Havas Play acquires British experiential agency Bearded Kitten
Bearded Kitten will be renamed "Bearded Kitten, Part of Havas Play" and will continue to operate from its current premises. Its founder, Barney Sutton, will join the Havas Play management team and report to its CEO, Nick Wright.
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Havas has acquired the experiential agency Bearded Kitten, strengthening its ability to deliver brand experiences for clients in the UK and globally. This acquisition consolidates Havas Play's global offering, adding greater reach, creativity, and production expertise in experiential marketing, a sector valued at $128.3 billion worldwide. Founded in 2007, Bearded Kitten has built a reputation by designing immersive brand activations and end-to-end experiential marketing campaigns for some of the world's most iconic brands. Bearded Kitten currently collaborates with Netflix, Unilever, Intuit, L'Oréal, Twitch, and Beavertown, as well as several existing Havas Media Network UK clients, including Red Bull, Pokémon, Google, and Disney.
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The agency, comprised of 45 people, strengthens Havas Play with its specialized expertise in immersive experience design, set construction, and theatrical production, as well as its in-depth knowledge of the entertainment, retail, and luxury sectors. This integration marks the next stage in the evolution of Havas Play UK, creating a 200-person entity dedicated to brand experiences. Backed by the group's global reach, it will enable the agency to offer connected and immersive experiences to brands seeking to enhance their cultural presence.
Bearded Kitten will be renamed "Bearded Kitten, Part of Havas Play" and will continue to operate from its current premises. Its founder, Barney Sutton, will join the Havas Play management team and report to its CEO, Nick Wright.
"Bearded Kitten is consistently ranked among the world's top experiential agencies. We are delighted to welcome Barney Sutton and the entire Bearded Kitten team to the Havas family. Their creativity, expertise, and extensive experience will help us capitalize on the rise of experiential marketing. The acquisition of Bearded Kitten exemplifies our ambition to expand Havas Play's offering globally," said Yannick Bollore, Chairman and CEO of Havas.
"Experiential marketing is experiencing a resurgence in popularity and growth, and Bearded Kitten's integration into Havas Play significantly strengthens our ability to deliver bold and immersive experiences, giving brands a strong and relevant cultural role. This is an exciting new chapter for them and for us, as we strive to create innovative projects for our clients," added Patrick Affleck, CEO of Havas Media Network UK & Ireland.
Nick Wright, CEO of Havas Play UK said, "Experiential marketing has always been at the heart of our offering, and now with Bearded Kitten on board, we can accelerate and further develop this expertise. Their arrival paves the way for more ambitious ideas, driven by an integrated approach and seamless execution thanks to a fully connected team. With Bearded Kitten's experiential know-how and strong in-house production capabilities, we are able to deliver outstanding brand experiences, at the heart of integrated campaigns, for every project."
Barney Sutton, CEO of Bearded Kitten, part of Havas Play, said, "From our very first discussions with Havas, we knew it was the right choice. We were particularly selective about our potential partners, but Havas Play immediately seemed like the missing piece. We remain fully Bearded Kitten, with the same team and culture, but now with the power and resources of Havas Play by our side."
