Havas has strengthened its experiential marketing capabilities in the UK with the acquisition of Bearded Kitten, a leading experiential agency established in 2007. The agency will now operate under Havas Play UK within the Havas Media Network.
Bearded Kitten brings extensive experience in immersive brand experiences, theatrical production, prop creation, and experiential execution. Its roster includes major brands such as Netflix, Unilever, Intuit, L’Oréal, Twitch, and Beavertown, along with several clients already working with Havas Media Network UK, including Red Bull, Pokémon, Google and Disney.
With a 45-member team joining forces with Havas Play UK, the combined entity will now consist of nearly 200 specialists focused on brand experience and activation.
The agency will continue to operate from its current base. Founder Barney Sutton is set to join the Havas Play UK leadership team and will report to Nick Wright, CEO of Havas Play UK.
Yannick Bolloré, chairman and CEO, Havas, said: “Bearded Kitten consistently ranks among the top experiential agencies worldwide… Their creativity, craft and proven track record will help us capitalise on the experiential marketing boom. The acquisition of Bearded Kitten is a statement of our ambition to scale our Havas Play offering globally.”
Patrick Affleck, CEO of Havas Media Network UK & Ireland, added: “Experiential is back in high demand and growth, and Bearded Kitten’s creativity and craft set the benchmark for what best-in-class looks like… This is an exciting new chapter for both them and us as we look to deliver breakthrough work for our clients.”
Nick Wright, CEO of Havas Play UK, commented: “Experiential has always been front and centre in our offering, and with Bearded Kitten now part of the team, we can supercharge and scale this even further… With Bearded Kitten’s award-winning experiential craft and robust in-house production capabilities, we can deliver best-in-class brand experiences at the heart of integrated campaigns.”
Barney Sutton, CEO of Bearded Kitten, now part of Havas Play, said: “From our first conversations with Havas, we knew it was the right fit… We’re still very much Bearded Kitten, the same people and culture, but now with the scale and resources of Havas Play behind us. We couldn’t be more excited for this next chapter!”
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