CORRECTING and REPLACING Aegis acquires leading US digital agency Roundarch

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The contact information for Donna Wiederkeher at Aegis Group plc has been removed and replaced with contact information for Sarah Block at Powell Communications.

“But they also bring a level of innovation around marketing which we have always coveted. Both organizations share strong skills around strategic collaboration with clients and a dedication to long term client partnerships.”

The corrected release reads:

AEGIS ACQUIRES LEADING US DIGITAL AGENCY ROUNDARCH

- Roundarch acquisition strengthens Isobar as a leading global force in digital -

Aegis Group plc (“Aegis”), the world’s leading, focused media and digital communications group, today announced that it has reached agreement to acquire 100% of the holding company of Roundarch Inc. (“Roundarch”), the pioneering US digital agency, headquartered in Chicago.

With 250 employees in offices in Chicago, Denver, Boston and New York, Roundarch is a leading digital agency that specializes in designing and building enterprise-class digital solutions for clients such as Avis, HBO, Bloomberg Sports, Motorola and the US Air Force. Its service offering includes strategy, design, development and outsourcing across all digital channels including web, mobile and social media.

Following the acquisition, Roundarch will be combined with Isobar, Aegis Media’s existing digital creative network, to form RoundarchIsobar in the US. RoundarchIsobar will be a top tier digital agency with the depth and resources to compete for domestic and global assignments against the leading digital players in the US, consolidating Aegis’s competitive position in this important vertical. RoundarchIsobar will have approximately 450 professionals across offices in Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York and San Francisco. Roundarch’ s Geoff Cubitt and Jeff Maling will co-lead RoundarchIsobar with Darryl Gehly, Isobar NA president, remaining in his role.

Nigel Morris, CEO of Aegis Media Americas said: “As demonstrated by our recent win of GM’s global media business, Aegis Media has real momentum in the US market and this acquisition is a very significant part of our overall plan and will make us even more of a force for convergence and innovation. A powerful Isobar has been key to that plan and Roundarch is an agency we have admired for a long time, with great people, doing great digital work. Bringing them together with Isobar to create RoundarchIsobar will produce a new powerhouse in the US digital agency sector and add US scale to the global geographic depth of the Isobar network.”

Jeff Maling, President & Chief Experience Officer of Roundarch said: “Combining with Isobar NA will give us a formidable US presence and make us a part of one of the most respected global digital agencies. The deal will also expand our strong design and technology capabilities to include world-class marketing.”

Geoff Cubitt, President & Chief Technology Officer of Roundarch said: “We are increasingly seeing the lines between digital experiences and advertising blur. Customers don’t want to be talked at, they want to engage. Vanishing are the distinct differences between bought (e.g., banner ads), earned (blogs, Facebook, twitter) and owned media (websites and web applications). Digital experiences now knit together all of these media into compelling experiences. Is the multi-channel experience Roundarch developed for HBO, across web, mobile and social, advertising for shows or is it a product in its own right? Is the miCoach platform Isobar developed for Adidas a training tool for athletes or brand marketing? In the end it doesn’t matter if it delights customers and makes them fans of the brand.”

Darryl Gehly, President of Isobar North America said: “To create these experiences requires depth across a number of disciplines. A modern digital agency needs to be able to conceive new digital product ideas, design and build complex experiences and market these experiences to consumers. Through this combination of Roundarch and Isobar we are able to provide world-class capabilities in each of those areas. Roundarch has become accomplished at designing and building world-class digital experiences for high traffic sites like HBO, AVIS and the US Air Force.”

“Isobar has strong design and technology skills,” added Jeff Maling. “But they also bring a level of innovation around marketing which we have always coveted. Both organizations share strong skills around strategic collaboration with clients and a dedication to long term client partnerships.”

RoundarchIsobar will begin operating as a single national US entity immediately.

Notes to Editors:

About Aegis Group plc:

Aegis Group plc is the world’s leading media and digital communications group. Made up of two operating businesses, Aegis Media (Carat, Vizeum, Posterscope, Isobar and iProspect) and Aztec, the scan-based market and consumer insights company, Aegis Group helps clients build consumer relationships by communicating their products and brands effectively. Our services include communications strategy through digital creative execution, media planning and buying, brand tracking and marketing analytics. Aegis Group plc shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange (AEGS.L).

About Isobar:

Isobar is a global communications agency that brings people and brands together like never before. We fuse creative thinking with technology know-how to uncover the best ideas and execute them across any platform or channel anywhere in the world. Our unique combination of creatives and creators ensures the best ideas never end up on the cutting room floor, empowering us to consistently deliver innovative and intensely relevant brand experiences for the world's largest brands. With locations in Toronto, Boston, New York and San Francisco, Isobar is an Aegis Media Group Company and part of the global Isobar network of over 2,500 people in 34 markets. For more information, please visit http://na.isobar.com/.

About Roundarch:

Roundarch designs and implements digital experiences for the world’s largest organizations. Roundarch delivers websites, rich web applications, mobile applications, social media applications, digital marketing campaigns and more for clients such as Avis, HBO, Bloomberg Sports, Motorola and the U.S. Air Force. Roundarch’s unique blend of breakthrough user experience design and enterprise-class technology implementation is perfectly suited for the most complex problems in the digital space. Roundarch has offices in Boston, Chicago, Denver and New York. For more information, visit www.roundarch.com and the company’s blog at http://blog.roundarch.com.