Japanese media giant Denstu have at last completed their £3.2bn takeover of Aegis and have announced the formation of Denstu Aegis Network in London.

The deal, which was originally announced in July 2012, had been mired in regulatory red-tape by Chinese authorities last November, casting some doubt over the process. China’s stringent anti-monopoly laws allow it to rule on mergers globally that would have an impact on the country.

But the acquisition has been finally closed, with Tokyo's Dentsu's and London-based Aegis combining the No. 5 and the No. 8 largest agencies in the world - and over $5bn of combined revenues. Jerry Buhlman has been named CEO of Dentsu Aegis, alongside his existing role as head of Aegis. Tim Andree, senior vice president of Dentsu and global CEO of Dentsu, is the new executive chairman.




“The addition of Aegis represents a massive step toward realizing our vision of a client-centric, collaborative global network” said Dentsu president and CEO Tadashi Ishii.



Jerry Buhlman enthused: “We have created the world’s first truly global communication network with the ability to deliver integrated and specialist services that add real value to our clients’ businesses in a transforming market.”

Umbrella agencies Carat, iProspect and Isobar all now come under the Dentsu Aegis label. The combined media group now has a presence in 110 countries and employs over 36,000 staff.