The marriage is significant, 360i chief Bryan Wiener, tells me, because it reinforces the notion that 360i is “not†a search shop. It is an interactive agency that utilizes search to energize online (and offline) ad campaigns. Wiener has always maintained that 360i is more than a search agency, and the i33 deal reinforces that, adding a serous design component to its portfolio.
The two shops will merge physically, with 360i’s creative department folding into i33’s, but don’t look for them to merger their brand names into 360ii33. 360i will remain the parent company.