WPP has acquired data collaboration platform InfoSum. InfoSum will join GroupM, WPP’s media investment group. WPP will integrate InfoSum’s capabilities with WPP Open, its marketing operating system, in a bid to help its clients to unlock the “full potential” of their customer data. InfoSum’s data network represents data signals across media platforms including Channel 4, DIRECTV, ITV, Netflix, News Corp, and Samsung Ads, as well as retailers and identity and data partners including Experian, TransUnion, Circana, Dynata, and NCSolutions. Lauren Wetzel will remain CEO of InfoSum, but will take on the additional role of Chief Solutions Officer for GroupM.
Independent media agency the7stars has unveiled Gravity Connect, a new audience insights and activation platform designed to tackle the growing challenges surrounding precision targeting and data fragmentation in digital advertising. Built in partnership with geo-behavioural specialists Starcount and addressable audience platform Evorra, Gravity Connect unifies first, second, and third-party data at the full postcode level. Advertisers can use it to geo-target directly or convert postcode data into actionable identifiers such as cookieless IDs or hashed emails.
Brothers & Sisters Sports Club has been appointed by apparel brand Castore following a competitive pitch. The brief was to increase standout and recognition of the Castore brand and involves both Brothers & Sisters Sports Club and the agency’s new AI studio. The win comes weeks after the specialist division was launched by Brothers & Sisters and sees Castore join WTA Ventures on the growing client roster.
iProspect, a dentsu company, is revealing some of the milestone moments from its recent omni-channel media campaign with Issey Miyake Parfums, a brand under the Shiseido Group, to launch its new masculine fragrance, Le Sel, in the UK. With activations being delivered through engaging audiovisual execution and in high impact 3D OOH (out-of-home) formats across the UK, iProspect helped Issey Miyake Parfums to drive product awareness and reinvigorate its status within the premium fragrance category, as well as reach a new key audience of males aged 25-39. The integrated launch plan included an activation on Manchester’s Printworks Skylight, the largest digital ceiling in Europe.
In a bold activation, CIF is taking its cleaning concept into new media territory by sponsoring swear words on podcasts, TV shows, and livestreams. In the world of podcasts and entertainment, where swearing is often covered by the classic beep, CIF is changing the game. Now, instead of a BEEP, listeners will hear the unmistakable CIIIIIF, reinforcing the brand’s expertise in cleaning everything – even the dirtiest mouths. Created by Droga5, CIF’s communication agency, in partnership with Initiative, its media agency, the campaign transformed the traditional beep into a branded sound.
Saatchi & Saatchi has teamed up with UK charity The Hygiene Bank to launch a new campaign highlighting hygiene poverty in the UK. Central to the campaign is The Edible Soap, a symbolic creative concept made for real to make a real impact, and designed to raise awareness of the fundamental challenges millions face between eating and buying toiletries. Developed in collaboration with ethical beauty brand The Good Wash, The Edible Soap is made with organic cacao butter, oat flour, avocado oil, tomato sauce, toast flavouring, bean flavouring, paprika, and Celtic sea salt, emulating a baked bean flavour.
Multi-disciplinary creative agency Sid Lee has announced the launch of a new global sport practice: Sid Lee Sport. The new vertical becomes the group’s global specialist agency for sport, providing a range of sponsorship, creative, and operational services for sponsors, rights holders and sport brands. The practice will be headquartered in London with offices in Los Angeles, Montreal, New York, and Toronto
Pentland Brands has secured a major deal to become the first-ever official channel sponsor of TNT Sports. The collaboration will showcase six of Pentland’s leading brands – Berghaus, Canterbury, Ellesse, Endura, Mitre, and Speedo – through a high-impact activation spanning TV, on-demand, and social media. Developed in collaboration with Sky Media, Warner Bros. Discovery and EssenceMediacom North, the campaign brings Pentland’s brands to life through engaging ‘fandents,’ short fan-fuelled idents capturing the passion of sports fans. Complementing this, a 20-second TV ad will run during prime sports programming, while high-impact social media posts across Warner Bros. Discovery’s channels will feature iconic highlights and archive moments, maximising brand visibility.
Ocean Outdoor has revealed the first results of its most recent sustainability initiative, working with agency partners to establish a rigorous and long term form of corporate climate activism using Out of Home (OOH) ad spend. Under its Pinwheel platform, a percentage of Ocean’s 2024 revenue uplift has been given to four marine based projects that remove atmospheric carbon and are driving lasting change by helping to repair the planet’s natural ecosystems. Ocean Outdoor UK chief commercial officer Nick Shaw said the projects meet long term carbon sequestration targets, while significantly supporting biodiversity and social co-benefits.
Creative agency Amplify has joined communications and entertainment group Common Interest. Common Interest has acquired an initial 51% stake in Amplify, with a commitment to purchase the remaining 49% over the next five years. As part of the deal, Amplify’s global leadership team will become partners and equity holders in Common Interest.
