Aegis Buys Out-Of-Home Media Network Alban

Media and communications group, Aegis, has bought out-of-home media planning and buying network, Alban Communications, with plans to incorporate it into its subsidiary company, Posterscope Worldwide, thus extending its out-of-home reach.

The deal, worth £8 million, sees Alban bring an impressive list of clients to Aegis, including Unilever, Masterfoods and Nestle.

Commenting on the purchase, Robert Lerwill, chief executive officer said: “Out-of-Home media is a high growth area and increasingly important to advertisers. Aegis is committed to building Posterscope’s presence in all major markets.”

He continued: “The acquisition of Alban underpins Posterscope’s strong position in the UK market. Alban is a highly professional agency with a well regarded management team and I welcome them as part of the Posterscope family.”

Yesterday, Aegis announced that it had bought digital creative agency, glue, for £14.75 million, strengthening its subsidiary digital network company, Isobar (see Aegis Buys Glue To Extend Digital Offerings).

The acquisition of the agency is consistent with Aegis’s strategy of building the “leading international digital network”. Glue specialises in highly creative advertising across the internet, email, mobile phones and iTV and brings with it to Aegis a number of prestigious clients, including BSkyB, Gillette, McDonald and Virgin.

In its latest annual general meeting, Aegis revealed that trading for the year to date was in line with expectations, with revenues for the first quarter up 12.5% year on year and organic revenue growth up 5.8% compared with 4.8% in 2004 (see Aegis Trading In Line With Expectations).

Aegis Group: 020 7070 7700 www.aegisplc.com