Publicis buys LBI in £332m deal

Published on 22/09/2012 00:00

LOST Boys International (LBI), the Netherlands-listed advertising agency that owns Edinburgh-based online marketing outfit Bigmouthmedia, yesterday agreed to a takeover offer from Paris-based Publicis, which valued the company at €416 million (£332m).

The deal brings to an end months of speculation about the future of LBI – which lists Coca-Cola, Ikea and Volvo among its clients – after rival Akqa was bought in June by advertising giant WPP for £347m.

In 2010, LBI bought Bigmouthmedia, founded by Steve Leach in 2007. Bigmouthmedia has about 130 staff in Edinburgh, out of LBI’s total of 630 in the UK. Globally, the company has some 2,200 workers.

Publicis bought advertising group Saatchi & Saatchi in 2000 for 
£1.3 billion.