This week’s agency updates feel a little bit like movies in the ’80s portrayed in the 2020s: hologram presentations and futuristic art activations. Check out who’s moving the creative needle forward and how that impacts the rest of the industry.
BDA
Bensussen Deutsch & Associates (BDA), a merchandise agency for brands including the MLB, The Home Depot and Mercedes Benz, has completed the acquisition of consumer insight and merchandise innovations agency, Idea Planet. The acquisition provides Idea Planet with expanded global reach by broadening access to additional sourcing, manufacturing and distribution channels. The combination will allow both companies to grow their strategic merchandise and collectibles programs, while increasing support for new and existing clients through enhanced control of customer strategy, ideation, manufacturing and logistics.
Buck
Creative studios Buck and VTProDesign have announced a successful merger. The studios are known for their work for brands including Netflix, Nike and Heineken. Buck’s merger with VTProDesign will boost the company’s talent pool, folding in expertise in physical experiences, interactive technologies and bespoke tools. The merger means an additional 50% of the 2021 hired headcount.
Clios
Clio Health announced the winners of the 2022 Grand Clio Health and Clio Health Of The Year awards at a live ceremony hosted in New York City. The program, which celebrates creative excellence in the highly specialized fields of health and wellness, awarded Grand Clio Health trophies to &Co. / NoA, Area 23, An IPG Health Company, Cheil PengTai Beijing, L&C, McCann Paris, The Leith Agency, Wunderman Thompson Argentina and Zulu Alpha Kilo. See the full list of winners here.
Carat
Daniel Goleman of Carat will be joining Cannes directly from New York, through a live interactive hologram presentation at the Festival of Creativity. The presentation will be the festival’s first live hologram experience on stage.
Cheil Worldwide
Cheil Worldwide is partnering with NFT-specialized artist group, SMATh, to strengthen its NFT business. The partnership is centered on planning and development of NFT-based IP business, as well as marketing coordination between Cheil Worldwide’s clients and SMATh and promotion of IP business through SMATh’s universe.
Edelman
Edelman launched The Gen Z Lab, comprised of 100 Gen Z employees from around the world, an internal and external on-call roster of advisors and a data hub consisting of generational insights. Harris Reed, a gender-fluid fashion designer, is joining as the world’s first ZEO to providing cultural and creative advising.
Excel Sports Management
Excel Sports Management, a sports agency that represents iconic talent, blue-chip brands and marquee properties, has acquired creative and experiential marketing agency Game Seven. Game Seven will bolster Excel’s brand marketing division and complement its existing strategic verticals—to provide a full suite of brand solutions across the sports and entertainment marketing spectrum.
Grace Blue
Global executive search firm Grace Blue joined Ad Net Zero, a climate action initiative led by the Advertising Association in the U.K. The addition of Grace Blue marks the first talent-based company embedding sustainability into the core of its business.
Gravity Global
B2B and complex markets consultancy Gravity Global acquired specialty account-based marketing and HubSpot Diamond agency partner Mojo Media Labs. The acquisition is Gravity’s third in two months— and will continue to grow its U.S. operation with world-class expertise in branding, demand generation and sales and client development.
Hanson Dodge
Hanson Dodge joined as a charter partner for Greater Equity 2030. The organization is a non-profit focused on increasing diversity in the Milwaukee creative community by adding 1,600 positions centered on diversity by the year 2030. Hanson Dodge will host a summer internship program for 16 BIPOC and/or mixed ethnicity high schoolers. The paid internship program will run for two weeks, from June 21 to July 1 and will include an assignment on behalf of one of the agency’s real-life clients, Visit Milwaukee. The program was developed in collaboration with MIAD (Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design) and builds on a smaller, successful internship that HD fielded last year.
Horizon Media
Fortune Magazine named Horizon Media one of the 2022 best workplaces in New York. Coming in at 14th on a list of 35 large companies, the agency is crediting the honor to a focus on culture since its founding in 1989—and a continued focus amid the global pandemic.
RSA Films
RSA Films is entering the world of NFTs by partnering with multidisciplinary creative studio Modern People. RSA Films will represent Modern People in the brand space—and its roster of filmmakers, photographers, designers and artists will partner with Modern People’s teams in design, craft, brand strategy and blockchain technology.
The Republik
The Republik is working with Harmony LGBTQ+ Allied Chamber of Commerce to help attract more members. The agency’s assignment is to resonate the message of “this chamber might be a good thing for me, my business and my friends” to potential members, for which Republik created a series of images for social, digital and print media distribution throughout the year.
Unite Digital
Digital marketing and advertising pioneer Millennium Communications is being acquired by Unite Digital. Millennium co-founders Pat and Theresa Macri will be retiring from the business after a transition period. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
White64
White64 acquired 20-year-old independent branding and digital studio, the Jake Group. Both D.C. agencies, the merger will place the Jake Group’s staff as members of White64’s digital advertising and marketing services department.
Zenergy Communications
Spain-based plywood solutions manufacturer Garnica selected Zenergy Communications as its agency of record. The firm will aim to drive growth and increase awareness in North America for the brand.