VMLY&R and Scholz & Friends group develop strategic alliance

New York  (Feb 19, 2020) – VMLY&R today announced an alliance with one of the biggest and most creative agency networks in the German-speaking world, Scholz & Friends Group. Scholz & Friends Group is a WPP company, consisting of German agency brands such as Scholz & Friends, deepblue networks, RessourcenReich and Blumberry.

With nearly 1,000 employees and four locations including Hamburg, Berlin, Düsseldorf and Zurich, Scholz & Friends Group will significantly expand VMLY&R’s presence in Europe and give the network an unmatched position in Germany, the biggest market in continental Europe. For Scholz & Friends Group, the alliance with VMLY&R opens up global client opportunities and robust capability expansion plans.

Scholz & Friends Group existing services cover everything from traditional Brand Experience, Influencer Marketing to Public Relations, Digital Media and Digital Platforms, Services and Products. Their services will align with the VMLY&R EMEA Center of Excellence strategy to deliver a fully integrated offering with scale and depth across Europe.

In 2019, Scholz & Friends Group created widely celebrated The Tampon Book, using a book packaging to overturn the 19% luxury tax on feminine sanitary products. The work nabbed the first PR Grand Prix for Germany in the history of Cannes Lions. Pushing beyond traditional advertising, the agency also created striking sculptures and spatial compositions for the Berliner Philharmoniker earning Gold and Silver Lions.

Jon Cook, Global CEO VMLY&R, said: “Over the last year, we’ve had the opportunity to work closely with Scholz & Friends group, and it is clear that we share the same values and passion for the future of our industry. They have an excellent track record of innovative and culture-defining work, and we could not be more excited to form this strategic alliance. It is a huge opportunity for our client partners, and I am thrilled that we will be able to offer them more reach through a strong brand and customer experience offering in Germany and Switzerland.”

Frank-Michael Schmidt, CEO Scholz & Friends Group, said: “Our decision to join the VMLY&R world is driven by common values and business complementarities that will provide our clients with additional striking power in terms of international coverage and technological solutions. We are thrilled about the cultural fit between our teams and are excited to create a new kind of network in the German speaking region together. We are looking forward to working with new friends in Kansas City and around the globe.”

Scholz & Friends Group’s clients include some of the most iconic global and local brands such as Unilever, Mondelez, Siemens, Vodafone, Tchibo, Deka Investments, Henkel, RWE, Migros as well as German associations and numerous ministries of the Federal Republic of Germany.

The two WPP networks are actively engaging in partnership activities across new business, client integration and capability expansion.

Contact

Jinie Kwak - US: [email protected] / +1 (719) 271-7734

Claire Charruau - UK: [email protected] / +44 7833415478

Sonja Petersmeier - GER: [email protected] / +49 40 37681 404

ABOUT VMLY&R

VMLY&R is a global brand and customer experience agency that harnesses creativity, technology, and culture to create connected brands. The agency is made up of nearly 7,000 employees worldwide with principal offices in Kansas City, New York, London, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore and Sydney. VMLY&R works with client partners, including Colgate-Palmolive, Danone, Dell, Ford, New Balance, Pfizer and Wendy’s. For more information, visit www.vmlyr.com. VMLY&R is a WPP company (NYSE: WPP).

ABOUT SCHOLZ & FRIENDS GROUP

Scholz & Friends has been among the leading and most creative agency groups in Germany since its founding in 1981. In 2019, Scholz & Friends was awarded the best German agency at Cannes Lions, the Clio, the London International Awards, the CommAwards and the Eurobest. With 1,000 employees the Scholz & Friends Group operates at offices in Berlin, Hamburg, Düsseldorf and Zürich. For more information, visit www.s-f.com/en/. The Scholz & Friends Group is part of WPP since 2011.