Serviceplan Group, Europe`s largest independent agency, has broadened its presence in China by acquiring the majority of the high profile digital agency, Aquarius Asia.

Serviceplan has now, in addition to Beijing, a second office in Shanghai. Roger Strack(left) is responsible for both locations as managing director with immediate effect. In Beijing, Jan-Philipp Jahn, formerly general manager at Serviceplan Middle East (Dubai), takes over the management. Kathrin Guethoff remains responsible for creation.

In addition to Mainland China, Serviceplan is also represented with an office in Hong Kong. In Shanghai and Hong Kong, Marc Finsterlin(right), founder and managing director of Aquarius Asia, takes over his new role within the Serviceplan Group, and is responsible for both offices.  Thus Serviceplan China has grown from two to 200 people since launching its business in China two years ago. Serviceplan will offer full service 360-degree communication to its clients in Greater China.

Aquarius Asia was founded in Hong Kong by Marc Finsterlin together with Aquarius Munich (Germany) in 2009. In 2011 Aquarius extended to Mainland China by opening a Shanghai office as a significant second and important future mainstay in Greater China.

Aquarius has positioned itself as a digital full-service partner and has been working for Bosch and Hugo Boss since 2009. Over the past six years, Aquarius has been able to win more international (e.g. Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Fendi, Lorenz Snackworld, Victorinox) and national clients (Tsinghua University Beijing and Lam Soon) and currently has a team of 80 employees in Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Aquarius is a full-service agency with a strong focus on digital; its service portfolio reaches from strategy, concept, creation, and its own technical development, to media planning and booking. From its two offices in Shanghai and Hong Kong, Aquarius looks after multinationals in Greater China and more than ten countries in the Asia Pacific region.

In Beijing, Serviceplan China's clients include BMW (lead agency), Shell, Paulaner and various local clients. In Shanghai, the new merged team's clients include WMF, Metro and Continental in addition to Aquarius clients Bosch, Fendi, Mammut, Alexander McQueen, Lorenz Snack World and Richard Wolf. In Hong Kong, the local team takes care of regional customers Balenciaga, Hugo Boss, Lam Soon and Victorinox.

Florian Haller, CEO of the Serviceplan Group: "In two years, we have grown from 2 to 200 employees in China. It is a great success and an important milestone in our internationalization strategy. We are planning to build our Houses of Communication at both locations in Mainland China, with the core disciplines creation, digital and media. Hong Kong is also for us, as it is still for many international companies, an important strategic location in Asia".

Roger Strack, Managing Director Serviceplan China adds: "After two years of successful development work in Beijing, I am looking forward to the integration of Aquarius Asia in the Serviceplan Group, to jointly continue the success story of the Serviceplan Group in Asia".

Marc Finsterlin, Managing Partner Serviceplan Shanghai and Hong Kong, is looking forward to the merger: "Through the merger with the Serviceplan Group, we have formed a 100 percent integrated full-service agency in China that meets the needs of Chinese consumers. Together with Serviceplan, we are strengthening our position in the market, and have access to an international network of tools, experts and disciplines, thus strengthening our competitiveness, especially against international creative agencies and agency networks".