Observed Signal · May 16, 2023 · Rebranding · Source: OnlineMarketing.de · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
WeCreate Rebrands as 9:16 by WeCreate
Hamburg-based agency WeCreate rebrands as 9:16 (by WeCreate), signaling a sharpened focus on vertical video formats underlying platforms like TikTok and Reels. The move follows three years since WeCreate’s founding and two years after the trademark registration of the term '9:16'. The rebranding separates the artist-management arm from the agency and consulting functions, keeping Artist Management under WeCreate while the agency side adopts the 9:16 branding. The Hamburg spin-off has grown to about 60 employees and has historically worked with BMW, Lidl, and Disney. The group also manages 25 artists totaling roughly 75 million followers, including Anna von Klinski, Andrea Subotic, Karim Jamal, and Herr Anwalt. As part of the internal realignment, the production arm was established as ‘9:16 Productions’, reinforcing the first-mover position in vertical video through LinkedIn, PR, and content marketing.
Rebranding of an agency; moderate impact within the vertical video/creative services segment
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- WeCreate rebrands as 9:16 by WeCreate.
- Hamburg spin-off of WeCreate grew to about 60 employees.
- Clients include BMW, Lidl, and Disney.
- Artist Management roster reaches 25 artists with ~75 million followers.
- Launch of 9:16 Productions and internal separation of agency, consulting, and artist management.
Connected Companies & Entities
3 Entities mappedOntology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Company News: Creator Economy & Retail Media
OnlineMarketing.de's Unternehmensnews compiles notable corporate moves in the AdTech/MarTech landscape. The page highlights a 9:16 Summit in Hamburg during the OMR Week where industry experts discuss the Creator Economy and influencer marketing; attendees include Pamela Reif, Ana Johnson, Eric Demuth, and Levi Penell, with awards recognizing the year's best social campaigns. It also reports that Kolsquare will acquire Storyclash to create a unified European platform with transparency and technological sovereignty. In retail media, the REWE Group partners with LiveRamp to enable activations across channels including connected TV and social, with enhanced measurability and GDPR-compliance. XXXLutz, in collaboration with One Tech Group, opens in-store retail media inventory on over 1,300 screens, enabling programmatic advertising. Together, these items illustrate ongoing consolidation, ecosystem collaboration, and the expanding role of creator economy and retail media in advertising technology.
Yellow Rebrands as Strichpunkt Identity in Switzerland
Swiss agency Yellow has been rebranded and integrated as Strichpunkt Identity to create a locally anchored identity and brand-strategy practice within the MYTY Group. Reto Meyer and Philipp Brune say the move merges Yellow’s eight years of strategic brand experience with Strichpunkt’s infrastructure and specialist capabilities from German offices (Stuttgart, Berlin, Hamburg). The team, leadership and Basel location remain unchanged; clients and project contacts are retained. The agency emphasizes a shift from surface design to leadership-led brand identity, promoting a proprietary 'True Identity' framework and positioning itself as an 'Identity‑Driven Transformation Agency' able to support complex challenges such as generational change, international expansion and digital customer experiences. The change responds in part to perceived market shifts from AI-driven creative output toward deeper strategic brand work.
Mistral Opens Munich Hub for Industrial AI
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