B&TB&TB&T
  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Technology
  • Regulars
    • Agency Scorecards
    • Best of the Best
    • Campaigns of the Month
    • CMO Power List
    • CMOs to Watch
    • Culture Bites
    • Fast 10
    • New Business Winners
    • Spotlight on Sponsors
  • Jobs
  • Awards
    • 30 Under 30
    • B&T Awards
    • Cairns Crocodiles
    • Women In Media
    • Women Leading Tech
Search
Trending topics:
  • Cairns Crocodiles
  • Nine
  • Seven
  • Cannes Lions
  • WPP
  • State of Origin
  • NRL
  • B&T Women in Media
  • Thinkerbell
  • imaa
  • Pinterest
  • Agency Scorecards
  • Anthony Albanese
  • AFL
  • The Growth Distillery
  • AI
  • Spotlight on Sponsors
  • TV Ratings
  • Radio Ratings
  • Sports Marketing

  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.
Reading: DT Swallows Up Tongue Agency As Part Of WPP Merger Mission
Share
B&TB&T
Subscribe
Search
  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Technology
  • Regulars
    • Agency Scorecards
    • Best of the Best
    • Campaigns of the Month
    • CMO Power List
    • CMOs to Watch
    • Culture Bites
    • Fast 10
    • New Business Winners
    • Spotlight on Sponsors
  • Jobs
  • Awards
    • 30 Under 30
    • B&T Awards
    • Cairns Crocodiles
    • Women In Media
    • Women Leading Tech
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.
B&T > Marketing > DT Swallows Up Tongue Agency As Part Of WPP Merger Mission
Marketing

DT Swallows Up Tongue Agency As Part Of WPP Merger Mission

Staff Writers
Published on: 3rd June 2016 at 11:12 AM
Staff Writers
Share
2 Min Read
SHARE

WPP’s agency Tongue will merge with another WPP baby, DT, as part of a deal announced this week. The combined agency will now have over 220 staff, with WPP claiming both agencies will retain 100 per cent of its staff through the merger.

As a result of the merger, the Tongue name will cease to exist, with all staff now working under the DT brand.

The merged entity will reside at WPP AUNZ’s Kent St campus in Sydney, with Tongue’s managing partner John Du Vernet taking on the role of managing director.

Jonathan Pease will become chief creative officer, while Tim Sexton moves to a newly created, national employee experience focused role, no doubt to ensure a smooth amalgamation of companies and staff. DT’s CEO Brian Vella (featured image) will remain as CEO.

WPP AUNZ CEO Michael Connaghan said, “Both DT and Tongue are performing at their peak, with DT posting its most successful 12 months on record. Similarly, Tongue has had its best year creatively and financially since inception.

“Bringing them together aligns with WPP AUNZ’s ‘fewer, bigger, better, stronger’ strategy, and merges two successful agencies to create an even more robust business.”

Vella said the primary motivation behind the merger was to provide an even more exciting attitude and capability set to clients, while Du Vernet said the merger was a direct response to market need.

“The modern chief marketing officer is a new breed.  They adapt to answer market shifts or emerging trends with agility,” he said.

“They demand style with substance. Creativity with technology. The modern CMO requires deep understanding of today’s customer behaviour. Now DT will deliver a reimagined take on brand experiences like no other.”

This is the second merger in the last three years that DT has undertaken, with mobile game, application and education specialist Millipede joining the business in 2014.

 

Join more than 30,000 advertising industry experts
Get all the latest advertising and media news direct to your inbox from B&T.

No related posts.

TAGGED: Business Growth, Deepend, government, i wish i'd thought of that, Millipede, Optus
Share
Staff Writers
By Staff Writers
Follow:
Staff Writers represent B&T's team of award-winning reporters. Here, you'll find articles crafted with industry experience spanning over 50 years. Our team of specialists brings together a wealth of knowledge and a commitment to delivering insightful, topical, and breaking news. With a deep understanding of advertising and media, our Staff Writers are dedicated to providing industry-leading analysis and reporting, both shaping the conversation and setting the benchmark for excellence.

Latest News

The Pistol team photo.
Agency Scorecard: The Pistol
17/07/2025
Agency Scorecard: Mediahub
17/07/2025
Guzman y Gomez’s Steven Marks: Marketing Is Revenue
17/07/2025
Telstra’s Anna Jackson: Creativity Is Fragile In Nature
17/07/2025
//

B&T is Australia’s leading news publication magazine for the advertising, marketing, media and PR industries.

 

B&T is owned by parent company The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.

About B&T

  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise

Top Categories

  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Opinion
  • Technology
  • TV Ratings

Sign Up for Our Newsletter



B&TB&T
Follow US
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Register Lost your password?