We Are Social Acquires HELO to Bolster AI-Powered Creative and Production [Video]

We Are Social, a social creative agency, has acquired creative production and innovation studio HELO, it shared exclusively with ADWEEK.

The acquisition folds HELO into We Are Social’s production and experiential arm, Narrative, deepening its capabilities in artificial intelligence, talent, tech, and experiential marketing. It also brings 20 HELO production staff into Narrative, and expands the agency’s client base through its relationships with clients including Deloitte.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Rebecca Coleman, North America CEO of We Are Social, told ADWEEK that the agency needed a production company to compete in triple-bid processes, in which clients receive bids from at least three different vendors.

“In order to participate in that process—even with our own clients—we need to have a separate [production] entity,” Coleman said. “Narrative also services other agencies, so maintaining that independent production capability is essential.”

The deal follows Coleman’s January promotion to North America CEOof We Are Social, a role in which she’s focused on strengthening cross-border operations and expanding the …