MDC Partners has bundled more of its agencies to create yet another collective of shops. This one, called Constellation, includes creative agencies 72andSunny and Crispin Porter Bogusky; digital brand and experience shop Instrument; strategy and design firm Redscout, and production shop Hecho Studios.
The holding company said in a statement that the collective was formed to combine creative, data, strategy, design, user experience, storytelling and media capabilities. MDC declined to comment beyond a press release issued today, but said "additional information will be forthcoming in the following weeks."
The release said all Constellation agencies will continue to go to market under their own brands. Compared to how it says many rival agency collectives go to market under traditional mergers, MDC said that Constellation "will objectively assess the best combination of resources to impact a client business goal, rather than sell a one-size-fits-all approach."
Instrument and Redscout will sit at the center of the collective, according to MDC.
"This collective is unified by mutual respect, home to great talent, and the drive to unleash creativity in every function,” John Boiler, creative co-chairman of 72andSunny, said in a statement. “For so long, we’ve been part of the same family, but sitting at different tables. Now we can work together to solve problems on a bigger scale, learn from each other and have a bigger impact for our clients and in the world.”
Constellation is the latest cluster formed under MDC's new strategy to bundle various agencies. It follows the creation of an Anomaly-led "alliance" last month that houses digital innovation shop Y Media Labs; design and branding agency Mono; consumer marketing communications, PR and digital firm Hunter; creative experiences shop Relevent, and healthcare agency Concentric Health Experience.
In December, MDC formed the Doner-led network that includes PR firm Veritas; shopper marketing agency 6Degrees Integrated Communications; brand and ad shop Yamamoto; creative, technology and media agency Union; brand strategy and digital PR firm KWT Global, and luxury and lifestyle PR agency HL Group.
MDC also combined its media, data and technology agencies under one network in July 2019, as Adweek reported. That shift saw the merging of its data, technology, CRM and addressable content agency, Gale, with MDC Media Partners agencies Allegory, Attention, EnPlay, Trade X Partners, Unique Influence and Assembly. Media trading consultancy Varick also joined that network, according to Adweek.
"This constellation is the powerful manifestation of MDC’s core strategy of collaboration, through the lens of some of our industry’s most prominent and future-leaning leaders,” MDC Partners Chairman-CEO Mark Penn added in a statement today. “Their vision brings together precisely the creative, strategic, and digital experience innovation marketers need to thrive, under a collective direction that leads with bold thinking and creative excellence.”
