Dive Brief:
- IBM announced it will acquire Resource/Ammirati, its first investment in the digital marketing creative agency space.
- “We see in IBM iX a reflection of Resource/Ammirati’s own mission to use creativity, technology and collaboration to make anything possible for our clients,” Resource/Ammirati Founder and Chairman Nancy Kramer said in a statement.
- Terms of the deal were not disclosed and is expected to close in Q1 2016.
Dive Insight:
According to Forbes, North American lead for IBM iX John Armstrong said the 300-person agency was attractive because of its size stating, "We weren’t looking for a 5 or 10-person shop." The deal is also expected to bolster IBM’s design team and digital experience capabilities, something the company is hoping to expand this year.
“Resource/Ammirati has built its own stellar brand and reputation on a long, distinguished record of advancing leading brands in every industry,” Paul Papas, Global Leader, IBM Interactive Experience, said in a statement. “That portfolio of work and proven expertise is a perfect complement to the experience design capabilities of iX -- where we bring clients a distinct fusion of industry insight, design thinking and end-to-end digital transformation, from the experience of the individual to the core processes of the client's enterprise.”
Resource/Ammirati’s clients include DSW, Nestlé, Newell Rubbermaid, North American Breweries, Sherwin-Williams, White Castle, and Victoria’s Secret. The agency gained renown in 1999 for “breaking the Internet” with the Victoria’s Secret Webcast Fashion Show during the Super Bowl, a press statement explains.
The blue chip company has made a string of acquisitions recently, working to move from selling computer hardware and software to offering infrastructure services. Earlier this month IBM purchased a payment fraud analytics company and a fourth startup to help form its new cloud video unit.
