Together Group, a London-based collective of marketing, communications, digital and events agencies, has acquired Obo, which has produced fashion spectacles for Victoria’s Secret, L’Oréal Paris, Elie Saab and many others.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
René Célestin, who cofounded Obo 25 years ago in New York, later opening offices in London and Paris, is to remain its chief executive officer, while benefiting from the broader Together ecosystem, which includes PR firm Purple and consultancy The Current Global.
“Obo is the creative agency and supervising producer trusted by leading brands and destinations for their brand-defining experiential moments,” Christian Kurtzke, CEO of Together Group, said in a statement shared with WWD.
He lauded Obo’s “exceptional blend of creativity and cultural insight, enhanced by a range of digital tools — including real-time digital rendering technologies that have been part of their process since 2015 — allows them to craft immersive, emotionally resonant storytelling experiences across both live and digital environments.”
René Célestin, center, and the team at Obo.
Mathieu Baumer/Courtesy of OBO
Founded in 2017, Together also recently added Dubai-based communications agency Frame Publicity to its portfolio.
Obo’s client roster includes Ami, Giorgio Armani, Bulgari, Celine, The Row, Saint Laurent, Toteme and Zimmermann. It is also one of the founding partners of Paname 24, which produced opening ceremonies for the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Célestin said he spied operational and strategic opportunities as part of Together’s collective, which includes digital animation studios Imerza and Visualization One. Indeed, Kurtzke sees Obo as an integral part of Together’s “tech-powered immersive experiential platform to transform luxury for the experience economy.”
According to Célestin, “when it comes to fashion shows as well as to wider brand storytelling across all customer touch points and campaigns, luxury brands need to think in ways that overcome segmentation and beyond the past, in order to meaningfully engage next-generation audiences.
“Our mission is to further revolutionize guest experiences by weaving entertainment and cultural references seamlessly into every project,” he added.
For example, Elie Saab’s 45th anniversary show in Riyadh last November fused fashion, entertainment, choreography and a high-profile lineup of female musical talent woven together under a loose “1,001 Arabian Nights” storyline.
The L’Oréal Paris fashion show in Paris.
Courtesy of OBO
