JWT Acquires Malone Advertising

Bob Jeffrey, chairman and CEO of JWT, the largest advertising agency in the U.S. and fourth largest in the world, announced on Aug. 11 that JWT had acquired Malone Advertising Inc., a retail marketing specialty agency that has an office in Bentonville.

Malone will retain its name and will operate as a division of JWT.

Founded in 1943, Malone Advertising is headquartered in Akron, Ohio. The company, which has more than 200 employees, had revenue of $13.4 million last year and assets worth $1.1 million. The firm has offices in five U.S. cities and Toronto, Canada. Its clients include Nestlé, Pfizer, Kimberly-Clark and John Deere.

Malone Advertising opened an office in Bentonville in 2003. That office currently has 12 employees.

JWT, based in New York City, is a wholly owned operating company of WPP Group PLC of London.