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Jellyfish Agencies Brandtech

Brandtech Group enters talks to acquire Jellyfish from French parent Fimalac

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By Sam Bradley, Senior Reporter

August 1, 2022 | 3 min read

Digital agency Jellyfish looks set to be acquired by the Brandtech Group, the US-based group formerly known as You & Mr Jones.

David Jones headshot

David Jones, founder of the Brandtech Group / Brandtech Group

Brandtech announced in a brief statement released this morning that it had “entered into exclusive negotiations“ with Fimalac, a French holding company that holds a major stake in Jellyfish.

Jellyfish’s clients include Netflix, perfume-maker Puig and insurer Aviva. The agency specializes in digital strategy, performance and media, and boasts partnerships with Google and Meta.

Following its 2019 deal with Fimalac, it expanded globally from its UK base. It now has 42 offices, including in Ireland, France, Italy, Israel, Brazil, Singapore and Japan. That deal saw the agency merged with programmatic buyer Tradelab.

Speaking to The Drum last year, Jellyfish chief executive Rob Pierre likened the company’s growth strategy to a vector file. “Everything we do at Jellyfish, whether it’s procedural or the way in which we organize our business, the question is: is this a vector image? Will it survive at 100,000 people? Is it going to make sense when we scale to billions of turnover?“

The deal would bolster Brandtech’s own offering by adding over 2,250 new staff and a range of digital specialisms. The group is growing fast: it enjoyed organic growth of 37.3% in the first quarter of 2022 and organic revenue growth of over 50% in 2021. Brandtech’s own clients include Adidas, Danone, Meta and Microsoft. Agencies under its umbrella include in-house specialist Oliver and influencer company Collectively.

Following the appointment of Mark D’Arcy as chief creative officer and partner in June, the company said it was set to head out on a buying spree fueled by a “significant war chest.”

The acquisition continues a recent trend of agency consolidation. Several large indies, or agencies outside the traditional holding company sphere of influence, have been snapped up lately including Mekanism, Engine and Creature; M&C Saatchi may well join that list before the year is out.

Jellyfish Agencies Brandtech

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