Claxon has made another acquisition in Gold Coast-based creative agency Embark, 14 months after the independent agency acquired Growe Media.
Daniel Willis, founder and CEO of Claxon, said acquisitions are a focus for the agency, especially as it continues its current push into the UK market.
Willis said the deal with Embark, which will see Claxon’s Gold Coast team move into Embark’s headquarters later this month, strengthens the agency’s strong creative offering and enriches its market presence.
Embark, founded in 2003 by brothers James and Phil Coulson, has worked with brands such as Bartercard, BMW, Land Rover, and NSW TAFE.
“The culture they’ve built aligns perfectly with Claxon‘s values and our mission to deliver exceptional client outcomes,” Willis said. I’m looking forward to the energy and experience that the Embark team will bring to Claxon.”
The acquisition sees Embark retain its own brand in the market but assume a co-branded position, with all staff and clients remaining with the expanded agency.
It also provides Embark clients with an end-to-end marketing and advertising offering. The agencies said the combined teams’ increased scale will provide further growth opportunities for staff and clients.
The Coulson brothers will retain their roles as creative directors of Embark and join Claxon’s senior leadership team.
James Coulson said the Embark team is looking forward to starting a new chapter as it joins forces with Claxon: “We think we’re a great match – what they’re great at fits perfectly with what we do, and vice versa. This means we can offer even cooler stuff to our clients and provide our team with some amazing new opportunities.
“Claxon and Embark teaming up is all about taking things to the next level and making sure the future is as bright and exciting as possible for everyone involved.”
Claxon is an integrated agency across media, creative, experience and data, and works with brands including Binance, Dymocks Bookstores, Chempro, Accor Hotels, and Polaris.
News of Embark and Claxon joining forces comes after the Willis-founded agency acquired Growe Media last year.
Growe Media rebranded to Claxon, and founder and managing director, Victoria Budge, remained as Claxon Sydney’s managing partner, retaining an ownership stake in the agency.
See also: Claxon announces acquisition of Growe Media
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Top image left to right: Phil Coulson, James Coulson, Daniel Willis and Danny Molyneux