R/GA Makes First Acquisition Since Regaining Independence: AI Studio Addition

Creative innovation company R/GA has acquired Addition, a leading AI system design and development studio, that has created AI solutions for many of the world’s leading brands, including Google, NBCU, Unilever, Prudential, Amazon, and The New York Times.

This marks R/GA’s first acquisition since its transition to an independent, privately held company in partnership with private equity firm Truelink Capital and underscores its commitment to investing in innovation and expanding AI capabilities for its clients. This strategic move is powered by R/GA’s Innovation Fund, established to enable the company to invest in new kinds of talent, product development, partnerships, and acquisitions.

The acquisition of Addition represents a significant milestone in R/GA’s post-independence growth trajectory and long-term strategic investment roadmap. The combination of Addition with R/GA will give clients greater access to new types of talent and new AI-enabled processes, blueprints, and services, enhancing R/GA’s ability to deliver personalised, adaptive, and highly effective AI-powered creative experiences for clients.

“Since becoming independent, we've been rapidly writing R/GA's new story and setting a new industry tone, fueled by our independent flexibility, our global reach, and Truelink Capital's investment”, said Robin Forbes, global CEO of R/GA.

“This move represents a significant and tangible investment in the new kinds of talent and AI-enabled capabilities that we believe will shape the next generation of creative experiences for clients. We are delighted to welcome the Addition team into our business, as R/GA's first ever acquisition."

“Joining R/GA represents an opportunity for us to embed our approach to AI within a truly global and innovative company,” said Paul Aaron, co-founder and CEO of Addition.

“R/GA’s creative culture, history of innovation, and ambition to lead the Intelligence Age makes this the perfect partnership. We’ve always wanted to shape the future of brands and this acquisition will enable us to do so on a much larger scale.”

Founded in 2021 by Paul Aaron and Rick Barber, Addition was built from the ground up as an AI-native studio and unites decades of experience from Silicon Valley, leading AI research institutions, and top digital advertising agencies.

As part of its new structure within R/GA, Paul Aaron will report into Robin Forbes, global CEO of R/GA, while also partnering closely with R/GA’s global executive leadership team, including Tiffany Rolfe, chair and global chief creative officer, Nick Coronges, global chief technology officer, and Melissa Jackson Parsey, global chief strategy officer.

Throughout its history, R/GA's evolution has consistently been driven by new technological advancements, with artificial intelligence representing potentially the most profound of these waves. This move reinforces R/GA’s commitment to being at the forefront of innovation, now leveraging AI to unlock new levels of creativity, efficiency, and business impact for brands globally. Since becoming independent, R/GA has been accelerating its investment in AI, including the launch of its proprietary AI Search Optimisation Platform and the recent establishment of its new global AI Products Team.

The agency has also been experimenting with clients such as Google and Moncler to demonstrate the possibilities of Veo, including creating an experimental film that signifies a major advancement in generative AI video applications. The acquisition of Addition further bolsters this momentum and commitment to investing in creating new opportunities for clients.