• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, October 6, 2008

Aegis Group this morning said it acquired Clownfish, a London-based marketing communications consultancy specializing in corporate and brand sustainability. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Aegis said Clownfish has gross assets valued at $880,000 and that it would be integrated into its burgeoning Isobar operations, already the largest digital marketing services network in the world.

Founded in 2002, Clownfish specializes in working with brands and businesses to understand how sustainability can improve business performance and how to communicate initiatives authentically.

Its services include stakeholder evaluation, strategies to embed sustainability in the business, implementation of sustainable business processes throughout the supply chain and brand and corporate marketing communications programs.

It's the latest push by a European-based agency holding company into sustainability marketing, and is another sign that Madison Avenue sees the practice as one means of sustaining its own growth and profitability. Publicis and WPP Group both have added sustainability marketing practices over the past year.

According to Aegis, Clownfish utilizes a number of proprietary tools, including "STEER," a self-assessment tool that helps identify the risks and opportunities for brands engaging in the sustainability agenda.

Aegis Media has already been working with Clownfish for several clients, including Coca-Cola, Reebok and Beiersdorf. Other Clownfish clients include Unilever, Stoneyfield Farm and Tesco.

Clownfish has offices in London and New York and will open in Shanghai in November.

Aegis said the integration of Clownfish into Isobar reflects a "vision of the emergent marketing model as well as the importance of digital and sustainability solutions for business and marketing communications and the clear relationship between these two areas."