Deloitte Acquires Acne to Expand Its European Operation and Picks Up Chipotle Assignment

The global consultancy added another creative agency to its ranks with Deloitte North West Europe’s acquisition of Stockholm-based European creative agency Acne.

Founded in 1996, Acne has offered creative, digital, strategic, film and digital services for clients including Ikea, Spotify, H&M, Max and Telenor. The agency snagged headlines with its work comparing a Balenciaga bag that costs $2,145 to a 99-cent Ikea bag went viral, earning the brand over a billion Twitter impressions.

Moving forward, Acne will operate under its own name as part of Deloitte Digital, with Acne executive chairman Victor Press and CEO David Olsson continuing to lead the team. Deloitte Digital appointed Andy Sandoz as partner and chief creative officer to lead creative services in the U.K. and will invest in expanding the team, hiring about 80 new employees in North West Europe, including 40 based in the U.K. This will double Acne’s team to around 160 employees.

“Our clients are asking for a combination of data analysis and creativity. Deloitte Digital are best in class when it comes to digital and data enabled solutions,” Press said in a statement. “By combining this knowledge with our storytelling capabilities we believe that we will bring a highly relevant offering to the market.”

“The acquisition of Acne is an important move towards Deloitte Digital offering a full range of digital and creative services, with clients increasingly looking for a partner with multidisciplinary skills,” Paul Thompson head of Deloitte Digital for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) added. “We aim to deliver our clients’ ambitions, whether that be launching a new strategy, product or service. By combining Deloitte’s deep data and technological expertise, with Acne’s exceptional creative experience, together we will help build brands for the digital age.”

Additionally, Chipotle has tasked Deloitte Digital with revamping the fast casual dining chain’s mobile ordering experience.

Deloitte Digital will be responsible for redesigning Chipotle’s iOS and Android ordering apps to better reflect the Chipotle brand, while allowing for easier meal customization, identification of store locations, enhanced payment option integration and calculated pickup times.

According to Deloitte, average spend increases by 20 percent per visit when customers use a mobile app to place an order with a quick service restaurant and frequency of visits increases six percent.

“We’re always looking to give our customers easier, more convenient ways to order and enjoy Chipotle food and a great mobile ordering experience is right in line with that goal,” Chipotle chief digital and information officer Curt Garner said in a statement. “Deloitte Digital brings the data, insights and technology needed to help us grow our digital channels and meet our customers where they are with the same fast, friendly ordering experience they get in our restaurants.”

“Chipotle has a relentless focus on the guest experience and has invested in dedicated second make-lines and ‘Smarter Pickup Times’ in restaurants,” added Donald Brady, Deloitte Consulting LLP principal and Deloitte Digital customer experience innovation leader. “The new mobile applications built by Deloitte Digital will further improve the digital ordering process by giving guests the easiest and quickest means of ordering and getting their food. We are excited to be part of the new and improved Chipotle digital ordering experience.”