EXCLUSIVE: Aegis has established global out-of-home agency Posterscope in both Sydney and Melbourne, after years of speculation.
The agency is being headed up by former Mitchell & Partners Sydney general manager Joe Copley, who is managing director of the operation.
The business has in fact been operating under the radar since the beginning of the year.
The launch of the business has long been a topic of discussion within Aegis.
It was first flagged by then-Aegis Pacific chief executive Lee Stephens in 2009, who said the launch of Posterscope was “a matter of when, not if”.
The launch was again discussed in August 2011, when Aegis Media Pacific deputy chairman Stuart Mitchell told AdNews the business unit would be rolling out locally.
Globally, Posterscope has annual billings over US$2 billion, with 48 offices in 20 countries.
Copley said: “We've reached a point where most people can now react to, share, or engage more deeply with communications from anywhere via their mobile device, and this will continue to become easier and more widespread. This is a game changer in our industry, not least for the Out-of-Home channel, which has evolved enormously and is so much more than the posters of old.”
'Posterscope Australia uses proprietary research into Australian consumer behaviour in the out-of-home environment to help agencies and their clients achieve more with their media investment. Our insight and data, applied by specialist teams and used in conjunction with our best practice OOH planning and buying operations, give us a very real and much demanded offering, previously unavailable in Australia. OOH is a fabulous, growing channel with immense potential in a convergent media world. Now is the perfect time to step up the effort, to ensure we make the best of it in the present and the future.'
Posterscope global CEO Annie Rickard said: “Posterscope is a very strong global brand and we believe this launch will genuinely change the way OOH is planned, bought and incorporated into campaigns in Australia. There are strong opportunities for the Posterscope offer in this country and Joe’s enthusiasm for the future of OOH, along with his extensive experience at leading Australian media agencies has provided a great platform for us to extend our global and local services.”
It is expected offices in Perth and Brisbane will open in the next 12 months.
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