Digital agency LBi has now been officially purchased by French-led Publicis Media in a deal for 416m euros.

Having previously absorbed fellow agencies Razorfish, Rosetta and Digitas, 98% of LBi's shares are now owned by the French giant. LBi had been linked to a takeover by Omnicom, but talks never materialised into an offer and Publicis moved to announce the LBi deal last September.


"We are thrilled at the prospect of joining Publicis Groupe and are convinced this transaction not only provides highly attractive value to our shareholders, but equally to our clients, staff and partners." said, Luke Taylor, CEO of LBi.

"Publicis Groupe has consistently demonstrated a clear and emphatic belief in the importance of digital media and is recognized for grooming and managing its talent worldwide. Our entire strategy to date is built on a commitment to relentlessly drive and optimize value for our clients. There is now a unique opportunity to pace set the market and collaborate across new geographies and marketing services so that we can accelerate our strategic plans aimed at providing clients with a globally integrated offering."

Maurice Levy, CEO and chairman of Publicis was equally enthused.

"Within the global advertising landscape, LBi is a well-known partner for extraordinary digital customer experiences, based on a blend of creativity and expertise in technology, strategy and social media. The integration of LBi will further enhance our capabilities and, through a wider pool of resources and talent, help deliver innovative and best-in-class services to our clients, which is our relentless focus."