• by Steve McClellan , September 28, 2022

Omnicom global agency network TBWA\Worldwide, has acquired innovation-focused experiential agency dotdotdash for an undisclosed sum.

Headquartered in Portland, OR, dotdotdash specializes in building brand experiences including on-site installations “at the intersection of culture and technology,” utilizing robotics, virtual reality and other techniques.  

In addition to Portland, the agency also has employees in Los Angeles, New York and other markets. It has worked with clients including adidas, PepsiCo, The North Face, and TikTok.  

Over the past 18 months, TBWA and dotdotdash have collaborated on a number of projects including recent efforts for adidas and McDonald's.Also, dotdotdash has spearheaded global activations for shared clients including The North Face and PepsiCo. 

 Commenting on the acquisition, Troy Ruhanen, CEO of TBWA\Worldwide said, "dotdotdash brings some of the very best and most imaginative experience design and creative tech capabilities to TBWA. By combining dotdotdash's bleeding-edge capabilities with our own, we will accelerate our ability to deliver disruptive brand experiences and continue to pioneer our clients into new spaces."

Kyle Bañuelos, dotdotdash co-founder and CEO, will continue leading the company as Managing Director alongside partners Billy Vinton, Executive Director, Operations and Adam Paikowsky, Executive Director, Technology.

The plan is to scale the agency, which will retain its current branding, as a distinct offering within the TBWA network. dotdotdash will also become part of TBWA's innovation practice Next, which focuses on how shifts in culture, tech and human behaviors are shaping the future of brand experiences.

Bañuelos said the two agencies  “share the same vision for where the industry is headed…That alignment, along with the opportunity to fuel our future growth with the brand thinking and global reach of TBWA, was exciting, as is the opportunity to be the tip of the spear to Next.”