Ignite will assume the Wasserman name and all 50-plus members of the Ignite team will be retained. They will join Wasserman’s consulting division, which works with brands including American Express and PepsiCo on crafting strategic programs across the sports, music, fashion and other lifestyle sectors.
Ignite launched in 2002 and has provided brand experiences for clients such as the NFL, Tesco and Vodafone, and has produced event activations in more than 50 countries. It was named Event Magazine’s Brand Experience Agency of the Year for both 2011 and 2012
A statement from Wasserman said the newly acquired agency would bring its experiential and activation expertise to Wasserman’s sports, entertainment marketing and athlete management business.
Fred Porro, Ignite’s group managing director, will relocate from the company’s current US headquarters in Miami to Wasserman’s New York City office.
Porro said: "We are incredibly excited to be joining Wasserman, as the acquisition provides us with an unlimited opportunity to work across the company to deliver superior experiential campaigns for their clients, while integrating our clients into their global network."
Casey Wasserman, chairman and chief executive of Wasserman Media Group, said: "Ignite’s experience and capabilities will further enable our teams to connect key client strategic initiatives directly with the audiences they are working to engage."
"Most significant is that the Ignite team is a perfect cultural fit for Wasserman, and we look forward to immediate and substantial results."