PARTNERS + NAPIER JOINS PROJECT: WORLDWIDE, INDEPENDENT AGENCY NETWORK

It's hard to believe it's been seven years since we started out as Partners + Napier, and what an amazing journey it has been.

We've grown from an agency with just 40 staffers to the Partners + Napier we are today, with a staff of 150 creative and strategic thinkers. We've expanded our capabilities, welcomed new and ambitious clients to our family, garnered some terrific recognition, and continuously raised the bar on our creative work.

And in this time, the playing field has evolved. Our clients and their brands need more. Our clients need broader access to ways to engage their consumers. To meet these needs, it was essential that our agency continue to evolve as well.

So today, we're thrilled to share some very exciting news: Partners + Napier has joined Project: WorldWide, an independent, employee-owned global agency network grounded in engagement marketing.

This transition is an exciting milestone in the Partners + Napier journey, and we believe Project: WorldWide will be a great way for us to continue to grow to meet our clients' complex needs. We were attracted to Project: WorldWide for several reasons:

• Project: WorldWide has a culture very similar to Partners + Napier. They value non-traditional thinking, as well as entrepreneurial, client-focused, and strategic mindsets.
• We're not "Madison Avenue" types, and neither are the folks at the other Project: WorldWide agencies. Unencumbered by the traditional holding company model, the network champions collaborative, non-competitive relationships among its agencies.
• Project: WorldWide ensures the autonomy of its agencies, and we are still Partners + Napier. An independent spirit and attitude will always be a part of who we are, and this will not change as we make our transition into the Project: WorldWide family.
• As part of Project, we join other great agencies, including George P. Johnson, the top-ranked experience marketing company in the world; Juxt Interactive, a West Coast-based interactive shop; Spinifex Group, a specialist in multimedia content production; and G7 Entertainment Marketing.

Staying true to our vision, we believe our choice to be acquired by Project: WorldWide will help propel Partners + Napier to the next level of growth - both fortifying our ability to compete for national and global brands looking for powerful ideas to engage their customers, as well as to enabling us to continue to provide smart solutions for our clients. You can read more about our new relationship with Project: WorldWide in today's issue of The New York Times.

UPDATE: On Wednesday, April 20, 2011, hundreds of clients, partners, media and employees from around the world gathered in the Allen Room of the Time Warner Center in NYC to attend the Project: WorldWide Launch Celebration. You can read more about the event and see a photo gallery here.