WPP has acquired New Commercial Arts (NCA), a leading independent creative and customer experience agency. NCA will join the global creative network of Ogilvy, which is owned by WPP, to further accelerate the agency’s momentum in the UK market.
Law firm Osborne Clarke advised the shareholders of NCA with a corporate team led by partner Chris King and including senior associate Sarah Mitchell. Bristol-based partner Tracey Wright and senior associate Anna Reynolds advised on tax.
NCA was founded in 2020 by a team including industry leaders James Murphy and David Golding and became the fastest-growing agency in the UK in 2023. Since its inception, NCA has worked with local and global clients including Sainsbury’s, MoneySuperMarket, Vodafone, Nandos, Paramount+, Alzheimer’s Society and Cityfibre.
James Murphy, co-founder of NCA, said: “Joining the Ogilvy creative network is an incredible opportunity for NCA. Osborne Clarke’s expertise, led by Chris King’s calm guidance and experience, has helped ensure a smooth and successful transaction. Osborne Clarke completely understand our sector and speak our language and that has made working with them again a pleasure.”
Osborne Clarke’s corporate team is a go-to practice for companies in the advertising, marketing and creative sectors. Its clients range from global businesses to fast-growth start-ups and market challengers. The team advises at every stage of company development across all corporate issues, from equity and debt fundraisings to M&A, IPOs and JVs.
