Project Worldwide

Project Worldwide, sometimes simplified as Project, is a privately held Auburn Hills, Michigan-based advertising holding company. Founded in 2010, the company owns 13 agencies, including George P. Johnson and Partners & Napier, through an employee stock ownership structure.

Project Worldwide
TypePrivate
IndustryAdvertising and marketing
Founded2010
Headquarters
Auburn Hills, Michigan
,
U.S.
Key people
Robert G. Vallee, Jr.
Chairman and CEO
Divisions
Websiteproject.com

Robert G. Valley Jr. is the company's Chairman and CEO.

History

Project Worldwide was founded in 2010 by Robert G. Vallee, Jr., then Chairman and CEO of George P. Johnson, an event and brand marketing firm based in Auburn Hills, Michigan.[1] George P. Johnson, which traces its history back to 1914, managed several agencies it had previously acquired, including California-based agency Juxt, Australian agency Spinifex Group and Germany's Raumtechnik.[2] The company's executives formed Project Worldwide as a holding company, to include George P. Johnson, and the company was structured so that its employees would own 100% of the company through an employee stock-ownership plan (ESOP).[3]

In 2011, the company acquired Rochester, NY-based agency Partners & Napier.[4]

In November 2012, the company acquired Denver, Colorado-based full service agency Motive.[5]

In March 2013, Project funded the launch of Argonaut, an advertising agency based in San Francisco, which became one of Project's agencies.[6] In May, the company launched shopper marketing firm Shoptology.[7]

In August 2016, Project acquired Brooklyn-based public relations agency Praytell.[8] In October, the company acquired NY City-based digital creative agency Wondersauce.[9]

In March 2017, the company launched Project Pledge, an matching program for employee donations to charitable causes.[10] In October, Project acquired Melbourne, Australia-based consumer engagement agency Dig+Fish.[11]

In December 2018, Project acquired Auckland, New Zealand-based experiential agency Darkhorse.[12]

In October 2019, the company merged its Los Angeles-based agency Pitch into its Denver-based agency Motive.[13]

Agencies

As of December 2019, Project Worldwide consisted of the following 13 agencies:

  • Argonaut, an advertising agency based in San Francisco
  • Darkhorse, a New Zealand-based experiential agency
  • Dig+Fish, a Melbourne, Australia-based consumer engagement agency
  • G7 Entertainment Marketing, an entertainment marketing company[14]
  • George P. Johnson, an event marketing company
  • Juxt, a brand communications agency based in Beijing, China
  • Motive, a full service creative agency headquartered in Denver, Colorado
  • Partners & Napier, an advertising agency
  • Praytell, a Brooklyn-based public relations agency
  • Raumtechnik, an advertising agency based in Germany
  • Shoptology, a shopper marketing firm
  • Spinifex, a digital agency based in Australia
  • Wondersauce, a NY City-based digital creative agency

Notable projects
  • In 2018, Projects's Australian digital agency Spinifex received media coverage for a complex virtual reality project it developed as part of singer Elton John's farewell tour.[15]

Philanthropy

Project runs an employee philanthropy program called Project Pledge, using Calgary-based donation platform Benevity. Project matches its employee's charitable donations tax free up to $5,000 per employee, up to $1 million annually.[10]

References
  1. "A Silicon Valley for Ad Agencies, Only in the Mountains". The NY Times. 2013-08-22. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  2. "Project Worldwide Acquires New York Social-Media Agency". AdAge. 2012-06-06. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  3. "George P. Johnson Co". Crain's Detroit. 2013-07-14. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
  4. "Agreeing to Be Bought, but Keeping Autonomy". The NY Times. 2011-03-16. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  5. "Project Worldwide Adds Another Shop to Its Growing Network". AdAge. 2012-11-06. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
  6. "San Francisco's Thriving Agency Start-Up Scene". The NY Times. 2013-03-05. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
  7. "Project Worldwide Expands With Launch of Shopper Marketing Agency". AdAge. 2013-05-30. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
  8. "Project acquires Brooklyn-based PR firm Praytell". PR Week. 2016-08-16. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
  9. "George P. Johnson Co". The Drum. 2016-10-04. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
  10. "Why One Agency Network Is Pledging to Donate Up to $1 Million Each Year to Nonprofits". AdWeek. 2017-03-12. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
  11. "Project Worldwide adds Melbourne engagement agency Dig+Fish to its indie agency roster". The Drum. 2017-10-04. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
  12. "Project WW Buys Darkhorse". Media Post. 2018-12-04. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
  13. "Project Worldwide Sunsets Los Angeles Agency Pitch, Parts With Co-CEOs". Ad Week. 2019-10-16. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
  14. "The Drum: Creative Works". The Drum. 2017-08-01. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  15. "Exclusive: How Elton John's VR Retirement Announcement Hit Your Headset". Wired. 2018-01-24. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
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