Wonderhood Studios is acquiring the creative arm of Elvis Communications (which was House 337 until a relaunch earlier this year) from agency group Next 15. The idea is to give Wonderhood some scale by bringing in 60 new staff plus extra capabilities around CRM and e-commerce.
Elvis clients Next, Mondelez, E.ON, The Royal Air Force, The Royal Navy, The Ministry of Justice, National Highways, The Football Association, and The England & Wales Cricket Board will all move across to Wonderhood. There they will join Waitrose, ITV, Three, Fever-Tree, Ring and Calm on the roster.
Matt Rhodes, Elvis’ chief strategy officer, will become chief commercial officer at Wonderhood and will oversee the transition process, which should be done by August. The customer experience division of Elvis will stay with Next 15.
Alex Best, CEO of Wonderhood Studios, said: “Wonderhood has always believed that the most effective work starts with understanding what audiences choose to spend time with. Bringing Elvis into the business gives us greater scale, deeper capability and more firepower. Matt and his team bring a strong track record of effective, creatively ambitious work, and I’m excited about what we can build together.
Sachin Dosani, group chief operating officer and co-founder of Wonderhood, said: “This acquisition marks the next stage in Wonderhood’s evolution as a sustainably independent British creative company. It gives us greater scale, broader capability and a stronger platform to help brands build value by captivating audiences across advertising, social and entertainment.”
David Abraham, Wonderhood’s co-founder, will become executive chairman as part of the agency’s expansion. Elvis’ six-strong management team, including CEO Phil Fearnley, chief growth officer Lucy Freedman, CCO Josh Green, are expected to be offered new roles.
Wonderhood has grown steadily since its launch in 2018. Its 2025 income was up 24% to £9.2m year-on-year, and its work for Waitrose in particular has brought creative credibility.
Sam Knights, CEO of Next 15, said: “We are retaining the parts of Elvis that best align with our strengths in data, technology and activation… The deal supports our strategy to simplify the group, concentrate investment in areas with the greatest strategic fit, and create greater operational clarity and flexibility for future growth.”
Knights is putting a brave face on it but Next 15’s 2022 acquisition Engine Group, relaunched as House 337, didn’t go well. The agency launched as a “creative collective” and then relaunched as an “entertainment first growth studio” before throwing in the towel. Engine Group’s origins were in 80s and 90s powerhouse agency WCRS.
