Publicis Groupe acquires digital agency Arachnid to align with Saatchi & Saatchi APAC

Following the acquisition, Arachnid will be rebranded Saatchi & Saatchi Arachnid and the agency will be aligned with the Saatchi & Saatchi network in Asia-Pacific.

The management team, with Arachnid founder and managing director Chin Weng Keong at the helm, will continue to lead the newly renamed business.

The bulk of Arachnid’s staff (about 60) will continue to be based in Kuala Lumpur but key talent will be integrated into Saatchi & Saatchi’s Singapore office, explained Paul Roebuck, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore & Malaysia.

Saatchi & Saatchi Arachnid will continue to operate separately from Saatchi & Saatchi Malaysia.

The acquisition signifies a “major scaling up” of Saatchi & Saatchi regional digital capabilities, commented Chris Foster, chairman and CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi Asia-Pacific.  “The past 18 months have seen us make significant investments in digital capabilities, particularly in our regional management hub in Singapore, and now through the union with Arachnid’s exceptional expertise and capabilities, we are even better placed to deliver the unreasonable power of creativity for our clients.”

Founded in 1996, Arachnid was one of the region’s first digital agencies. Its client list includes Toyota, Lexus, Petronas, Dutch Lady, Mini and Reckitt Benckiser, and it has been ranked three-times on Deloitte Asia-Pacific’s Fast 500 ranking of the region’s fastest growing technology companies.

According to Chin the agency had explored becoming part of a global network for a while and has found Saatchi & Saatchi to be “the right fit”.

“We share a common vision, values and strategy as we evolve beyond pure-play digital,” Chin said. “Partnering with the Singapore regional hub allows us to grow beyond Malaysia, leveraging the regional and global experience we’ve developed over recent years. We’ve also taken the time to work at a practical level to integrate our capabilities into a new generation agency that will see an exciting shared future."