Together Group has acquired OBO. The Group is expanding its portfolio, with aims to dominate the luxury market. Since 2021, Together Group has acquired 14 companies.
Based in Paris, OBO is an experiential agency with an impressive résumé – having produced some of the fashion and entertainment industry’s most iconic events, including the opening ceremonies of the Paris 2024 Olympics and shows for L’Oréal Paris, Victoria’s Secret and Elie Saab.
OBO was founded in 2000 by René Célestin, who previously served as creative director of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show for 12 years. OBO specialises in “immersive brand experiences” for luxury clients. Its portfolio includes names like Armani, Saint Laurent, Bulgari and Celine. Célestin will remain as CEO post-acquisition.
A “platform for the experience economy”
Together Group’s long-term vision is to build a “platform for the experience economy”, helping brands shift from product to immersive storytelling. It describes itself as a collective of tech and creative companies for the luxury sector.
The Group is based in London and run by CEO Christian Kurtzke. Kurtzke is an experienced CEO – in the past, he led luxury brands such as car manufacturer Porsche’s luxury division, Porsche Design, and heritage porcelain brand Meissen.
L’Oreal Paris Intelligent Color ExperienceKurtzke said OBO’s “creativity and cultural insight” is made even more valuable by its suite of digital tools, including real-time rendering. This makes the agency a “supervising producer trusted for brand-defining experiential moments” (Women’s Wear Daily).
OBO’s digital capabilities include building digital replicas of events – including lighting, camera angles and audience flow – to improve chances of success before anything is physically built.
A long list of acquisitions
This latest addition to the Together Group portfolio follows a series of acquisitions. In 2022, the luxury collective brought in branding agency King & Partners, influencer agency Folk, crisis comms firm Seven Dials City and foresight consultancy The Future Laboratory. That was followed by content production studio North Six in 2023 and Middle East PR agency Frame in 2024.
Its most recent buys – Metajive, Visualisation One, and Imerza – have focused on digital design, CGI and digital twin technologies. The group now operates across 19 locations with more than 675 staff.
Célestin said the move reflects a strategic need to help luxury brands “overcome segmentation” and engage next-gen audiences. “We are excited by Together Group’s strategy, which reimagines luxury by uniting exceptional creative talent with immersive technology,” he said (Business of Fashion).
