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Barkley Merges with Chicago-based OKRP Forming BarkleyOKRP

Posted March 8, 2024

Independent agencies Barkley and Chicago-based OKRP merge to become BarkleyOKRP. Photo credit; Google Maps

Updated 11:20 a.m., March 8, 2024

Kansas City-based advertising agency Barkley is merging with OKRP to form BarkleyOKRP, a new agency that fulfills a “big indie” role in the sector.

Barkley and Chicago-based OKRP announced the two companies will merge to become BarkleyOKRP, according to a release. BarkleyOKRP now operates across five offices in the U.S. with more than 650 employees. Barkley has more than 500 full-time employees across Kansas City, Denver, New York and Pittsburgh while OKRP operates with 150 employees in its Chicago office. 

The CEO of Barkley, Jeff King, will retain his position through this merger and will lead the new company. The CEO of OKRP, Tom O’Keefe, will become the creative chairman of BarkleyOKRP. Barkley president Dan Fromm and OKRP president Nick Paul will also retain their roles.

Additionally, the merger will result in zero layoffs.

“In a world where the choice is often ‘big holding company’ or ‘small independent,’ BarkleyOKRP provides an alternative that marries the best of both worlds. We affectionately call it ‘big indie,’” King said in the release. “OKRP has built a creative powerhouse, and Barkley, in addition to its own award-winning creative product, has built a foundation of modern consumer expertise. Combined, BarkleyOKRP clients will receive the very best of strategy and creativity in an agency that has broad capabilities and significant scale.”

Together, the company’s shared roster of clients includes Metro by T-Mobile, Burger King, Planet Fitness, Motel 6, Premier Protein, AMC and others.

The Chicago-based private equity firm Keystone Capital facilitated the Barkley and OKRP merger after seeing an opportunity to leverage both company’s power, according to the release.

“This merger not only creates a powerful new platform today, but it sets the stage for continued investment to expand and strengthen our capabilities in all areas of the business, including media, data, analytics, performance marketing and technology,” King said.

Berkley ranked No. 3 on Ingram’s Top Ad Agencies and Marketing Firms ranked by gross revenue. The company made nearly $87 million in gross revenue in 2022