This move aims to bolster Havas Play's global proposition, providing added scale, creativity and production expertise in experiential marketing valued at USD$128.3billion globally, says the group.

Founded in 2007, Bearded Kitten has aimed to forge a reputation for delivering immersive, end-to-end brand activations and experiential marketing campaigns for some of the world's largest brands. Bearded Kitten currently works with Netflix, Unilever, Intuit, L'Oreal, Twitch and Beavertown and a number of existing Havas Media Network UK clients including Red Bull, Pokemon, Google and Disney, adds the group.

The 45-person agency aims to strengthen Havas Play with specialist expertise in immersive experience design, prop-making and theatrical production, alongside deep sector knowledge spanning entertainment, retail and luxury. This integration is the next evolution of Havas Play UK, aiming to create a 200-strong brand experience backed by the agency's global scale to deliver fully connected and immersive experiences for brands that want to earn their place in culture, says the group.

Bearded Kitten will be rebranded as "Bearded Kitten, Part of Havas Play", and will continue operating from its current premises. Founder Barney Sutton will join the Havas Play leadership team reporting into CEO Nick Wright, adds the group.

"Bearded Kitten consistently ranks among the top experiential agencies worldwide. We are thrilled to welcome Barney Sutton and the entire team at Bearded Kitten to the Havas family. Their creativity, craft and proven track record will help us capitalise on the experiential marketing boom. The acquisition of Bearded Kitten is a statement of our ambition to scale our Havas Play offering globally," says Yannick Bolloré, Chairman and CEO of Havas.

"Experiential is back in high demand and growth, and Bearded Kitten’s creativity and craft set the benchmark for what best-in-class looks like. Bringing them into Havas Play supercharges our ability to deliver bold, immersive experiences that earn brands a meaningful role in culture. This is an exciting new chapter for both them and us as we look to deliver breakthrough work for our clients," says Patrick Affleck, CEO of Havas Media Network UK and Ireland.

"Experiential has always been front and centre in our offering, and with Bearded Kitten now part of the team, we can supercharge and scale this even further. Their arrival unlocks bigger, bolder ideas driven by integrated thinking and seamless delivery through one fully connected team," says Nick Wright, CEO of Havas Play UK.

"With Bearded Kitten's award-winning experiential craft and robust in-house production capabilities, we can deliver best-in-class brand experiences at the heart of integrated campaigns, across every brief," says Wright.

"From our first conversations with Havas, we knew it was the right fit. We've been particularly selective about potential partners, but Havas Play instantly felt like the missing piece. We're still very much Bearded Kitten, the same people and culture, but now with the scale and resources of Havas Play behind us. We couldn't be more excited for this next chapter," says Barney Sutton, now CEO of Bearded Kitten, part of Havas Play.

Experiential Marketing Facts

  • Global spending on experiential marketing is valued at USD$128.3-billion (PQ Media).
  • Fortune 1 000 marketers: 74% plan to boost experiential budgets in 2025 (EventTrack). 
    80% of companies increased their experiential marketing budgets recently, allocating between 10 to 30% of total marketing spend (Gradient).
  • According to the IPA's Bellwether Report, United Kingdom marketing budgets for events and experiences surged 23.1% in Q1 2024, the fastest increase in 11 years, followed by a 17.2% gain in Q2, and a projected +18.7% surge for 2024 to 2025 (IPA Bellwether). 
  • Overall, the United Kingdom Experiential Marketing market is growing at around eight to 9% annually (Plimsoll UK).

Bearded Kitten Awards

Agency

  • Gold: Brand Experience Agency of the Year — Campaign UK Agency of the Year Awards 2022.
  • Highly Commended: Event Team — Campaign Experience Awards 2023.
  • Highly Commended: Event Team — Campaign Experience Awards 2024.
  • Winner: Best Creative Events Agency 2020 — East London: SME Greater London Enterprise Awards 2020.
  • Winner: Employer of the Year — CN Agency Awards 2021.

Intuit Mailchimp — From: Here, To: There

  • Winner: Brand Experience B2B — Campaign Experience Awards 2024.
  • Winner: Best New Conference — Conference & Event Awards 2024.

Situ Live

  • Winner: Best Shopfitting / Fit-Out Award — Creative Retail Awards 2022.
  • Winner: Best New Store — Retail Week Awards 2022.
  • Winner: Best New Retail Concept — MAPIC World Awards 2022.
  • Winner: RTIH Editors Choice Award — RTIH Innovation Awards 2021.

Battersea Power Station — Relaunching an Icon

  • Winner: Venue Experience — Campaign Experience Awards 2023.
  • Highly Commended: Creative Event of the Year — Campaign Experience Awards 2023.

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*Image courtesy of Facebook