• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, August 30, 2018

MediaMonks, the Netherlands-based digital production company that last month merged with the Martin Sorrell-led S4 Capital, has launched a new R&D division dubbed MediaMonks Labs. 

The new unit will focus on innovation and rapid prototyping. It is already working on projects using AI, VR, voice technology and other cutting-edge techniques for clients like Google and Nickelodeon. 

To a certain degree, the firm has already been doing this, but now it has a separate, dedicated operation.

The Labs unit, based in Stockholm, is helmed by Sander van der Vegte, who previously was head of games for the company. 

“By watching new developments and trends, we can tell what will be hot before it’s happening,” stated van der Vegte. 

Most agencies do that and so has MM. The shop has made its reputation by being an innovator in the marketing tech sector and ahead of the curve in deploying new techniques for client projects.

For example, it takes credit for developing the first creative Google maps integration, the first interactive YouTube overlay, the first outdoor hype-rreality VR experience among other bleeding-edge projects. 

But now, the firm is flush with $300-plus million, the value amount of the merger with S4. So I guess it makes sense to invest some of that money in the tech/innovation space to ensure it stays ahead of the curve. 

Other members of the new unit’s core team include digital creative director Nilla Juvas, partner-Chief Creative Officer of MediaMonks Stockholm Pasi Helin, and creative technologists Joe Mango and Samuel Snider-Held.