Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has entered into an agreement to acquire creative agency Droga5. Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed. New York-based Droga5 will become part of Accenture Interactive, boosting its capabilities as an experience agency able to design, build and run customer experiences that grow brands and businesses.
“The future of brand building is not just about creating great ideas; it’s about creating great experiences,” said Brian Whipple, global CEO of Accenture Interactive. “We’re excited to work with David Droga and his team of brand strategists and creative minds to further our ambition to improve the full human experience with brands. As we celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Accenture Interactive, joining forces with Droga5 will be a game-changing milestone for us and the industry as we continue to assemble the right mix of capabilities for the modern-day marketer.”
Founded in 2006, Droga5 is a highly acclaimed creative agency with more than 500 employees in New York and London. Since its inception, Droga5 has become synonymous with ambitious, influential and industry-challenging work; recent examples include award-winning work for Amazon Prime Video, Tourism Australia, The New York Times, IHOP and Game of Thrones’ epic Super Bowl surprise. Droga5 also partners with brands such as Chase, Prudential, Kraft, Hershey, Hennessy and Under Armour.
“Since day one, we have worked hard to push our industry forward and, hopefully, make a positive impact for all,” said David Droga, founder and creative chairman, Droga5. “The world of advertising is changing, and we are excited for this incredible opportunity with a company that will add more dimension to our best ideas and push us beyond our existing ambitions. The proposition we can bring to market with Accenture Interactive will transform the industry.”
By joining forces, Accenture Interactive and Droga5 will be better poised to fulfill their common ambition of building a new agency model — one designed to deliver clients and consumers with seamless, rewarding brand experiences at every touchpoint.
“Customer experience is a proven driver of competitive advantage and sustained business growth–and, we are delighted to bring Droga5’s highly differentiated capabilities to help Accenture Interactive transform experiences for our clients’ customers and continue to be a catalyst for disruption across the industry,” said David Rowland, interim chief executive officer at Accenture.
“In our quest to create the best experiences on the planet, we recognized the need to further raise the bar on our brand creative,” continued Whipple. “Droga5 occupies the top echelon of brand agencies and is a great fit for us due to its world-class creativity, strategic rigor and brand experience capabilities.”
Added Droga: “This is the start of an exciting new chapter in Droga5’s history. Accenture Interactive is one of the most disruptive forces in the industry, and we have always been a safe space for audacious ideas. I’m confident they are the best partner to grow our business and provide greater opportunities for our clients and our people. Why live off past glories when you can get busy trying to create new ones?”
Droga will remain in his role as creative chairman of Droga5, Sarah Thompson will continue as global CEO and Bill Scott will remain as UK CEO, working alongside the rest of the agency’s management team.
The addition of Droga5 will represent Accenture Interactive’s biggest acquisition since its founding in 2009. This builds upon early acquisitions including design firm Fjord and e-commerce specialist Acquity Group in 2013 to more recent acquisitions, such as creative shops Karmarama and The Monkeys, as well as expanding into areas including extended reality and programmatic services.
Completion of the Droga5 acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including antitrust clearance.
