• by Larissa Faw , March 28, 2014

SapientNitro is acquiring NYC-based marketing agency Campfire, the second creative addition to the agency this year. In January, SapientNitro announced the acquisition of multicultural creative agency La Comunidad. 

The latest deal is similar to SapientNitro's La Comunidad acquisition. Campfire will maintain its brand and operate within SapientNitro. The 15- to 20-person Campfire team will continue to report to Campfire President Jeremiah Rosen. Rosen will report into Ron Shamah, who oversees SapientNitro business in New York, Boston and DC. 

Campfire Partner and CCO Mike Monello will report to Gaston Legorburu, worldwide Chief Creative Officer, SapientNitro, who will also manage the creative side of this deal. 

Ultimately, Campfire's expertise in interactive creativity and social media will help SapientNitro's clients bridge creativity and technology to create multi-dimensional engagement campaigns.

“The world around us continues to change, but fundamentally what connects people to each other is the power of a good story,” says Legorburu. “What Campfire brings to our team is a mix of seasoned filmmakers and storytellers who leverage the latest technology to craft experiences that come straight out of the future.”

Indeed, Campfire will strengthen SapientNitro’s branded content, entertainment, social engagement and interactive film capabilities. The company has regularly sparked attention through its viral and eye-catching campaigns for clients including HBO and Infiniti.

“Marketers today are challenged by the unprecedented velocity of change in consumer worlds, as the expectations of highly connected audiences who move seamlessly between physical and digital experiences evolve,” said Alan Wexler, president, SapientNitro.

Founded in 2007 by the producers of cult film sensation, "The Blair Witch Project," Campfire has received numerous awards, including MediaPost’s OMMA Magazine 2011 Small Agency of the Year. “In an environment where film is evolving from a passive medium to an active and increasingly interactive one, their passion for blurring the lines of media and driving the future of how consumers connect is in deep alignment with everything we have created at Campfire," said Campfire’s Rosen.

Campfire photo from Shutterstock