Global creative agency Publicis Worldwide Australia adds to its digital communications capabilities with the team from multi-award winning digital creative agency Pusher joining Publicis’ ranks.

The new arrangement will see Pusher’s 27 management and staff move into Publicis’ Sydney and Brisbane offices and become available to Publicis’ clients. In addition, Pusher’s clients will have access to the wider capabilities of the various specialist businesses within the Publicis Worldwide Australia group. Pusher will also open a Melbourne office under the new arrangement.

Pusher’s move to Publicis Worldwide is a significant expansion of the Australian group’s capabilities under CEO Andrew Baxter, who arrived in March this year. In July Baxter announced a similar arrangement with top class CRM business Cubed and at the end of October mobile specialists Front Foot joined Publicis Worldwide Australia. The new agreement with Pusher is the next step in Baxter’s plans to provide clients with full capabilities in end-to-end customer engagement.

“Pusher’s capabilities and track record are first class by any standards, delivering strong results with the digital and social campaigns they’ve created for their clients,” said Baxter. “Their arrival within our group is a perfect complement to our existing digital capabilities and means that the Publicis Sydney team is now close to 50% digital, which is exactly the shape you want an agency to be heading into 2015.”

Pusher will retain its name with the move and continue to be managed by founders Kim Hopwood and Michael Crebar, who will report to Baxter. Pusher was founded in 2004 and current clients include Footlocker, Mantra Hotels, GSK, The Federal Government, Surfstitch, Destination NSW, and Think Education.

The agency is highly awarded, including having won recent AIMIA awards for Best Community, Best Cross Platform, Best Lead Generation and Best Use of Social Media.

The agency has also been recognised in the B&T Awards with Pusher Brisbane winning Queensland Agency of the Year in 2012, and being a national finalist for Interactive Agency of the Year last year.

“Working within the Publicis Worldwide Australia group presents so many new and interesting opportunities” said Hopwood. “From the top down, Publicis believes that digital is a key ingredient for the new agency model. We are more than excited to be a core part of the digital offering in Australia.”

The agreement between Pusher and Publicis Worldwide Australia is effective immediately.