Harmonic combines brand building with technology and is currently in the process of developing a media service that delivers interactive advertising to a targeted audience.
The agreement will see Dentsu, the world's largest advertising agency, and Harmonic jointly develop and deploy the "Harmonic marketing platform" in the Japanese market.
Harmonic's software enables companies to manage large-scale campaign development and execution across traditional and digital media from one system and in real time. The Harmonic Engine for Marketing supports broadcast and cable television, print, the web, email, direct mail, telemarketing, wireless and interactive television.
Yutaka Narita, president of Dentsu, said, "The alliance with Harmonic is strategically significant for Dentsu. By combining Harmonic's outstanding technological capabilities with our extensive knowledge of advertising and consumer insight, we will bring a new standard to the advertising industry. We see the application of this technology as a true competitive advantage."
Harmonic was the destination of former Goodby, Silverstein & Partners creative director Dave O'Hare. O'Hare, who was also executive creative director at Publicis Groupe's Publicis & Hal Riney, joined Harmonic in the spring as creative director.
Among Harmonic's other directors are Mark Kvamme, former chairman of USWeb/CKS and now partner at Sequoia Capital; Marc Andreessen, co-founder Netscape Communications; and Jeff Goodby, co-chairman Goodby Silverstein.