Global consultancy Accenture Interactive has acquired Sydney-based creative agency The Monkeys and design agency Maud, Campaign reports.
The Monkeys CEO Mark Green, CCOs Justin Drape and Scott Nowell will continue in their current roles, as will Maud CCO David Park, while also taking on additional responsibilities in leadership roles for Accenture Interactive in the region.
“The combination of Accenture Interactive, The Monkeys and Maud is a great opportunity for our clients and teams as it will dramatically enhance our ability to connect brand strategy and creative all the way through to customer experience delivery,” Green said in a statement. “We look forward to offering clients an unrivaled and holistic customer experience offering.”
“For over a decade, The Monkeys has created provocative ideas that have redefined the industry and delivered innovative customer experiences,” Michael Buckley, head of Accenture Interactive Australia and New Zealand told Campaign Asia-Pacific, adding,
“It’s the start of a new model,” he added. “Similar to the Karmarama acquisition in London, if our focus is to be the number one customer experience business in the world, we need The Monkeys to achieve it. We’re now part creative, part consultant and part technology, and we can take that to clients as a new solution.”
Accenture purchased London-based independent agency Karmarama last November for an undisclosed sum. The shop’s client roster includes Unilever, the BBC, Cobra Beer Honda and Just Eat.
This January, Accenture welcomed Deepthi Prakash from BBDO New York as managing director. The following month, the consultancy agreed to acquire a majority stake in German digital agency SinnerSchrader AG. Last month Accenture selected UM as its global media agency of record, following a review. This latest acquisition marks Accenture’s 12th since 2013, and a continuation of its strategy of competing with traditional agencies and holding companies by acquiring creative shops and increasing its strategic offerings.