JWT Acquires Indie Digital Shop Heyday

JWT New Zealand, part of WPP, has acquired a majority stake in Heyday, an independent digital agency based in Wellington, New Zealand.

Founded in 2000, by Luke Pierson, Heyday’s services include digital strategy, visual design, user experience design, content development, digital film, smartphone applications and web application development. Clients include ANZ Bank; Trade Me, New Zealand’s largest Internet-auction website; and Z Energy. 

“We’re delighted to welcome Heyday to JWT,” says John Gutteridge, CEO JWT Australia & New Zealand. “Luke and the team have created a terrific business with big ambitions. Critically there  is a very clear alignment from both Heyday and JWT on how we need to ready ourselves for tomorrow and the long term. The two businesses have quite different skills, allowing the group to deliver broader, faster, deeper and better solutions.”

“Luke and I have been working in partnership for some time now, “ said Simon Lendrum, Managing Director of JWT Auckland. “We’ve already stress tested the model, it’s incredibly compelling. We believe our clients will benefit massively from the constant evolution in thinking that this partnership brings.”

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Australia and New Zealand constitute a sizable market for WPP companies which generate annual  revenues of $1.2 billion and employ over 4,000 people in the region.

The Heyday purchase is one of several that JWT has made in recent months. In September the agencyacquired a majority stake in digital shop Cairos Usabilidade Eireli, which loosely translates to “Try.” Also in September it bought a majority of Brazilian engine marketing agency Blinks.

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