The deal, believed to be near completion as Media went to press, will boost Aegis’s Isobar digital network in Korea, where Ion is strongest, with clients such as Procter & Gamble and Korea Telecom. Isobar will gain strength in Hong Kong and San Francisco, where Ion also has offices.
The Ion Global name will remain in Korea, and will continue to be led by MD Sun Young Lee. In Hong Kong, however, the agency will rebrand as Wwws Consulting. Ion Hong Kong MD Marcus Crowley will also stay, and report to Wwws CEO Jean Lin. Ion San Francisco will merge with Isobar’s Molecular. The acquisition will give Isobar greater creative and web-build clout plus added expertise in mobile, web strategy and CRM and e-marketing. Ion was founded in Hong Kong in 1995, has around 100 staff.
Meanwhile, Aegis Media has completed its new-look Asia-Pacific management line-up with the hire of Batey Taiwan chief executive Ann Yang to run its Taiwan office.
Asia-Pacific CEO Patrick Stahle has again opted for an agency head with a non-media background, shortly after signing Blair Currie from TBWA\Dubai to steer Aegis North Asia (Media 13 June) and Richard Leong from BenQ Siemens to run Hong Kong and Singapore (Media, 16 May).
