European Wax Center has named Acadia its media agency of record in a move that consolidates national search, Amazon commerce and paid media with the agency, founded by former 360i CEO Jason Belsky and Bizchair.com founder Sean Belnick in 2021.   

The company had previously worked with Crossmedia as media AOR since 2020.   

Belsky believes the industry will see more marketers creating media remits like EWC’s that bring retail media and marketplaces closer together to performance budgets and brand budgets.  

“By bringing all the different channel and budgeting silos now into one place, we can ensure that for our client that not just the first dollar, but also the last dollar finds its way to the most effective opportunity.” stated Belsky. “This month that best ROAS might come from Search, but next month it might be on Amazon."   

EWC said the move signals a shift in its media strategy to a “retail mindset” where each dollar spent is tied to measurable outcomes. The strategy emphasizes hyper-local, precision-tailored advertising to speak to the right customers about its line of products and services.   

There is also going to be a focus on using more of EWC’s first-party data. "We’re emphasizing ways to motivate known customers to consider EWC more often,” said Andrea Wasserman, chief commercial officer of EWC. “We can compete more effectively with precise, measurable, local media that inspires guests to come and try us one more time. Acadia has the prowess in analytics, digital media, and e-commerce to get the granular, accountable results we need.”    

Added Belsky: “I believe the industry will start to see more RFPs where the client is asking traditional and performance media to come closer to retail media. There is no reason to have Amazon over there on an island, Search over there on an island, and then biddable/traditional media on another island. Time to build bridges, not more islands.”   

EWC spends an estimated $3.5 million on measured media excluding search and spending on Amazon, according to agency research firm COMvergence. Figures for the latter two were not immediately available.  

For Acadia, named MediaPost's 2023 Independent Agency Of The Year, EWC is the second disclosed client win this year following a January win for an Academy Sports + Outdoors remit.