Atomic 212° has acquired the media arm of KWPX, one of Adelaide’s largest independent creative communications companies.
The media division of KWPX has 23 staff and a client roster that includes Coopers Brewery, RAA, OTR, S.O. Asher and The Jewellery Group.
KWPX’s media division will rebrand as Atomic 212° and provide the agency with its first presence in South Australia and Western Australia.
The Adelaide and Perth business will be run by Natalie Morley, who is currently KWPX’s executive director of media.
“I’m thrilled about the opportunities that joining forces with Atomic 212° will unlock, growing our people and our product offering, and enabling us to deliver even greater outcomes for our clients,” she said.
“By tapping into Atomic 212°’s innovative strategies and extensive analytics, we’re well-positioned to elevate our capabilities and create exciting new possibilities for our talented team and valued partners.”
Atomic 212° chairman Barry O’Brien said the two agencies had a history of collaborating on client work and that he admired KWPX “for their strong media skills and strategic thinking”.
“When the opportunity came up to make KWPX’s media arm part of the Atomic 212° family, we jumped at it,” he added.
Atomic 212° chief executive officer Rory Heffernan said: “This acquisition is an important moment for us, giving us a strong entry into the South Australian market and a new resource for our clients around the country.
“KWPX’s exceptional media and digital skills are a great fit with Atomic 212° and we are all looking forward to working with Natalie and her team to build on what they have already achieved.”
Atomic 212° has had a strong year of client wins, including BlueScope, Great Wall Motor, BMW, Bupa, the Northern Territory Government, Tourism Northern Territory, Darrell Lea, Victoria University and My Muscle Chef.
The indie has been rumoured to be looking for a suitor, which has previously been denied by its leaders. Instead, it seems that Atomic 212°has been eyeing its own expansion plans to become a truly national agency with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Darwin and now Adelaide and Perth.
KWPX will continue to offer services in advertising and digital communications across SA, NT, and WA, and work with Atomic 212° on media.
Leading this charge will be executive creative director Aaron Lipson, who takes over from long-time creative Corey Swaffe, who is pursuing a new challenge.
Lipson began his career at KWP 25 years ago, and has worked with blue chip clients such as ANZ Bank, Nike, Sportsbet, Tourism Queensland, Tourism WA, Specsavers, Jeep, Australian Open, Melbourne University, Australia Post, John West and Honda.
He will be joined by Georgie Frampton, who joins of the Fremantle office as executive director working with ECD’s Bryan Dennis and Dav Tabeshfar. Frampton began her career in Western Australia before relocating to London, where she spent seven years with global agencies, working on major brands like Apple Music, Coca-Cola, Skittles, and Compare the Market.
KWPX CEO and chair David O’Loughlin said: “After 10 years of significant growth, I am excited by our new partnership with Atomic 212° that will bring even more power and precision to our shared clients integrated media needs. And our ambition to grow into new markets with breakthrough work is even more achievable with quality people like Aaron and Georgie joining the team. These are exciting times, and our best days are ahead of us.”
