Dentsu Aegis Network takes 51% of Oddfellows Sydney – to go to full ownership by end of 2017

Dentsu Inc. announced today that its global business unit, the Dentsu Aegis Network, has reached an agreement with the principal shareholders of Oddfellows Sydney to acquire a 51% stake in the company. Under the terms of the agreement, Oddfellows Holdings will become a wholly owned subsidiary by the end of 2017.

Oddfellows Holdings owns three companies: ad agency Oddfellows, digital communications specialist @odds and art and design studio @tack which provide integrated advertising communication services including media, digital, strategy, production, CRM and promotions. @odds and @tack are both 100% owned by Oddfellows Pty Ltd, which also has strategic alliances with film and animation studios as well as an audio & music studio.

To date, Dentsu has been providing services to its clients in Australia through both its brand and media agencies. The addition of the Oddfellows group of companies to the Dentsu Group will lead to further expansion of the Group’s business in the Australian market and an enhanced range of services, particularly in the creative field. Oddfellows Holdings will be renamed Oddfellows/Dentsu Holdings, and Oddfellows will be renamed Oddfellows/Dentsu.

Andrew Black will be the CEO of all the Oddfellows/Dentsu companies, while CB understands the ECD situation is still to be resolved, with Pete Ogden (left) currently CD at Dentsu – who joined in February last year – and Wayne Maloney the ECD at Oddfellows.

“Dentsu and Oddfellows have had a long and very fruitful working relationship and we are delighted to finally formalize this,” said Dick van Motman, CEO of Dentsu Asia. “Oddfellows has been running a very tight ship and we have several shared clients. It made great sense for us to strengthen the relationship with all these parties by welcoming Oddfellows to the Dentsu family.”