• by Larissa Faw , August 8, 2016

The Escape Pod has acquired a stake in ORA Interactive. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

ORA's team of designers, developers and managers will move to The Escape Pod’s Fulton Market headquarters in Chicago. Combined they will have 47 staffers. However, ORA will continue to operate under its own name and be led by Mike Kelly, Founder & CEO of the company.

The addition of in-house digital capabilities is designed to strengthen the independent Chicago agency's ability to deliver creative ideas with speed and cost-savings for clients, while also better positioning the agency against larger holding company competitors, they say.

ORA Interactive specializes in Interface/UX design, application development, web development and identity design. The Escape Pod was founded by DDB vets Norm Bilow and Vinny Warren, creator of the Bud Light Whassup! campaign about 10 years ago works with a client roster that includes Mondelez, EGO Power+, Toys R Us, Kind Bars, and Whole Foods.

"If you don’t create a great experience, they’ll drop off or switch brands," says Kelly. "By joining forces, we’re fusing the best creative ideas with technology that can power richer brand experiences for clients."