Elvis chief Whitehouse exits in Next 15 agency shake-up

Next 15 has embarked on a radical rationalisation of its agency brands, slashing its portfolio from 22 to 12 by merging House 337 with Elvis, offloading Palladium and BYND and consolidating four of its B2B agencies into a single data and AI unit, to help steady performance in the first half.

The move has been revealed in Next 15’s half-year report, which cited a “simplification strategy” across its portfolio of businesses. Its Customer Engage segment, including House 337 and Elvis, has reported a 9.6% drop in organic revenue, amid challenging market conditions.

As part of the move, Elvis CEO Tanya Whitehouse has stepped down after 17 years with the agency, the past eight as chief executive. Prior to that she was managing director for nearly six years, having joined Elvis in 2008 as business director from Exposure.

House 337 CEO Phil Fearnley, who will take the helm of the combined operation, said: “Tanya has been a remarkable leader. Not just for Elvis, but for the wider group. She’s built a business known for its creativity, integrity and heart, and leaves behind an incredible legacy. There’s now an exciting opportunity to bring those ingredients together with the world-class creative, AI and technology expertise of House 337, and harness those strengths more fully in service of our clients.”

For the time being, the two agencies will maintain their individual brands and serve clients as before.

House 337 was formed in 2022 by merging creative agency Engine Creative and fashion and lifestyle specialist ODD Group, following Next 15’s acquisition of Engine.

It has also expanded its capabilities through acquisitions, such as the AI consultancy Vixen Labs; House 337’s client roster includes the Royal Navy, Santander, Women’s Aid, and Sweaty Betty.

Elvis, meanwhile, was founded in 2003 and acquired by Next 15 in 2017. The agency specialises in digital and creative work for consumer brands including Cadbury, Sony PlayStation, Honda, and Cycling UK. It entered a strategic partnership with sister agency Planning-Inc in 2022, designed to deliver “next-generation, creatively-driven CRM for new and existing clients”.

The four B2B agencies which have been merged to form a single data and AI unit have not been named, although they are understood to be Activate, Agent3 Group, Twogether and Velocity.

Overall, Next 15 has reported that net revenues have slipped 3.6% to £231m, hit by weak spending from tech clients but partly offset by double-digit growth within retail media and public sector work. Adjusted operating profits dipped 3.1% to £33mn, but margins edged up to 14.2%.

The group said trading for the 2026 financial year is in line with expectations, with more cost efficiencies and streamlining to come.