Corbis Acquires Wsm Communications

Corbis Entertainment has acquired sports marketing and sponsorship agency, WSM Communications, following an announcement from Gary Shenk, chief executive officer, Corbis. 

Over its 15-year history, WSM – headquartered in London – has worked with brands such as Unilever, MasterCard, British Airways and Aberdeen Asset Management to enhance their business with integrated strategies in the world of sports – with an accent on sponsorship activation in golf, cricket, rugby, soccer, sailing and tennis.  

Shenk said: ‘Sports are a natural extension of the comprehensive entertainment marketing solutions Corbis has pioneered for leading brands across the world, from product integration to celebrities to rights and music clearances.’

Mark Owens, Executive Vice President, Corbis Entertainment, added: ‘Bringing WSM, its clients and leading sports events and access into our business is an exciting development.’

‘Sports are a natural extension of what we already offer our clients. Another high-profile form of entertainment populated with its own celebrities and A-list events. WSM’s long track record and unique depth in fast-growing worldwide sports like golf and soccer makes them a natural fit, with assets that we can leverage across all Corbis Entertainment Global Clients.

Corbis Entertainment – a division of Corbis, a Bill Gates company – specialises in Brand Integration, talent negotiations, music licensing, rights clearance and representation as well as the recently launched Branded Entertainment Network.

‘We’re delighted to be joining Corbis Entertainment,’ adds Andrew White, chief executive officer, WSM Communications. ‘Corbis gives our clients and people the opportunity to work on a broader global stage and helps us to grow our expanding global business. The opportunities around sport, sponsorship and BEN are a real game-changer for WSM and the sports marketing industry as a whole.’ 

‘Being part of a Bill Gates company, another independent and privately-owned business, allows us to grow our offering for existing and new clients. I’ve committed my long-term future to Corbis and I’m very excited about this new challenge.’