The Toronto ad industry has been rife with rumors of the emergence of a new creative boutique.

It is understood that Vickers & Benson of Toronto is losing its senior creative team, Phillippe Garneau and Michael Wurstlin, who are leaving to set up their own shop.

Wurstlin joined v&b as senior art director in October ’94 to partner with Garneau, who signed on a month earlier.

Garneau, a copywriter, has been the agency’s executive creative director since January, when he replaced Bruce Philp.

Philp left the agency late in December to operate his own strategic planning consultancy, and continues to do some work with v&b.