AUBURN HILLS, Mich., April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — George P. Johnson (GPJ), the world’s leading event and experience marketing agency, announced that it has acquired the German-based boutique design and experience design studio The Sane Company. This latest acquisition shows the strength of GPJ’s commitment to the German and European markets while also doubling down on expansion and doing so with an emphasis on breakthrough creative and experience design.

The Sane Company, which was founded in 2015 by architect Patrick Schmidt and Sabine Wiese, specializes in event and exhibition design, architectural planning, motion design, storytelling and more. GPJ and The Sane Company have a proven track record of working together on various accounts, projects and pitches including Bosch, MINI and Porsche.

“Welcoming the immensely talented group from The Sane Company into GPJ’s global network of creative minds and studios will allow us to deliver on even more creativity and strategy when planning events in Germany, Europe and beyond,” said Chris Meyer, CEO of GPJ.

(Patrick Schmidt (Left) with GPJ Germany Managing Director Oliver Ehmke) 

The investment is being fostered by GPJ’s holding company, Project, in alignment with its passion and the increasing desire from clients for an elevated experience design.

“We know that stakes are higher than ever – in order to spend time away from family traveling to an event or taking time out of the workday to join a virtual or hybrid event, consumers have to be inspired and excited by the look and feel at every touchpoint,” said Oliver Ehmke, Managing Director of GPJ Germany. “With the integration of The Sane Company into our existing creative team, we are establishing a new creative powerhouse at Stuttgart to exceed the constantly growing demands of our existing and new clients in experience design and storytelling. This investment will help solidify GPJ’s vision of making the human experience priority #1.”

In addition to the German market expansion, GPJ is also finalizing its move into a brand-new headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. Located directly in the creative heart of Stuttgart, the Marienplatz, the new 15,880 square foot office will be the home for the current GPJ team including The Sane Company team members. With over 90 employees at the start, the new space also allows further growth and will open in May 2022.

“At The Sane Company, our philosophy has always been that ‘story living’ is better than storytelling,” said Patrick Schmidt, Founder and CEO of The Sane Company. “Through relevant analogue and digital experiences, we transport brand identity into a hybrid space and thus create sustainable, interactive and successful communications with a human factor and can’t wait to join forces with GPJ who has been a long-time leader in event design, experience and execution.”

The investment in The Sane Company is the 2nd acquisition within 12 months after announcing a significant minority stake in GPJ’s long-time partner NOMOBO, a full-service creative broadcasting and video production agency based in Amsterdam.

“The EMEA region is extremely important for our constant growth and our global customers, and we will therefore continue to invest in Europe,” announced Chris Meyer, CEO of GPJ.

Financial details of the acquisition are not being released.