Accenture Interactive rebrands to Accenture Song, drops The Monkeys brand globally
Accenture has officially rebranded its advertising and marketing services business, Accenture Interactive to Accenture Song. In the process, it has merged all of its brands, including The Monkeys, bar Droga5.
It was reported recently that while CEO and creative chairman of Accenture Interactive David Droga was looking to cut the majority of the businesses’ creative brands, The Monkeys, a creative force in Australia for the last 15 years would survive. At this point it is understood that The Monkeys will continue in Australia.
The Accenture Song rebrand marks the end for The Monkeys brand
The group of consolidated agencies will now operate as one division within Accenture Song, while Droga5 will continue to function as a standalone brand globally.
ANZ lead for Accenture Song, Mark Green confirmed to Mumbrella that The Monkeys would continue on locally for now.
“Accenture Interactive is now Accenture Song – internally and externally in the global market. Accenture Interactive as a name, will be sunset,” said Green. “Locally this means that Fjord will also transition to Accenture Song over the coming months. The journey for each acquisition will be different and at this moment The Monkeys will retain their name. We will continue to work with global, our clients and our people on this new stage for Accenture Song.”
“Accenture Song symbolizes the post pandemic growth journey we’re on with our clients,” said Droga. “Since its infancy, Accenture Interactive has helped clients build and grow their business by being experience-led. Today’s needs are strikingly different. To capture the next waves of growth, businesses now need to operate at the speed of life, perpetually demonstrating their relevance to their customers, their people and the world at-large.”
All of the subsidiary brands, including The Monkeys, Karmarama, Rothco, Fjord and more, totaling more than 40 agencies that Accenture has acquired will be merged under the single brand of Accenture Song moving forward, with Droga as its CEO.
“We have the best talent in the business — people who will help shape the futures of many industries. Combining the forces of creativity and technology help us not only see problems differently, but also solve them with simplicity and scale. As Accenture Song, our opportunities are boundless, both for our clients and for our people,” added Droga.
Nowell, Drape and Green
The agency was acquired by Accenture Interactive for a reported $63 million in 2017. The acquisition’s purpose was to strengthen Accenture Interactive’s customer experience capabilities, as well as the services Accenture Interactive provides to chief marketing officers and chief digital officers.
Justin Drape, Mark Green and Scott Nowell co-founded the agency in 2006, which up until 2011 was known as the Three Drunk Monkeys. Since then the agency has transformed into an Australian creative powerhouse, scooping up numerous awards.
In 2019, Drape, Nowell and Green each took additional roles within Accenture, signifying the next phase of the agency’s life. Green was made lead for Accenture Interactive AUNZ, stepping into responsibilities vacated by former managing director Michael Buckley months earlier. Drape and Nowell, meanwhile, added the titles of co-chief creative officers for Accenture Interactive, Australia New Zealand. Drape left The Monkeys in 2021.
Earlier this month, Mumbrella reported that Accenture Interactive had been invited by Coles to participate in the RFP at a group level, following the requested withdrawal of WPP.
This article has been updated since publishing.
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Calum Jaspan was news editor at Mumbrella, based in Melbourne. He was also the producer and host of the Mumbrellacast. He left Mumbrella in May 2023.
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Advertising was fun while it lasted.
Now the mega conglomerates save money and plough through their brands until only their uncreative, bland, passionless monoliths remain.
Vast sums of money to be made at the top and even more lifestyle Getty images with headlines like ’embrace life’.
For a company that claims to embrace and build brands, how the hell do you justify burning Australia’s best one?
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Id rather pitch against Accenture Song than The Monkeys
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This story is very muddled and confusing about the future of The Monkeys. Is the brand ending here or not?
“All of the subsidiary brands, including The Monkeys, Karmarama, Rothco, Fjord and more, totaling more than 40 agencies that Accenture has acquired will be merged under the single brand of Accenture Song moving forward.”
Indicates it is RIP to The Monkeys.
“At this point it is undersood that The Monkeys will continue in Australia.”
Indicates The Monkeys may live on and you know something we don’t.
Also, The Monkeys definitely wasn’t acquired by Accenture in 2011, as your story indicates.
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Hi Drunk Monkey
Thanks for pointing out the error there, I think it must’ve slipped through at the editing stage, as the 2011 figure was in reference to when the agency changed names…
As for the confusion, as far as Mumbrella is aware, the brand has not been closed in Australia as of yet, which is the exception to the rest of the world, where it has been bundled under Accenture Song. We are still waiting on further confirmation from Accenture on the matter though.
One would suspect Mark Green being lead for Accenture Interactive (now Song) in ANZ will have something to do with that.
Cheers,
Calum
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