Hunk of Elvis leaves the building in Wonderhood deal

Wonderhood Studios has confirmed it has agreed to acquire the creative half of Elvis Communications – formerly WCRS, Engine and House 337 – from Next 15 Group in a move designed to accelerate the next stage of its growth.

The deal comes just five months after Next 15 scrapped the House 337 brand in favour of Elvis, but it is understood not to include the customer experience and data-driven marketing part of the business, whose clients include Cadbury, Sony PlayStation, Honda, and Cycling UK.

It is still not clear whether this agency will retain the Elvis name but is it estimated that about half the staff – as well as half its value – will remain with Next 15 Group.

The division which is being acquired works with a broad range of clients, including CASS (Current Account Switching Service), Next, Mondelez, The Royal Air Force, The Royal Navy, The Ministry of Justice, National Highways, The English and Wales Cricket Board, E.On and The Football Association.

This acquisition will create a combined business with over 130 staff and accelerates the ‘Serious Entertainment’ mission at Elvis.

In the coming months, the focus will be on bringing the two businesses together and aligning operations, with a focus on maintaining continuity for clients and building on the strengths of both teams.

Matt Rhodes joins Wonderhood as chief commercial officer and will lead the transition of Elvis teams into Wonderhood, which is due to be completed by August. He will also drive the future development of Wonderhood’s pipeline in effective branded entertainment.

Wonderhood COO Sachin Dosani (pictured), who led the deal, said: “This acquisition marks the next stage in Wonderhood’s evolution as a sustainably independent British creative company. It gives us greater scale, broader capability and a stronger platform to help brands build value by captivating audiences across advertising, social and entertainment.”

Brand side CEO Alex Best added: “Wonderhood has always believed that the most effective work starts with understanding what audiences choose to spend time with. Bringing Elvis into the business gives us greater scale, deeper capability and more firepower. Matt and his team bring a strong track record of effective, creatively ambitious work, and I’m excited about what we can build together for clients who want ideas that don’t just reach people but genuinely captivate them.”

Aidan McClure and Samanta Anstiss continue their respective roles at chief creative officers of brand and broadcast. David Abraham becomes executive chairman of Wonderhood Studios.

Hunk of Elvis leaves the building in Wonderhood deal

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