WPP Acquires Interactive Ad Shop Blast Radius; Agency To Become Part Of Wunderman Network
By David Kaplan - Wed 24 Oct 2007 12:51 PM PST
WPP Group has acquired digital ad shop Blast Radius for an undisclosed sum. The Vancouver-based interactive agency will be folded into WPP’s Wunderman marketing services network. Over the past few months, UK-based WPP has been refocusing Wunderman into a digital operations unit. Earlier this year, Wunderman expanded its digital holdings by acquiring interactive agencies in South Africa (Aqua Online) and Belgium (These Days). It also acquired a controlling interest in DataCore Marketing in the U.S.
The 11-year-old Blast Radius has worked with Nintendo, Nike, Electronic Arts (NSDQ: ERTS), BMW and others. AdAge estimated that Blast Radius was on track to bring in roughly $60 million in revenue this year - a 43.5 percent increase over 2006’s $41.8 million in revenue, if it happens - and has outposts in San Francisco, New York, Toronto, Amsterdam and London. The agency has about 400 staffers.
As we previously noted, WPP had been competing with rival ad holding company Publicis Groupe for the purchase of Blast Radius for the past several months. This latest purchase follows several other high profile digital-related acquisitions and investments WPP has made over the past year, including the purchases of 24/7 Real Media in May and Schematic in September. Release
Posted in: Advertising, Marketing, Countries, Canada, UK & Europe, VC+M&A
Tags: blast radius, wpp,
