Strengthening Presence in America: Brainlabs Seals Deal with Exverus
Brainlabs Acquires Exverus Media to Strengthen Full-Funnel Capabilities
Brainlabs, a leading digital marketing agency, has announced the acquisition of Exverus Media, a recognized breakthrough media agency. This strategic move aims to expand and solidify Brainlabs' full-funnel media capabilities, particularly by integrating Exverus' strong expertise in upper-funnel or brand-focused media planning with Brainlabs' existing performance and AI-driven digital capabilities.
The acquisition of Exverus is part of Brainlabs' growth strategy, targeting 20% global revenue growth this year and active hiring across media roles. With this acquisition, Brainlabs is positioning itself as a full-service Agency of Record (AOR) across all media channels, covering everything from brand awareness through to direct response and conversion.
Key aspects of the strategic rationale and positioning include:
- Full-Funnel Expansion: Brainlabs was seeking to meet increasing client demand for a full-funnel approach—covering top-of-funnel brand-building through to bottom-of-funnel performance marketing. Exverus brings complementary skills focused on upper-funnel strategy, creative execution, and traditional and programmatic media planning.
- Cross-Channel Expertise: Exverus has proven capabilities across multiple media types—including traditional, programmatic, retail media, e-commerce, paid search, and paid social—enabling Brainlabs to offer integrated media solutions throughout the customer journey.
- Enhanced Scale and US Market Presence: The acquisition adds over $100M in annual media spend and brings Brainlabs’ US billings to about $1 billion, with a newly expanded West Coast footprint in Los Angeles complementing its East Coast base, effectively creating coast-to-coast coverage.
- AI and Data-Driven Synergy: Brainlabs is known for AI-enabled media planning; merging with Exverus enhances their Real Intelligence approach—combining human expertise with AI-powered insights for better consumer connection and outcomes.
By integrating Exverus’ upper-funnel and creative media planning strengths with Brainlabs’ AI-driven digital and performance marketing capabilities, Brainlabs transforms into a true full-funnel, cross-channel AOR, covering brand-building through to direct response across all media channels and geographies.
Independently-owned agencies, such as Brainlabs, are gaining briefs from mid-to-large brands that feel boxed in by legacy models. Brainlabs clients will gain traditional planning heft, linear buying muscle, deeper cross-channel analytics, and creative media strategy from the Exverus acquisition.
Brainlabs is expected to market a unified measurement framework aggressively to CMOs sick of stitching together siloed reports, and potential productization of Exverus' cross-channel planning tools atop Brainlabs' AI stack. The need for integrated orchestration plus transparent, outcome-focused measurement is what marketers are asking for as the media landscape fragments and internal dashboards proliferate.
No further North America acquisitions are imminent for Brainlabs, suggesting the focus now shifts to digestion and deployment of the recent acquisitions. Exverus founders Bill Durrant, Talia Arnold, and Jack Win will remain in place for the next year, with the agency operating relatively independently.
[1] Brainlabs Press Release [2] Adweek Article [3] Ad Age Article [4] Campaign Live Article
- Brainlabs' acquisition of Exverus Media is not just a move to boost revenue, but also a strategic decision to equip themselves with a full-service Agency of Record (AOR) status, leveraging Exverus' upper-funnel expertise in brand-focused media planning together with Brainlabs' AI-driven digital capabilities.
- This integration of technology and expertise across finance, business, and technology will enable Brainlabs to offer integrated media solutions, from brand awareness through to direct response, across all media channels and geographies.
