Digital agency Ping Works merges with creative agency Canvas Group to form new agency District
Digital communications and technology agency, Ping Works, has announced a merger with award winning creative agency, Canvas Group, to establish a new full-service, enterprise offering called District.
The newly formed group combines deep technical expertise with some of the country’s leading creative minds to deliver innovative and effective digital design and technology solutions.
Says Tim Stokoe, content director, District (co-founder, PING Works): “Technology and creative are progressively merging, yet there are very few players in the marketplace who have the combined skills, knowledge and credibility to deliver effectively on both fronts. That’s why we established District.
“Whilst the District brand may be new, the constituent parts have been working together for over ten years now on major projects for blue-chip clients like Nestlé, Panasonic, NRMA, Thrifty Car Rental, and PGH Bricks (CSR). In the process, we have won a raft of design honours for creativity and design innovation, whilst delivering complex digital platforms for heavy-weight corporates. The merger was a natural progression and we are very excited to take this new offering to the market.”
Says Jorge Castillo, executive creative director, District (founder, Canvas Group): “Both Canvas and Ping are already successful and respected agencies. By combining our skill sets we can better deliver against the specific needs of marketers looking to engage with their audiences to achieve real business results.”
The District Group is independent and Australian-owned, with all resources and services delivered in-house and under one roof. The service offer includes: digital strategy and innovation; technical strategy; creative design; UX and UID; brand strategy; content strategy; video production, cloud strategy, managed services and hosting.
District is already making its presence felt, having won a number of pitches for major clients like the Australian National Maritime Museum, WesTrac Caterpillar, Department of Planning & Environment, MDA National and Cancer Council NSW under the new agency banner. As part of its focus on innovation, it has also helped launch high-profile start-up/disruptive brands like me&u, Difrent and Suite 24.
Says Setareh Mahdian, MDA National: “District was a stand-out for us in the pitch process as they demonstrated a fresh and unique approach that combined high-end technical expertise with award-winning design capabilities, all in one package.”
Commenting on District’s point of difference, the company’s chief technology officer and 8-times Sitecore MVP Award winner Richard Hauer said: “We have always been focussed on staying at the leading edge of technological innovation, and we practice what we preach. We are a 100% cloud-powered agency, right down to our Development VMs and CI/CD. The sands of ‘digital’ shift a lot faster than most, and our ability to successfully execute on new and emerging trends like voice and AR/VR gives our customers the edge in an increasingly competitive digital landscape. This new venture will give us unprecedented capabilities in delivering UX and design to match our pace in technology.”
For more information visit www.districtgroup.com.au.
(Pictured L-R: Richard Hauer; Tim Stokoe; Rosemary Castillo; Jorge Castillo)