MUMBAI: In a bid to boost expansion of Havas Sports & Entertainment operations, Havas Media has acquired US-based experiential marketing company Ignition.
Ignition operates in the USA, London and Moscow and has strongholds in Atlanta and New York.
The acquisition aims to give form to Havas Sports & Entertainment‘s strategy to up-weight its global brand engagement offer, particularly in the run up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil.
The move will significantly increase Havas Sports & Entertainment‘s capabilities in the US, the company said. Ignition along with Havas Sports & Entertainment and Cake Group agencies (part of Havas Media) will help in delivering experiential campaigns in markets complementary to the network‘s existing local footprint, which now spans 34 offices in 20 markets.
The acquisition will also complement Havas Sports & Entertainment‘s current branded content, social media, sponsorship consulting, PR, brand experience and research offers.
Along with synergies in location and expertise, Ignition also adds long-retained client base with brands such as American Express, BP, Delta Air Lines, ESPN, Kia, United Nations Foundation, Victoria‘s Secret and The Coca-Cola Company (with whom it holds a prestigious ‘global partner‘ status).
Ignition will continue to be managed by Mike Hersom, current ignition president, alongside Cindy-Ann "CA" Hersom, CMO, and Dill and Susan Driscoll, the original founders. Hersom will report into Havas Sports & Entertainment‘s global president and CEO Lucien Boyer.
"We are proud to welcome Ignition to the Havas Sports & Entertainment network. Together we will achieve great things thanks to Ignition‘s expertise and outstanding reputation for delivering sustainable consumer experiential events around the world," said Boyer. "Ignition will add tangible value to the Havas Sports & Entertainment and Cake Group agencies in our network, helping to reinforce our strong global offering at a very interesting time for brands in Sports & Entertainment".
Hersom added, "Today the ignition brand goes truly global. With Havas Sports & Entertainment‘s infrastructure, insight and reach, coupled with our 15 year track record of leading complex international consumer campaigns, we are now poised to take our magic to scale for sustainable growth."
This move is part of Havas‘ acquisition strategy to both develop and expand core areas of expertise and to target entrepreneurial, innovative forward-looking agencies that use creativity and technology to develop better relationships between consumers, brands and their wider communities.
