Hakuhodo Acquires Russian Digital Creative Agency Ailove Digital

May. 18, 2021

Hakuhodo Inc., Japan's second largest advertising company, is pleased to announce that it has acquired a majority stake in independent Russian digital creative agency LLC Ailove Digital (Headquarters: Moscow; Managing Partner: Alexei Pashkov), making it a consolidated subsidiary.

Founded in 2009, Ailove Digital is a digital creative agency that provides a wide array of services, from building digital marketing strategies to creative and content production, social media management and advertising, digital advertising, and search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM), to Russian and international clients. Backed by sophisticated technology skills, the agency’s strengths lie in its high-level data management, data planning and creative prowess in digital.

Ailove Digital consistently ranks near the top of the Russian digital creative agency rankings. In addition, with a track record of wins at Cannes Lions, the agency’s creativity is also recognized on the world stage.

Hakuhodo and Hakuhodo Rus have worked with Ailove Digital on numerous projects, and welcoming the agency into the Group will further reinforce the Group’s capabilities in Russia’s rapidly growing digital domain. We will continue to monitor trends in the Russian advertising market as we strive to increase our ability to provide solutions to Japanese and global clients.

Alexei Pashkov, Managing Partner at Ailove Digital said:

“We are proud to become part of Hakuhodo Group and lead the Hakuhodo Group’s development in Russia and CIS. The Hakuhodo Group’s way of doing business is very close to Ailove Digital’s values. The chemistry between the teams motivates us to build closer relationships that are important for the synergy of local and global expertise. I am sure our clients will benefit from this partnership, as Ailove Digital’s strong expertise in creative, content, technology and performance media will be elevated from having access to Hakuhodo Group’s best practice and knowledge.”

 

Shuntaro Ito, Senior Corporate Officer at Hakuhodo, and President & CEO at Hakuhodo International said:

“With Ailove Digital as part of Hakuhodo Group, we will be able to offer even more sophisticated marketing solutions and contribute to clients’ business growth in the Russian market, where digital marketing has evolved very uniquely. Ailove Digital will maintain a horizontal relationship with Hakuhodo Rus and continue to strengthen the Hakuhodo Group’s digital offering in Russia.”