• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, December 1, 2008

On the heels of its expansion into South America last week, Publicis' Digitas has turned its sights on Scandinavia, launching Digitas Sweden. The new Nordic outpost has been formed by combining two pre-existing Publicis units - direct and digital marketing shop 1.1.3, and pure play creative shop Joy - to form a new Stockholm-based full-service digital marketing agency.

Digitas Sweden will be led by 1.1.3 founder Lisa Amatiello, who will report to Alan Rutherford, CEO of Digitas Global. The agency will continue to serve 1.1.3 and Joy clients while also offering expanded reach for Digitas' global clients.

Since it was acquired by Publicis in 2007, Digitas has made good on its plans to expand its footprint globally, entering Brazil, France, Greater China, India, Japan, Singapore, Southeast Asia, the United Kingdom, Latin America and now Sweden, a market that happens to be one of the most developed Internet and broadband markets in the European Union, and has one of the largest percentages of their population online.

The move follows the announcement last week, that Digitas had expanded into South America via the acquisition of Sao Paula, Brazil-based agency Tribal (Online Media Daily, Nov. 19).

In a letter to Digitas employees, CEO Laura Lang noted, "The expansions into Brazil and Sweden continue us on the path of igniting emotional bonds between people and brands everywhere - across the globe, and serving our global clients on a localized level.