Our
history.
Mark Spencer, after the Great Depression of 1929, began his c
In 1932, the Great Depression of 1929 was still casting its shadow of recession over the world economy. It took the optimistic attitude of Mark Spencer, a young social science graduate from the University of Chicago, to bet on the future.
tell me what you sell,
and i’ll make sure that
people come to buy.
Mark Spencer – Montreal 1932
Spencer set out knocking on doors throughout the City, offering his financial services to businessmen who had survived the Great Depression.
His strategy was very simple: “Tell me what you sell
and I’ll make sure that people come to buy it”.
It was a strategy that clearly worked as, within two years, Spencer counted the Waldorf Astoria,
the White Horse taxi company and the German Lewis biscuit chain among his clients.
Mark Spencer meets
Robert Lewis
It was, however, his encounter with Robert, German Lewis’ nephew that changed both their lives. Robert Lewis hated the idea of spending the rest of his life amid flour, yeast and vanilla.
Founding
of Spencer & Lewis
In 1937, Spencer & Lewis was founded in Montreal. From that moment on, the road for the two enterprising young men was downhill all the way. Among their first clients was the fledgling OTN (Organisation du Tourisme de Niagara). This was followed by the Société Anonyme Papeterie du Quebec, one of the leading manufacturers of newsprint.
Death of Mark Spencer
The Spencer & Lewis business continued to grow until 1957, when Mark died.
Robert Lewis liquidates the Agency
Everything remained in the hands of Robert Lewis,
who kept the business going until 1968 when,
at the age of 72, he liquidated the “Firm.”
Founding of Spencer & Lewis Italy
The Spencer & Lewis brand nevertheless remained in the ownership of the Lewis family; after being sold in 1978, it changed hands several times over the next twenty years, until it was taken over in 2009 by a group of young Italian professionals.
Founding of SallyLee
Spencer & Lewis’s Digital Creative Company
Acquisition of Experiency
Spencer & Lewis acquires Experiency, a creative tech studio specialising in experience design.
