Amsterdam Focus: The Whitehouse Post

The Whitehouse Post has expanded to Amsterdam, merging with established post production house The Ambassadors. By pooling their creative and international resources, they hope to fill a void in the city

By the time you read this, the metaphorical ribbon will have been cut, the champagne finished, and editor Ethan Mitchell will have received three kisses on the cheeks at The Ambassadors’ office in the east side of the city, as official confirmation of the Dutch post house and editing company The Whitehouse joining forces.

With one having already dug its heels firmly into Amsterdam’s advertising scene, holding a valid membership card among its creative elite, and the other being an editorial powerhouse with the key to a room of world-class editorial talent, the companies recently held a “giant party” with a guest list of 400 to announce their new venture.

The problem was that the city only houses a small editorial community for commercials, with Dutch editors tending to choose long form as a more rewarding creative outlet, and so the companies began asking their clients what they needed to improve services closer to home.

“We were having conversations with our clients and asking them what they really wanted, and basically the overwhelming answer was that they’d love to get some international editorial talent,” explains Ton Habraken, co-founder and creative partner at The Ambassadors.

David Brixton, who is managing partner at The Whitehouse Post agrees, and nods: “We both work with very high-end international clients. For example, the guys in Amsterdam are already working with Wieden + Kennedy and we work quite extensively with them as well. When we asked Wieden + Kennedy what they thought about The Ambassadors, they said they were awesome, so we definitely knew that we were getting into bed with the right people.”

Despite the social recommendations, though, both men insist that the dominating factor which led to the bridge were the impressive reels at both ends. In their eyes, now that the local community has another option for full post services with a wide international editing roster on their doorsteps, it can only be good for all parties in taking the city forward and filling a void.

As of early January, Mitchell became the first editor to relocate and is now available for commercials work through the new partnership. The Whitehouse says more will follow in his footsteps as the merger takes off in due course.

“We have such a deep roster that we can offer an editor for every kind of occasion,” says Brixton. “And as more clients visit and get to know the creative offering at The Ambassadors, hopefully the place will grow and keep on buzzing.”

They joke that world domination is in their long term plans, but for now, all they want is to offer a local service so that companies no longer need to travel to another city to complete a job. That, and of course to continue delivering for the clients they already work with – and maybe throw the odd big party to celebrate.