Taylor Herring Uk: Publicis acquires PR agency Taylor Herring to boost 'creative firepower'

Publicis Groupe is strengthening its suite of creative agencies with the acquisition of PR agency Taylor Herring.London-based Taylor Herring works with the likes of Samsung, Subway, Iceland, easyJet and Kellogg's. It will now be brought into the UK Influence Practice, led by Chris McCafferty, alongside MSL, Publicis Groupe's full service PR consultancy, and sustainability and ESG specialists Salterbaxter. The acquisition also includes Taylor Herring's in-house production capabilities, though its London-based St. Mark's Studios.Transformative creativityFounded in 2001 by wife and husband team Cath Taylor and James Herring, the agency has won a spate of awards for its work, including Cannes Lions, D&AD pencils and The Drum Marketing Awards' Grand Prix for a collaboration with Greggs.Within Publicis, Taylor Herring will work closely with creative agencies including Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett, Digitas and BBH and media agencies including Zenith and Starcom.Annette King, chief exec of Publicis Groupe UK, said: "Clients are looking for transformative creativity that can spark anywhere - whether that's through advertising, through experiences or in earned or owned media."By injecting a second agency that specialises in 'earned first creativity' into our Power of One model, we believe there's a great opportunity to increase growth for our clients. Taylor Herring is the best in the business when it comes to innovative PR campaigns, and a great cultural fit."Increasing Publicis' PR footholdThe agency has been focused on the entertainment industry since its inception in 2001, having worked on IPs including Game of Thrones and Doctor Who. It notably installed a statue of Jane Austen's Mr Darcy in the Serpentine to launch UKTV's Drama channel, among other creative installations.Crucially for Publicis Groupe, Taylor Herring has also delivered on brand differentiation as new channels launch. It was behind some of the campaigns that helped new channels like Sky Atlantic and UKTV Drama, which at the time of launch were far from a sure bet.James Herring, chief exec and co-founder of Taylor Herring, said: "In our first decade we were the entertainment specialists, in our second we turned our attention to consumer brands. As we enter our third decade, we want to take Taylor Herring to the next level. The most progressive clients don't ask for PR ideas or advertising ideas - they ask for brave creativity that delivers results."