Avant Card rescued and to be rebranded as ‘Drawcard’ by buyer Mr Moto
Just over a month after it announced its closure following nearly 25 years of operation, postcard advertising company Avant Card has been purchased.
Arts, events and entertainment distribution company, Mr Moto, has purchased Avant Card displays across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and will rename the brand, ‘Drawcard’.
Avant Card will now be known as ‘Drawcard’, and will build on Mr Moto’s current out of home offering.
During close to a quarter-century of operations Avant Card had launched more than 20,000 campaigns having distributed over 300m postcards in venues ranging from cafes and cinemas to universities and galleries.
At the end of June, Avant Card announced it was no longer financially sustainable and would close its doors after almost 25 years.
However, Pat Mackle, founder and managing director of Avant Card said she had received an “outpouring” of support from clients and the public following the announcement, urging her to keep the free postcard service alive.
“Being the number one player in the café scene and the obvious client similarity, I approached Sam at Mr Moto to ascertain his interest in a buy-out of displays. Sam and the team at Mr Moto have a wealth of knowledge and media offerings, they immediately agreed it was a great opportunity, and combined with all the benefits Avant Card can offer, it’s going to be a great future for the new brand ‘Drawcard’,”Mackle said.
“With more benefits and delivering even greater results for clients, I am offering my full support in the handover and transition phase, it’s a very exciting outcome for Avant Card, and one that I am wholeheartedly behind.’
Under its new brand name Drawcard, the business will aim to build on Mr Moto’s current offering and network, which includes digital screens, cafe posters, and distribution of other marketing collateral across cafes, bars, arts and cultural institutions.
The first client campaigns of the ‘Drawcard’ network are Arts Fair Australia, the NGV and IMAX.
Mr Moto’s director, Sam Dell’Aglio said the purchase made “perfect sense.”
“I am passionate about this business and the Avant Card brand is something I have admired for many years – I’m excited about the new opportunities and effective solutions we can offer our clients,” Dell’Aglio said.
“Bringing ‘Drawcard’ into our stable of media options enables us to be a force to be reckoned with, a one stop shop for out of home media choices, operating as a united front.’”
