• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, April 3, 2014

Columbus, Ohio-based Resource, a privately held digital marketing firm, has agreed to acquire New York creative shop Ammirati. Terms were not disclosed.

The acquisition pairs Resource's strategic digital, social, innovation and eCommerce expertise with Ammirati's brand strategy, advertising, design/packaging and shopper marketing experience.

The agency's combined client roster will span CPG, retail, technology and food and beverage clients. Current Ammirati clients include B-Corp, Coca-Cola (Fuse, vitaminwater, Gold Peak Tea), Jerry Seinfeld, North American Breweries (Labatt, Seagram's), Nintendo, Pirate's Booty, Remy Cointreau, Schwinn and Sweet'N Low.

Current Resource clients include Clorox, CVS, HP, Kohl's, Nestle, P&G, Sherwin-Williams and Victoria's Secret.

Nancy Kramer, who founded Resource in 1981 (its first client was Apple), will serve as chairman of the merged agency, which will be renamed shortly. Resource CEO Kelly Mooney will serve as CEO of the combined company.

Ammirati was founded in 2002 by Matthew Ammirati, whose great uncle Ralph co-founded Ammirati & Puris (acquired by Interpublic in 1994 and merged with Lintas). Matthew Ammirati will serve as Creative Chairman of the new shop.

"This is a significant next step in our 33-year journey," said Kramer. "We're thrilled to have found in Ammirati a 'kindred spirit'—we have like-minded and complementary cultures on a number of levels and are excited about the promise of this partnership."

Over the last three decades, Resource has been considered a marketing pioneer, from its launch in 1999 of the first live Webcast of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, to recently debuting a Google Glass app for a major consumer brand, Sherwin-Williams’ ColorSnap Glass. Recently, it has expanded beyond digital, strategically adding new leadership from agencies such as JWT and Leo Burnett and picking up lead agency assignments for clients like Shaw Flooring and United Dairy Farmers.

Ammirati’s recent efforts include working with Jerry Seinfeld on the Web series ComediansInCarsGettingCoffee.com and launching a new ad campaign for beer client Labatt during the Super Bowl.

"In Resource, I've found a partner who is as passionate as I am about delivering breakthrough results for our clients. This new collective gives us all additional capabilities to deliver even more creatively driven solutions on a much grander scale while still remaining fiercely independent," Ammirati said.