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Advertising services group Stagwell, which owns agency brands such as 72+Sunny and MDC Partners, has bolstered its European offer with the acquisition of a collective of specialist agencies known as Sidekick, which will join the network’s consultancy, Allison.
The deal will see Sidekick, which currently employs 40 people in London, aim to bolster the brand storytelling and creative production capabilities within Allison. Its specialist agencies focus on experiential, digital storytelling and branded content. The agencies also claim to have worked with a client list that includes Amazon, NBA, Deliveroo, Budweiser, BT and Stella Artois.
The Sidekick Group is three years old, starting with the merging of experiential agency Kreate and content agency Many Makers.
Founders Duncan McCaslin and Ollie Burgoyne will remain as managing directors of their respective teams and will also join Allison’s European management team. Directors William Howe and Stephen Bradley will also move across in their current roles while no other staffing changes are planned.
“Sidekick is at the forefront of storytelling and will be an essential part of the challenger marketing network we are building in Europe,” said Mark Penn, chairman and CEO of Stagwell, in a statement. “As we embark on our next chapter in Europe, I’m excited to welcome Duncan and Ollie to our network and see Allison continue to transform its content innovation capabilities.”
Stagwell has been growing its footprint in Europe in recent months with the appointment of James Townsend as CEO of EMEA and the launch of a London base that aims to connect over 1,900 employees working across the region.
This is Stagwell’s second acquisition this year following the deal for LA-based creative agency Team Epiphany in January.
Scott Allison, global chairman of Allison, said that the deal followed a period of collaboration with the team at Sidekick, which led to them joining its operational expansion for Europe.
“The organization that the Sidekick founders have built together with their colleagues delivers an impressive suite of services that complements those already offered by Allison and leads with a strong and supportive culture that aligns with our own,” added Scott Allison.
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