(Chicago, IL, March 3, 2020)
MERGE, a premium creative, marketing and technology company, announced today that it has acquired Sandbox, a similar, independent, full-service, strategic and digital agency, to create more transformational solutions and a better agency experience for marketing and technology clients.
The transaction, effective immediately, forms one of the largest independent agencies in North America with more than 600 employees. With offices in seven locations across the United States and Canada, together, MERGE and Sandbox strengthen their coast-to-coast presence to be closer to clients.
For several years MERGE and Sandbox have been on parallel paths building the type of agencies that promote health, wealth and happiness in the world. Combined, the entities will offer a true 360-degree view of multiple markets to offer deeper expertise within the healthcare and financial services verticals. Joining forces will provide all clients stronger advanced digital capabilities, specifically in areas such as performance marketing and experience design.
“Many CMOs are seeking to simultaneously elevate their brand and drive business growth, but efforts are often disjointed and diametrically opposed. The partnership of MERGE and Sandbox balances brand building and demand building marketing capabilities as a remedy to those challenges,” said Patrick Venetucci, chief executive officer of MERGE. “Uniting our complementary digital capabilities, MERGE is now even better positioned to help catapult our clients to the top of their categories.”
Under new leadership and ownership over the past year, MERGE has grown double digits by building an integrated agency model that effectively combines creative, technology and media at scale. The addition of BEAM in 2019 bolstered the company’s offerings in CX, CRM and platform development – with a focus on creating engaging experiences that today’s marketers seek.
“Both MERGE and Sandbox have a stated and shared ambition of working to deliver more impactful, relevant and transformational solutions for our clients,” said Joe Kuchta, president of Sandbox. “Joining Sandbox with Merge takes both businesses to a whole new level, strengthening our core competencies across the board and deepening our expertise in key vertical areas.”
Terms of the transaction are not disclosed. All of the members of the MERGE and Sandbox executive teams will remain in leadership positions with Patrick Venetucci serving as chief executive officer of the newly combined company, which will operate under the MERGE brand.
About MERGE
MERGE provides premium creative, technology and media solutions that enable clients to emerge to the top of their category.
With offices in Chicago, Boston and Atlanta, MERGE offers full-service expertise and capabilities—including strategy, creative-communications, experience-engineering, media and technology platform development—to deliver best-in-class work to our client partners in today’s complex digital landscape.
MERGE’s health, wealth and happiness client roster includes Indiana University Health, VCU Health, Cardinal Health, Advocate Aurora Health, B. Braun, as well as Eaton Vance, Protective Life and James Hardie, Marco’s Pizza, SafeAuto, Land O’Frost, The Jimmy Fund and Harley-Davidson.
About Sandbox
As an independent, full-service agency, Sandbox helps brands and companies accelerate growth and drive transformation through a customer-centered, collaboration-powered approach. The agency operates from five locations across the United States and Canada: New York, Toronto, Chicago, Kansas City and Orange County.
The client roster of Sandbox includes Abbott Diabetes, American Express, Beigene, Boston Scientific, Coherus, Elanco, Kiniksa, LG, Marley Coffee, Organogenesis, Seqirus, Sprint, Takeda, YRC Freight.
For more information, visit sandbox.com.