South Korean holding company Chiel Worldwide has taken a majority stake in The Barbarian Group, the Boston-based digital shop first known for its work on Subservient Chicken and, most recently, its augmented reality issue of Esquire. The agency will move its headquarters to its New York Office and agency heads, CEO Benjamin Palmer, COO Rick Webb and Chief Experience Officer (please, guys) Keith Butters will remain in charge of the shop.
We love Barbarian Group. The agency began with $500 in Palmer’s apartment in 2001 and has grown quickly to a digital powerhouse. It’s nice to see the agency succeed and get acquired by an entity a bit more interesting than the usual American suspects. Congrats, guys.
