WPP merges Sampson Tyrrell and Addison

Sampson Tyrrell Corporate Marketing and Addison – both part of the WPP Group – are to merge as part of WPP’s plans to strengthen its design services.

The merger has been a matter of speculation since WPP’s 8.5m acquisition of Addison last August. Both STCM and Addison are corporate literature design agencies.

The merged agency will be called Addison and will retain the Addison goldfish marque, which was at the centre of a dispute between the design consultancy and the British Gas-owned company Goldbrand last year. The two settled out of court in January.

All eight STCM staff will join Addison.

Their clients include pharmaceuticals company Novartis and oil and gas business Lasmo. Simon Lake, current managing partner at Addison, will have the same role in the new company.

“Although this merger wasn’t part of the original agreement between WPP and Addison, it has proved a very easy integration to make,” says Lake.

He says WPP intends to become the leader in corporate literature, and the newly merged Addison will now be used to expand into Europe and internationally.