Digital Creative Agency Firstborn Joins Dentsu

NEW YORK, February 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

- Acquisition Bolsters Dentsu's Network Offerings & Roster of Award-Winning Marketing Services Firms

Dentsu Network West has acquired Firstborn (http://www.fborn.com/), a leading New York-based digital creative agency specializing in design, development, production and digital strategy for top national and global brands and advertising agencies. Firstborn develops multi-platform user experiences that extend across all media platforms, including web, mobile, broadcast and digital out-of-home.

Firstborn will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Dentsu Network West. The combination of Firstborn's world-class creative talent, high-end content creation and design innovation with Dentsu Network West's global roster of blue-chip clients will create new levels of digital innovation.

"Firstborn's digital creativity and technology expertise will accelerate our ability to offer the most innovative and forward-thinking solutions to our clients," said Tim Andree, CEO, Dentsu Network West and Executive Officer at Dentsu Inc. "We are building a real network with the client at the center, comprised of the most respected and innovative companies in their arenas. This acquisition supports this mission, and our efforts to place digital at the heart of our growth strategy."

Firstborn was founded in 1997, growing steadily into a current team of 65 employees made up of designers, producers, technologists and strategists. The agency maintains all of its services in-house, including live-action video production and postproduction; 3D and motion graphics; R&D practices; creative direction and design; digital strategy and planning; and front-end development and software engineering. The company will continue to operate under the leadership of Founder & CEO, Michael Ferdman; President, Dan LaCivita; and Chief Creative Officer, Joon Yong Park.

"For the past 14 years, Firstborn has always been about two things - the work and the people that create the work. The opportunity to align with Dentsu will give Firstborn's work, and its people, a dominant global platform on which to drive innovation and effect measurable change in this industry," remarked Michael Ferdman, CEO of Firstborn. "For years, Firstborn has had a lot of outside interest, but it wasn't until now that a partnership made sense for both parties. Timing is always crucial, and finding a partner with a history of respecting its agencies' individual cultures made this deal a no-brainer. I am excited for Firstborn's next chapter; and in the meantime, we will continue to focus on doing what has always worked for us - letting the consistency and the quality of our work do the talking."

The addition of Firstborn adds another award-winning agency to Dentsu Network West's leading roster of marketing services companies, which include ATTIK, mcgarrybowen (recently recognized on Advertising Age's 2010 Agency A-List and named 2009 Agency of the Year), 360i (also named to the Advertising Age 2010 Agency A-List) and the Dentsu-branded offices throughout the Americas and Europe.

Firstborn was named to Advertising Age's 2009 A-List and also hit the coveted 2010 Fast Company list of "50 Most Innovative Companies in the World".

About Dentsu Network West

Dentsu Network West is a dynamic, collaborative collective of Dentsu-owned companies in North America, Latin America and Europe, comprising 34 offices in 10 countries. Its operating companies include Dentsu-branded agencies as well as the industry's most lauded names, such as ATTIK, 360i (on Advertising Age's 2010 A-List), and mcgarrybowen (also on Advertising Age's 2010 A-List, as well as their 2009 Agency of the Year). Dentsu Network West's mission is to connect all of the future-obsessed, client-centric, entrepreneurial talent of the Network in service of its clients' businesses. Dentsu Network West is headquartered in New York, currently with regional hubs in London and Sao Paolo. Dentsu Network West is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dentsu Inc. (Tokyo: 4324; ISIN: JP3551520004). For more information about Dentsu Inc., go to: http://www.dentsu.com.

About Firstborn

Founded in 1997, Firstborn is a digital creative agency headquartered in New York City. They are a team of designers, producers, technologists and strategists who share a passion for creating great ideas and translating them into engaging, intelligent and innovative user experiences. Firstborn develops multiplatform user experiences that extend across all media platforms, including web, mobile, broadcast and digital out-of home. To view Firstborn's portfolio of top agency and brand work go to: http://firstborn.com.