Meet the new owner of Hill Holliday and Deutsch NY

If you hadn’t heard of Cam Murchison before January 3, odds are pretty good you’ve heard of him now. The New Zealand ad group he leads as CEO, Attivo, has just acquired two high-profile U.S. ad agencies, Hill Holliday and Deutsch NY. And you are likely to hear more about him and Attivo as the company strives to achieve ambitious growth goals in the U.S. and elsewhere. 

Asked what changes we can expect to see in the way HH and DNY operate, Murchison, who is based in New Zealand, responded via email his way: 

“Both Deutsch New York and Hill Holliday are world-class agencies, whose impact on the communications landscape in North America and worldwide is undeniable. The inherent strength and momentum that drove each from their original founding to today, has not changed. Frankly, the piratical spirit that made these agencies the powerhouses they are, is as alive now as it has ever been. That spirit – that singular drive to help our clients succeed is breath-taking.”

He adds that, “The leadership teams and I are extremely ambitious for what we do next. As Attivo Group, we are very hands on across a wide range of integrated and specialist businesses, so we have an intimate lens on the future and our possibilities within that. We are living through a hugely disruptive period of global change, and in change there is opportunity. Opportunity to think differently, define ourselves differently, create new potential for ourselves, and the success of our clients. We will move fast and quietly on that journey.”

Murchison formed Attivo in 2020 after serving in a number of senior roles at agencies in New Zealand, Australia and the Asia Pacific region beginning in the 1990s. Prior to forming Attivo he led one of Australia’s bigger marketing and communication agencies, Harvey Cameron Group, which is now part of Attivo. 

In addition to the newly acquired U.S. shops, and Harvey Cameron, Attivo’s portfolio of agencies includes full-service agency 303 Lowe, which has offices in Sydney and Perth. Attivo acquired a majority stake in the agency from IPG in 2021. The same year it purchased a minority interest in Mediahub Australia, also with offices in Perth and Sydney, as well as a stake in CRM specialist Profero MullenLowe.

Attivo also has a production company, Gorilla, with offices in New Zealand and Australia; a New Zealand-based digital content production firm called Rhubarb; and a media agency in New Zealand called Rainmakers. 

And, signaling efforts to bolster media capabilities last year, Attivo created the role of CEO Media ANZ and hired Sue Squillace to fill it; she was previously CEO Dentsu Media and Carat CEO ANZ. 

Asked about future expansion in North America, Murchison replied, “We’re in the business of delivering results for our clients, so all day long we are looking for agencies with depth of talent, solid and ideally unique tools, with proven methods and processes that separate confidence from hope. Having said that, we are also very good at commercialising early-stage models.”

“By design,” he adds, “we have a diverse portfolio across the marketing services spectrum, with the focus on acquiring or building best in class solutions that give our clients competitive advantage.  We firmly believe that culture is always the magic ingredient. So we look for truly talented teams, that are hungry to make a difference in their clients’ business, that thrive on independence (while being part of a collaborative group), with a Darwinian mindset to everything that they do.” 

As to expansion to other regions, like Europe or Asia, Murchison replied, “Right now, we are focused on a seamless transition for staff, and business as usual for clients. As we resume business planning, we know that there are a couple of new areas that we will be looking to.”

For more about Hill Holliday’s people, work, and culture, visit
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Attivo Acquires Hill Holliday and Deutsch New York

Both agencies will continue to operate with their current leadership, under their own brands, and each agency will maintain an affiliate relationship with Interpublic Group (IPG), with ongoing access to many of the holding company’s resources.

Going forward, the agencies will draw on the leadership, expanded resources and capabilities of Attivo. Launched in 2020, Attivo is headed by Cam Murchison and owns a number of communications and marketing agencies. With a longstanding relationship with IPG, Attivo most recently acquired IPG’s Australia’s 303 MullenLowe, and invested in Mediahub Australia in 2021. Attivo also owns Harvey Cameron, Farrimond, Gorilla Studios, Rhubarb Lane and Rainmakers.

“We’re incredibly excited to have Hill Holliday and DNY join the Attivo family. Both are world-class agencies with amazing pedigrees that have made a tremendously positive impact on the communications landscape in the U.S.,” said Attivo Group CEO Cam Murchison. “Both agencies have many iconic brands with decades-long relationships as testament to their singular focus on client success. The outstanding leaders at both agencies have a strong desire to further grow their businesses and share Attivo’s entrepreneurial spirit and challenger mindset. As we plan for the future, the dynamic business landscape our clients are competing in gives us a unique opportunity to think differently, to expand the breadth and depth of our capabilities, continuing to help our clients succeed in more ways, and continuing the legacy of these businesses.”

“We’re excited for Cam and his team at Attivo to move Hill Holliday and DNY forward, with affiliate relationships to IPG. Attivo is a trusted partner with whom we have successfully managed affiliate relationships over the years in other world regions. Since 2020, Deutsch LA and DNY have been operating as separate brands and businesses, so this particular move as relates to DNY is a natural progression in that process, as Deutsch LA continues to be one of IPG’s wholly-owned creative agencies, and we’ll support their ongoing evolution and growth,” added Philippe Krakowsky, CEO of IPG.

“Hill Holliday was founded by four bold-thinking, ground breaking entrepreneurs. Today, we embody their spirit and mindset as the agency embarks on a new chapter in our 55-year legacy of building iconic brands,” said Hill Holliday CEO Chris Wallrapp. “Attivo’s investment in Hill Holliday’s future gives our agency and employees tools to innovate, unique flexibility in how we grow our business and strategic advantages for our clients. At a time of uncertainty for many well-known agency brands, this move is also a strong vote of confidence in the power and endurance of the Hill Holliday name. We couldn’t be more excited to be part of the Attivo family.”

“Deutsch New York has always been an agency that zigs when others zag. The pendulum is starting to swing, where more nimble, entrepreneurial, scrappy agencies are highly attractive and productive for both the fast pace of commerce, and brands’ needs today,” said Deutsch New York CEO Val DiFebo. “We are thrilled to be one of the pioneer agencies that will benefit from Attivo’s investment in our talent and our future. We are so excited that our ‘hands on hustle’ mantra is compatible with Cam’s leadership approach and his refreshing business philosophy. We see this as the best of both worlds as we become part of a new start-up, and still maintain our association with IPG, now as an affiliate.”

ABOUT HILL HOLLIDAY

Hill Holliday is proud to be one of the top creative marketing agencies in the country. Since 1968, Hill Holliday has been dedicated to building iconic brands by helping clients fight and win the daily battle for attention. Blending communications planning, media, and technology with breakthrough creative, Hill Holliday delivers end-to-end solutions that solves end-to-end brand and business challenges for industry leaders. For more about Hill Holliday’s people, work, and culture, visit https://hhcc.com/

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