Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has agreed to acquire SOKO, an independent Brazilian creative agency that—by blending creativity, data and a comprehensive understanding of culture—develops brand stories with deep impact in the industry and in society. SOKO will become part of the world-renowned creative agency Droga5, deepening the agency’s influence and relevance in Brazil while strengthening the market’s creative and brand capabilities within Accenture Song—the world’s largest tech-powered creative group.
Founded in 2015, SOKO is highly acclaimed, ranked as one of the top three advertising agencies in Brazil by SCOPEN for its excellence in innovation and creativity. Its creative work with clients has also been recognized across the international award show circuit, such as The One Show, Clio Awards, The Effies, Fast Company and Cannes Lions.
“SOKO already lives Droga5’s values—they are a creatively-led, strategically-driven, humanity-obsessed agency with massive ambition,”
said David Droga, CEO at Accenture Song.
“SOKO delivers work with human insight, relevance and care, and I’m confident that as a part of Droga5 in São Paulo, and paired with Accenture Song’s creative and technology prowess, the SOKO team will further elevate our impact and influence on our clients’ businesses in Brazil and beyond.”
“SOKO has always been recognized for our innovation and authenticity. Since our founding days, we’ve embedded a culture of impact, collaboration and diversity,”
said Felipe Simi, founder & CEO at SOKO.
“We are committed to challenging status quo and to promote—now with scale and reach—an inclusive culture for people and business transformation.”
Headquartered in Brazil’s largest city, São Paulo, SOKO specializes in brand storytelling that engages audiences organically. Through proprietary methodologies and metrics, the agency, which is backed by FLAGCX, has successfully turned powerful ideas into strong brand engagement and impressions for their clients. SOKO’s team of over 300 employees will join Droga5 São Paulo, which opened its doors in 2022.
SOKO was founded by Felipe Simi, co-CEO and chief creative officer. Simi’s creative influence and activism have earned him the title of #1 most admired advertising executive in Brazil according to 2023 Agency Scope research; elected him "Advertising Game Changer" by Meio e Mensagem and nominated him for “Industry Leader” for Prêmio Caboré in 2022. He was also named by Wired Magazine as one of the 50 most creative people in Brazil in 2020.
Droga5 was founded in 2006 by David Droga, and is headquartered in New York, with offices in London, Dublin, Tokyo and São Paulo. From integrated communications and experience innovation to business design, Droga5 exists to build and sustain the most influential brands of the 21st century through creativity. It has been recognized as Agency of the Year more than 25 times and was named both Ad Age and Adweek’s Agency of the Decade (2010-2019), among many other accolades. With the acquisition of SOKO, Droga5 intends to accelerate its mission of delivering creativity rooted in strategy and purpose, that is humanity-obsessed and where experiences deeply connect with people and add value to their lives.
“The integration of SOKO into Droga5 Sao Paulo gives Accenture Song the opportunity to enhance the brand storytelling approach for our clients, tapping into Brazil’s creative culture and diverse ecosystem",
said Eco Moliterno, chief creative officer for Latin America at Accenture Song.
"We couldn't be more excited about the shared ambition to deliver exceptional results for client's businesses in Brazil.”
SOKO is the latest in a series of acquisitions that Accenture Song has made globally to bolster its ability to help clients grow, innovate, and sustain relevance, including Work & Co, Unlimited, Mindcurv, GemSeek, The Lumery, Jixie, Rabbit’s Tale, ConcentricLife, Fiftyfive5, The Stable and Romp.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Completion of the acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.
Sourced from: Accenture Newsroom