JWT North America has acquired shopper marketing firm Lunchbox, the WPP Group-owned agency said July 20, the same day the acquisition closed.
Specializing in shopper engagement, Lunchbox provides consumer segmentation and purchase behavior insights for retailers. The firm’s capabilities extend to designing in-store and online display ads, producing videos and developing mobile apps. Lunchbox’s clients include Wal-Mart, Disney, Unilever and Kimberly-Clark, the latter two being JWT clients as well.
Adam Roe, CEO of Lunchbox, said the acquisition “makes us a much more complete agency in terms of being able to offer front-end and back-end [marketing solutions] together.”
“Being in shopper [marketing], we’re very often the last stop for where a lot of marketing happens,” he said. “I think putting [JWT and Lunchbox] together allows for a complete solution from awareness to traditional advertising [and] all the way to in-store.”
Roe and Lunchbox CMO Kevin Weisberg will remain in their roles and report to David Eastman, CEO of JWT North America and worldwide digital director. All 70 of Lunchbox’s full-time employees will be retained, as well as the Lunchbox brand. The firm will continue to operate out of its Los Angeles headquarters and maintain its offices in San Francisco, Chicago, and Bentonville, Ark.
Eastman said in a statement that Lunchbox “possesses a full toolbox of mobile, video and in-store solutions that effectively connect brand and consumer” and called it a “strong complement to our existing offerings.” A JWT representative could not be reached for additional comment.
JWT North America acquired digital agency Digitaria last year.
