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U.S. territorial influence grows as Brainlabs acquires Exverus Media, extending their global reach

Brainlabs purchases Exverus Media to fortify its West Coast foundation, broaden full-funnel potential, and increase U.S. media expenditure to $1 billion, solidifying its rank among leading unattached media agencies.

U.S. presence of Brainlabs extends through purchase of Exverus Media
U.S. presence of Brainlabs extends through purchase of Exverus Media

U.S. territorial influence grows as Brainlabs acquires Exverus Media, extending their global reach

In a strategic move to expand its geographic footprint and bolster its full-funnel media capabilities, global performance media shop Brainlabs has announced the acquisition of Los Angeles-based agency Exverus Media.

The deal, according to Brainlabs' CEO and founder Daniel Gilbert, marks a significant milestone in the agency's transformation into a full-service Agency of Record (AOR) across all media channels. It reflects growing client demand for an integrated strategy, execution, and transparency across the full media funnel.

Clients, including UNICEF USA who recently picked Brainlabs as their Media Agency of Record, are seeking a single consolidated view of their marketing. Brainlabs, in response, selected Exverus after meeting with over 20 agencies, impressed by its brand-new set of tools and a modern approach to full-funnel media.

Exverus Media, which manages more than $100 million in client media spend, brings deep expertise in full-funnel media planning, particularly on the brand or upper-funnel side of advertising. This acquisition allows Brainlabs to operate as a single agency of record across all media channels, combining data-driven performance with upper-funnel brand expertise.

For Exverus Media, the acquisition offers access to Brainlabs' AI-driven technology and broader media products, amplifying the agency’s impact and improving media performance for its clients. Exverus' co-founders—Bill Durrant, Talia Arnold, and Jack Win—will remain in their current roles, continuing to lead the team from Los Angeles.

The acquisition gives Brainlabs a West Coast foothold and expands its media buying capabilities across the funnel. Brainlabs is currently hiring across several media roles, aiming to increase its headcount to 500 people in the U.S. and more than 1,060 globally.

Industry-wide, this acquisition signals an important trend in media agencies toward consolidating complementary capabilities under one roof. It reflects the growing client expectation for a fully integrated, data- and AI-powered agency that masterfully combines traditional, digital, and emerging media channels. The deal exemplifies independent agencies' strategic consolidation to compete with large holding companies by offering a “new gold standard” in modern media services.

Despite consolidation and layoffs in the media agency sector, Gilbert sees the Exverus deal and Brainlabs' growth as a bright spot. Brainlabs has made several acquisitions in the past few years, including Hanapin, Distilled, Nabler, Fanbytes, Sparro, and Jack Nimble. The strategic significance of this acquisition lies primarily in strengthening Brainlabs' full-funnel media capabilities and expanding its geographic footprint, particularly in the U.S. West Coast market.

  1. Brainlabs, through the acquisition of Exverus Media, aims to combine data-driven performance with upper-funnel brand expertise, positioning itself as a single agency of record across all media channels.
  2. The deal allows Exverus Media to access Brainlabs' AI-driven technology and broader media products, leading to growth in media performance for its clients.
  3. As Brainlabs continues to grow and consolidate complementary capabilities, it sets a new gold standard in the finance sector, offering a competitive edge in the industry that Masterfully combines traditional, digital, and emerging media channels.

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