You may have heard the word (shout out to the Toronto Egotist for the tip), but yes, Toronto-based john st. is the latest shop to be swooped up by Sir Martin Sorrell & Co. at WPP. As of now, though, neither john st,’s name/structure nor location will be affected by the WPP purchase, which comes just over two years after the holding company added fellow notable Canadian agency TAXI to its roster.
In a statement, Arthur Flesichmann, president/CEO of 12-year-old john st., known for quirkier efforts like the Granny-starring National Sweater day work and “Buyral, says the agency “…will continue to do the kind of work that has made our clients and us unignorable for the past 12 years. But now we will be able to offer services in areas that clients are asking for such as media, direct and public relations.”
Financial details of the WPP/john st. deal have not been disclosed. Current staff count at the newly acquired agency is approximately 100 and notable current clients include Mitsubishi, ING Direct, TJX (Winners, Marshalls), Kobo and AstraZeneca. Marketing fills in more of the blanks on this news here.