitguised: Berlin-based motion design studio focused on generative, AI-driven, and procedural visual work. Comparable to 17MARS in pushing experimental motion design and AI/procedural workflows for brands.
• Psyop: New York-based motion design, VFX, and broadcast design studio with similar service offerings (broadcast design, brand identity, animation) and comparable premium client roster to 17MARS.

Broad incumbents

• Pentagram: World's largest independently owned design consultancy with deep brand identity expertise and growing motion design practice. Overlaps with 17MARS in brand identity and motion but operates at much broader scope across print, digital, and environmental design.
• The Mill: Global VFX, content, and broadcast design studio with much larger scale and broader service portfolio. Overlaps with 17MARS in broadcast design and brand motion, but serves a wider range of clients and capabilities globally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/dixsept_mars
• Instagraminstagram.com/17mars_studio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/17mars

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 17MARS