Vivendi-owned Havas has partnered with Universal Music Group’s Capitol Music Group (CMG) to expand its in-house ad agency, Annex, to Los Angeles via the launch of Annex Tower Creative.
Located in the Capitol Records Tower in Hollywood, Annex Tower Creative will be co-run by Havas and the record label group.
Annex Tower Creative will allow for cross collaboration between brands and artists across CMG’s multiple record labels, as well as partnerships within music, entertainment, art, fashion and brands to create content and ‘cultural experiences’.
Havas says that the result will provide new revenue opportunities for artists, labels and brands, as well as a unique combination of skills.
Annex currently employs 200 people across offices in New York, Chicago and Singapore. It has reportedly pulled in more than $30m in revenue since being founded in 2015.
Most recently, Annex expanded to Atlanta with the opening of Annex Bookstore, and there are plans for a new Annex/Vivendi Village in New York as well as future locations abroad in Paris and London.
“One of Vivendi’s priorities is continued collaboration and convergence between our communications, entertainment, film and gaming properties to create a differentiated offering for our clients,” said Yannick Bolloré, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Havas Group and Chairman of Vivendi.
“Annex Tower Creative is a proof point of our ability to bring together two distinct areas of talent across cultural categories to create breakthrough partnerships and work. It is an exciting and innovative move, which will be beneficial to all our stakeholders.”
Havas Creative, North America Chairman and Chief Creative Officer Jason Peterson added, “Ad people have been talking about the merging of entertainment and advertising forever.
“We just opened a social-first content center inside the hottest record label in the world.”
Paul Marobella, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Havas Creative, North America, said that CMG is a “progressive company with a flourishing creative collective tuned in to existing and emerging trends”.
And CMG’s Chief Operating Officer Michelle Jubelirer said, “Annex has loudly established itself as an innovative and rule-breaking agency that combines the best of culture, entertainment and creativity to help brands remain on the cutting edge of cultural trends.
“This agency shapes trends, not follows them, and we’re excited to work with their network of creators to create meaningful music partnerships between CMG artists and Annex clients.”
[Pictured from Left to Right: Capitol Music Group Chairman/CEO Steve Barnett; Universal Music Group EVP Michele Anthony; Havas Creative, North America Chairman/Chief Creative Officer Jason Peterson; Havas Creative, North America Chairman/CEO Paul Marobella; Universal Music Group Chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge; Capitol Music Group Chief Operating Officer Michelle Jubelirer; and Capitol Music Group SVP Brian Nolan. Executives gather at the launch of Annex Tower Creative on Aug. 8, 2018 at Capitol Congress in Los Angeles.]Music Business Worldwide
