LONDON — Consulting giant Accenture has acquired integrated marketing group Unlimited, whose companies include UK PR agency Nelson Bostock.

The agencies within the Unlimited group – which also include integrated creative agency TMW, research firm Walnut and healthcare communications specialist Health Unlimited – will become part of creative group Accenture Song.

Accenture Song was rebranded from Accenture Interactive in 2022, at which point it rolled in 40 agency brands around the world, including UK PR agency Karmarama, under the new name and one P&L. It is led by CEO David Droga, the founder of ad agency Droga5. 

B2B and corporate agency Nelson Bostock was founded in 1986 by Martin Bostock and Roger Nelson and was acquired by marketing services group Creston in 2003. Bostock retired from the business in 2015, and Nelson died at the end of 2023.

The agency has worked with leading technology brands including Toshiba, Canon, Sega, BBC, Facebook, Google, PlayStation, Amazon, Salesforce, BT and EE.

In a statement, Nelson Bostock said the acquisition marked “a significant milestone in our journey” and added: “Getting to know the Accenture Song team it has become clear we not only share the same vision for the future of marketing but have a shared passion for our people too.

"This acquisition brings an exciting opportunity to realise our longer-term ambitions for the agency as part of Accenture Song, and access a wealth of resources, insight, technology and the global network access that comes with the world’s largest tech powered creative group.”

In Accenture’s statement announcing the acquisition – the terms of which were not disclosed – the group said the deal would “enhance Accenture Song’s ability to scale its offerings and unlock greater value from generative AI. With deep expertise in behavioral science, customer strategy and CRM activation, the acquisition of Unlimited further bolsters Accenture Song's capabilities to drive marketing transformation, relevance, and growth for its clients.”

It said Unlimited’s complementary products and services included its Human Understanding Lab and AI-powered digital insights platform LUCA.

Unlimited’s 600 employees in the UK will join Accenture Song’s UK team, aligned to the marketing practice under Bill Scott, marketing practice lead for the UK, Ireland and Africa. Unlimited and its agencies will keep their names. 

Accenture Song global marketing practice lead Annette King said: “There are few agencies that have proven to be as impressive as Unlimited over the last few years. The world of CRM is more crucial to brands than ever before and there is no greater partner for it than generative AI-powered creativity. We’re excited to welcome the team into the Accenture Song fold and most importantly, we can’t wait for the opportunities that now exist for our clients and talent.”

Unlimited’s acquisition is the first made by King since  she joined Accenture Song last year from Publicis Groupe, where her acquisitions included B2B marketing agency Octopus and PR agency Taylor Herring.

Unlimited Group CEO Chris Mellish added: “To be joining such an ambitious and forward-thinking strategic organisation is a massive moment for us. We have found a home where both our people and our clients can continue to thrive in an organisation that has its eye towards shaping the future of our industry. We can’t wait to see the positive impact we’ll be able to make on our clients together.”