Hugh Treacy takes stake in iD as agency plots expansion

Former Arnold KLP chief executive Hugh Treacy has secured an equity stake in brand experience agency iD and taken up the role of executive director as the independent business gears up for a major expansion drive.
Agency founders Paul Ephremsen and Paul Soanes have been in business together for 25 years and set up iD as part the now defunct Marketing Arena Services Company. iD was eventually registered as a limited company in 2011 and works for brands including Britvic, PepsiCo, Maybelline, Comfort and Charlotte Tilbury. Ephremsen and Soanes also own the Live Agency.
iD recently committed to move away from competitive pitches. Instead it will pinpoint the brands and sectors that it wants to work with and approach them with plans on how a long-term experiential strategy can help.
Treacy will join the co-founders on the agency board, together with Marcus Fox, who has been at iD since 2016, having previously worked in the online division of Sainsbury’s for nearly seven years.
Treacy spent over 20 years at KLP in its various guises, joining as an account director in 1995. In 2001, he was promoted to managing director and the agency rebranded Euro RSCG KLP.
In 2010, it merged with Arnold London and rebranded Arnold KLP. Treacy took over sole responsibility for running the business in 2014 but left in 2016 when Havas merged Arnold KLP with AIS London to create Field Day.
He joined ad agency Isobel in 2017 to run its brand activation division, Isobel Street, but left after a year to set up his own consultancy, Treacy Indigo Partnership, which has been working in collaboration with iD for the past 12 months.
Treacy (pictured, left) said: “Having known and worked with both [founders], in various capacities over many years, I have always held iD, as one of the original founding pioneers of the brand experience world, in the very highest regard.
“But what has impressed me most over the past 12 months is their crystal clear vision of the future – a 100% focus on their existing, long-standing clients ; and a drive to inject much-needed commercialisation to the sector and beyond. It is this, that made me jump at the chance of joining this company.”
Ephremsen (pictured, right) added: “I have known Hugh since 1994. I’ve always followed his career to date with intrigue and huge admiration; and am thrilled to be working with him directly at last. Hugh brings creative, integrated, strategic and management expertise in spades.
“Having him on our board is a major step for us as we evolve to meet the challenges the sector is setting for us now, and the next 25 years. We are on a mission at iD to apply more commercial rigour to brand experiences; as well as continue the charge in providing end-to-end solutions for medium to longer-term retail formats/pop-ups.”