Publicis confirms talks with Cheil

In a Q1 earnings announcement Publicis said: “We don’t expect this year to be a year of large or numerous acquisitions” with the possible exception of Samsung’s ad agency Cheil Worldwide, the second largest Asian agency outside of Japan. Levy confirms acquisition talks, believing the South Korean-based agency would be a great fit to complement its digital expertise and global footprint. But he says these discussions have had “ups and downs” and “we are in a plateau today.”

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Iris acquires Founded, extends B2B reach

Iris, part of Cheil Worldwide, is acquiring Founded, a creative agency with offices in London and San Francisco. This deal will further extend Iris’ expertise in business-to-business (B2B) marketing, CRM, creative technology and strategic planning. Plus, Iris will now have a footprint on the west coast through Founded’s San Francisco office, opened in 2015. Terms of the deal were not disclosed

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