Advertising and marketing network M&C Saatchi Group has bolstered its offering by bringing together sponsorship and experiential business M&C Saatchi Sport and Entertainment (S&E) with its consumer PR business, Hidden Characters.

The newly merged entity will be led by M&C Saatchi S&E managing director Jamie Gilbert-Smith (pictured above).

The majority of the Hidden Characters team, plus new hires, will move across to the S&E Charles Street offices in the coming weeks.

Hidden Characters’ client list includes Sonos Australia, Califia Farms, Baiada, Open Colleges, National Breast Cancer Foundation, Universal Sony Home Entertainment, and Crimestoppers.

M&C Saatchi Group CEO Jaimes Leggett said: “As the marketing landscape changes, so must we.

“Combining the capabilities of S&E and Hidden Characters is an important strategic move for the group, giving us a more robust offering. We’re excited to see where this can take us.”

Gilbert-Smith said: “Increasingly, we’re developing campaigns that blur the lines between PR, sponsorship, social, content, and experiential.

“By bringing these parts of the business together, we are supercharging our capabilities and reframing our offering to maintain relevance with the changing demands placed on marketers.

“This collective offering will naturally extend beyond the current scope of both companies.”