The communication conglomerate The Independents has acquired the creative agency Sunshine

And then there were 12! With the addition of the strategic consultancy and creative agency Sunshine, falling into its fold, The Independents further expands its scope and secures its second operation in less than two months. Following the acquisition of the English agency Kennedy in March, the collective of creative agencies, experts in communication and events, initiated in 2017 by Karla Otto and K2, adds to its rich portfolio this latest company, specialized in the production of entertainment and cultural content for fashion, luxury, and lifestyle brands.

The financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed, but this acquisition is defined by The Independents’ CEO, Isabelle Chouvet, as “highly strategic.” 

“The Sunshine team’s expertise in developing brand and entertainment strategies for luxury companies is unique. Their understanding of entertainment in today’s world is a tremendous advantage for the group, and with our partner Banijay by our side, our ability to create personalized content and entertainment studios for our clients worldwide is promising,” she declared.

The Sunshine Company was co-founded in 2012 by Al MacCuish, a renowned creative in the advertising industry, who serves as its chairman, along with producer Kit Hawkins, who has since left the company. It is led by Jenna Barnet, who has worked notably in the fashion industry for Calvin Klein, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, and Ralph Lauren. She is also supported by chief financial and operations officer Trudie McNicholl and chief creative officer (CCO) Ed Warren.

Sunshine gained recognition for the “Chime for Change” event, which it organized in 2013 for Gucci during the launch of this project promoting women’s causes. More recently, it executed the platform and campaign for Diesel’s Tracks denim collection, resulting in a series of events and collaborations. Its clients include several other brands such as Balmain, Jimmy Choo, Maison Margiela, Tommy Hilfiger, and the LVMH group.

“The agency’s experience in storytelling and brand repositioning offers The Independents valuable synergies in many areas, in addition to the opportunity to leverage Sunshine’s exceptional capabilities in brand design, particularly in luxury consumer products,” stated the group, which brings together 11 other entities: Atelier Athem, Atelier LUM, Bureau Betak & Bureau Future, CTZAR, INCA Productions, Karla Otto, K2, Kennedy, Lefty, The Qode, and Prodject.

The communications group is present in 15 cities around the globe (Milan, Paris, London, Munich, New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Dubai, Riyadh, and Jeddah) and is backed in its capital by Banijay, a company of the European group FL Entertainment, and by the Anglo-American fund TowerBrook Capital Partners.