Interpublic Group has sold off its experience design business, Huge, and acquired e-commerce data platform, Intelligence Node.
Huge’s new owner is private equity firm AEA Investors, who bought the agency for an undisclosed sum. AEA – whose portfolio includes everything from Burt’s Bees personal care to roofing and chemical companies – will merge Huge with its existing AEA experience company, Hero Digital. Founded in 1999, Huge has worked for brands including Google, McDonald’s and Nike.
IPG’s purchase of Intelligence Node follows in the footsteps of Omnicom’s deal with digital commerce platform Flywheel a year ago.
Interpublic CEO Philippe Krakowsky said: “As commerce and retail media continue their rapid convergence, actionable data is paramount to maximizing brand performance.”
Krakowsky has also announced his intention to offload R/GA, which, like Huge, is the kind of big digital business that was once touted as the future for holding companies. It looks like “digital” has been caught between branding and tech, with the result that some well-known companies are being squeezed out.
Also in potential trouble is WPP’s former digital powerhouse AKQA – already nominally part of the Grey advertising network – which is losing senior execs at an alarming rate: founder Ajaz Ahmed and key ally Sam Kelly both quit a few weeks ago, and today Ron Peterson, managing partner of EMEA, and Johnny Budden, global chief creative officer have also announced their departures.
