Stagwell has acquired London-based agency group Sidekick, a collective of specialist agencies focused on experiential, digital storytelling, and branded content.  

Sidekick will be aligned with Stagwell’s global marketing and communications consultancy Allision.    

"Sidekick is at the forefront of storytelling and will be an essential part of the challenger marketing network we are building in Europe," stated Stagwell CEO Mark Penn. The deal, he added, will help Allison “continue to transform its content innovation capabilities."   

Allison's existing core competencies include strategic communications, influencer marketing, digital, performance marketing and data analytics. The two firms have worked together in the past.    

The Sidekick Group launched in 2021 when then independent experiential agency Kreate and content agency Many Makers merged. Kreate delivers activations for clients, specializing in brand experience and live events.  Many Makers is a video and brand content agency with expertise in social media, video production, gamification and AR/VR content.   

Sidekick Co-founders Duncan McCaslin and Ollie Burgoyne will remain as Managing Directors of their respective teams and both will join Allison's European management team. Directors William Howe and Stephen Bradley will also move across in their current roles. Stagwell said no other staffing changes are planned.   

This acquisition is part of Stagwell’s ambitious plan to expand European operations. James Townsend was recently named Stagwell’s first CEO, EMEA, and launched a regional hub at the Blue Fin Building in London to connect its 15+ agencies and over 1,900 employees within the region.   

Sidekick is Stagwell's second acquisition of the year, following last month’s purchase of Team Epiphany, a creative agency connecting brands to multicultural consumers.  

 
Pictured above, from left to right: Jim Selman, Partner, Managing Director, UK + Ireland; Dan Whitney, Managing Director, Marketing Innovation; Cathy Planchard, Global CEO Marketing Innovation; Scott Allison, Co-Founder, Global Chairman; Ollie Burgoyne, Managing Director, Many Makers; Duncan McCaslin, Managing Director - Kreate; William Howe, Creative Director, Many Makers; Stephen Bradley, Operations Director. Kreate