Attivo Group

Emerging independent holding company operating legacy creative agency brands acquired from major global networks

Attivo Group is a New Zealand-based marketing and communications services holding company that made headlines in January 2024 when it acquired Deutsch New York and Hill Holliday from Interpublic Group (IPG). The acquisition was part of IPG's broader portfolio rationalization effort, and Attivo Group stepped in to preserve and independently operate these two storied American creative agencies rather than see them dissolved or absorbed into larger networks. Deutsch New York and Hill Holliday both have long histories as full-service creative agencies serving major national and regional advertisers. Under Attivo Group's ownership, both agencies continue to operate under their own brand names with their existing leadership and client relationships intact. This structure allows them to compete as independent creative shops while benefiting from shared holding company resources and strategic oversight. Attivo Group represents a growing trend of smaller or non-traditional holding companies acquiring legacy agency brands divested by the major global networks. While Attivo Group itself maintains a relatively low public profile, its significance lies in its role as a steward of established agency brands, positioning itself within the broader advertising services ecosystem as an independent alternative to the dominant holding company groups such as WPP, Publicis, Omnicom, and IPG.