Loewy seals deal with world-class brand specialists Epoch Design

Loewy, the UK’s fast-growing branding communication group, has acquired retail packaging and brand specialists Epoch Design. This marks a further major strategic step in Loewy’s aim to build its food and FMCG strengths by bringing together complementary experts of world renown.

Epoch has developed one of the most prestigious client lists in its field including the likes of

Coca-Cola Great Britain, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Unilever Group, Diageo, Oral-B, AkzoNobel, Nokia, Ferrero Rocher and Kickers.

Epoch Managing Director, Anthony Lucas, says: “It’s a very exciting development for Epoch as this deal gives us the opportunity to become part of one of the largest and fastest growing design-focused businesses in Europe. It will bring added-value for Epoch’s clients by offering a broader range of services and greater expertise and conversely will bring our expertise to a wider audience by providing additional value to Loewy as a group. It will allow Epoch’s team to grow and will help shape the future of our fresh and dynamic design business group.”

Loewy CEO Charlie Hoult says: “The Epoch team has a fantastic reputation with clients – all of whom sang the agency’s praises in the research we carried out before partnering with them. Their innovation, business experience and design talent made them a stand-out target for us as we continue our plan to build a multi-specialist family of world renown. By bringing them into the group we will be able to gain further momentum for our combined FMCG story.

“Loewy Consumer Brands has made its name with major multinational brand roll-outs and in October 2006 Loewy acquired Williams Murray Hamm, famous for its revolutionary brand revitalization for household names including Jaffa Cakes and Hovis. Epoch connects with this expertise by offering best-in-class point of sale, retail-ready and secondary packaging solutions.”

Epoch Design was founded in 1993 by Lucas, along with Graham Peace and Mark Wildgoose who were joined in 2000 by creative director, Dave Forman. They currently have a staff of 38. They will remain at their Bristol base and retain the Epoch name for the foreseeable future.

Loewy has spent the last three years creating a powerful branding and communications family of complementary marketing specialists with strengths across the food, FMCG, retail, technology, corporate and public sectors, brought together under a masterbrand with an iconic, global, brand-building heritage to live up to.

Loewy has just secured £12m investment from a leading private equity house, Veronis Suhler Stevenson, the middle market media specialist, which is funding its current round of acquisitions. The Epoch deal is the first this month with a second in the offing – all adding world class capabilities and taking Loewy’s total headcount to 350 and turnover to £47 million.