Made Thought’s work for Paul Smith
(Picture: Paul Smith/Made Thought)Ad group WPP has struck a deal to buy a digital agency that works with brands like Paul Smith, Orlebar Brown, and Pinterest.
WPP has bought a majority stake in Made Thought, an agency that employs 55 people across offices in London and New York. Terms weren’t disclosed.
Made Thought was founded in 2000 by Paul Austin and Ben Parker. The company has a heavy focus on design-led marketing and says its “speciality lies in shaping brands — either from the ground up or at times when a new creative energy is needed to set your business apart.”
Made Thought will be folded into WPP’s AKQA business and combined with two other agencies the group bought in 2018.
WPP CEO Mark Read said: "Bringing Made Thought together with Universal Design Studio and Map Project Office to create The New Standard will further strengthen our position as a creative leader and raise the bar for design that speaks to people across different platforms."
Austin and Parker said: “Creativity is the most important currency for business in the 21st Century and we believe collaboration is the key to bigger, bolder thinking. For us, the coming together with Universal, Map, alongside AKQA, is the best way to see in this new age of design.”
Shares in WPP rose 8p, 0r 0.7%, to 1073p.
