Peter Scott returns to the fray as boss of ad tech start-up Playcart

Peter Scott (below), the Scott in Wight Collins Rutherford Scott (later WCRS and then Engine Group) and latterly boss of Be Heard Group, which succumbed to rival MSQ a couple of years ago, has a Tigger-like quality.

The serial entrepreneur, who was also once boss of Carat, later Aegis Group, as WCRS tried to take over the world, is the chairman of London-based “transactional advertising” firm Playcart, which has just raised over $1.5m from US investors, closing a financing of $2.75m.

Not that much in the wacky world of ad tech, where investors chase the next silver bullet, but Playcart is interesting. Essentially it claims to connect buyers to digital ads in just four clicks, thereby cutting out 70% wastage (and lost customers.)

Investor Michael Stewart says: “With e-commerce showing no signs of slowing down and the continued growth of our digital-first economy, brands around the world are looking for meaningful ways to engage with consumers where they’re most active. As an investor who has spent a significant amount of time focused on global markets, I have no doubt that Playrcart’s technology will create a transactional ecosystem that benefits both the consumer and the brand across multiple markets.”

Playrcart says it has “solidified partnerships” with leading brands in the consumer packaged goods (CPG), retail, automotive and beauty industries including Ford, Anheuser-Busch, L’Oreal and Walgreens-Boots Alliance.

There isn’t much evidence that adtech actually does anyone any good but investors don’t seem to mind (and there’ll be plenty of yachts at Cannes this year hired by ad techs.)

At least Playcart seems to have an idea.