Forsman & Bodenfors and KBS Merge to Form Global Offering

Forsman & Bodenfors and KBS (Kirshenbaum, Bond, Senecal + Partners) – both part of MDC Partners – have announced the companies will merge under the Forsman & Bodenfors name to form a new global creative offering. The creative collective brings together the industry’s most innovative talent, combining the signature Forsman & Bodenfors approach with specialized data, analytics, tech and media expertise, to help build the world’s most human and iconic brands in the world.

With 700 employees across eight offices in North America, Europe and Asia, the new Forsman & Bodenfors will share dual headquarters in Sweden and New York. The agency will be led by a global board overseen by Global Executive Chairman Anna Qvennerstedt and Global CEO Guy Hayward. Silla Levin and Mike Densmore will continue to lead Forsman & Bodenfors Sweden and New York, respectively. The agency’s client roster includes Diageo, H&M, Hyatt, LG, P&G, Vanguard and Volvo, and will capitalise on the growing demand among clients for a modern, global creative agency that is specialized and nimble enough to achieve worldwide scale without sacrificing creativity, innovation and humanity.

“We’re thrilled to join forces with KBS, bringing our unique way of working to an expanded global family,” said Qvennerstedt. “Forsman & Bodenfors’ culture of collaboration and flat team structure are designed to break free from the standard hierarchical agency model, which allows us to deliver outsized creativity. Because our teams work autonomously toward our clients’ aims, the only boss is the task itself, and we’re excited to apply our collective creative thinking for the benefit of our local and global clients.”

“Today in our business, exceptional talent is the key to unlocking creativity,” said Hayward. “Too often, clients are faced with having to decide whether to partner with award-winning creative agencies, tech-forward digital shops or strategic consultancies. By aligning a way of working that attracts and retains the very best talent with our blend of creativity, data, technology and media on a global scale, clients no longer have to choose,” said Hayward.

Founded in 1986 in Gothenburg, Sweden, Forsman & Bodenfors has produced some of the world’s most memorable creative campaigns in history, including Volvo Trucks’ “Epic Split” campaign starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and SK-II’s ”Marriage Market Takeover.”

Established in New York City in 1987, KBS has been recognized for its creative technology-driven work such as BMW’s “All Eyes on Gigi” and Monster.com’s “Find Better” campaigns.

The new Forsman & Bodenfors includes several partners and subsidiaries: 

- The Media Kitchen, a media partner agency of KBS, which will retain its name and offer integrated media planning and buying services.

- London-based company, Albion, a digital transformation and product innovation partner that will also retain its name.

- Happy F&B, an agency focusing on brand strategy and design.

- F&B Inhouse, focusing on digital activation solutions.

- F&B Factory, a brand performance agency.

- F&B Studios, a production company focusing on film, photo and post production.