Japanese giant Dentsu confirmed it has entered an alliance with start-up digital and strategic outfit Archibald/Williams but played down talk of an equity stake.
The alliance comes as conjecture mounts about Dentsu Australia being weeks off finalising several major deals in this market.
The Tokyo-based firm is also attempting to finalise its takeover of London-based Aegis Media which owns media agencies such as Carat and Vizeum and Harold Mitchell’s group of companies here. The Chinese government is holding up the global deal and there remains some uncertainty about the future involvement of the Mitchell family under Dentsu’s ownership of Aegis in Australia.
Aegis executive chairman Australia Harold Mitchell said last week he would continue in his current role once the Dentsu deal is completed although it is unclear what role current deputy chairman Stuart Mitchell will have under the Japanese.
Dentsu Australia chief executive John O’Connor confirmed the Archibald/Williams alliance but would not discuss other initiatives he was working on.
He said he had worked with Bram Williams when Williams was Saatchi & Saatchi’s strategy planning boss.
Stuart Archibald, who set-up and sold New York-based Archibald Ingall Stretton with offices in the UK, Spain and India, teamed-up with Williams late last year to launch their Sydney-based venture with foundation clients including Nandos, News Limited and Sygenta.
O’Connor said Dentsu would work with Archibald Williams on clients when required, including Toyota, who Williams was well known to from his Saatchi & Saatchi days.
“We haven’t done a deal but we do have a joint venture,” O’Connor said. “I’ve known Bram Williams for a long time, at Saatchi and before that at McCann.”
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