Publicis acquires sports agency Adopt, continues ‘bolt-on’ expansion strategy

Publicis Groupe announced its acquisition of Adopt, a sports-centric agency cofounded by former Nike executives and sports agents.

According to a statement released by Publicis Groupe, the purchase of Adopt will enhance the holding company’s ability to utilise sports and athletes to provide authentic, cultural brand connections. The capabilities of sports marketing have been a driving force behind the increase of sports-centric agencies such as Deep Blue and Stagwell Sport Beach, not to mention the countless opportunities sports athletes, especially college and female athletes, provide in the advertising industry.

Two of Adopt’s cofounders, David Creech (brand and product design) and Joshua Moore (brand and experience design), will continue to lead the agency, which will sit within Publicis Connected Media. The third cofounder is Richard Paul, a sports agent representing NBA star LeBron James. He is the founder of the sports agency Klutch Sports Group and the sportswear brand Klutch Athletics and serves as the former CEO.

Adopt, which was founded in 2021 in Portland, Oregon, is the fourth acquisition made by Publicis Groupe this year as the holding company continues its search for data and digital firms for its bolt-on acquisition strategy. The strategy follows its acquisitions of Epsilon in 2019 and Sapient in 2014.