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WPP’s Cohn & Wolfe acquires majority stake in Brazil’s Grupo Maquina
MUMBAI: After acquiring a majority stake in India’s Six Degrees PR and Alphabet Consulting in September last year, WPP’s Cohn & Wolfe has made its second recent acquisition. The agency has now acquired a majority stake in Brazil’s public relations agency Grupo Maquina.
Maquina Cohn & Wolfe, with 240 employees across offices in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia, has the combined talent and experience to meet demand for global integrated marketing services from Brazilian companies and multinational companies alike.
Maquina was founded in 1995 by Maristela Mafei. Today, Maquina is known for its digital and integrated communications work across numerous industries, including finance, education, consumer technology, retail, entertainment, government and tourism. The agency has specialty divisions focused on digital, video content, branding, advertising and package design services.
“Latin America has become a very important region for our clients and Brazil is a critical market for Cohn & Wolfe. After working with many good agencies, we were most impressed with Maquina’s excellence in digital and integrated marketing. They have an impressive client base and an equally impressive leadership team. We share values, including creativity, entrepreneurship and focus on client service, which will ensure a strong and long-lasting partnership and joint success,” says Cohn & Wolfe CEO Donna Imperato.
Mafei will remain director-general of Maquina Cohn & Wolfe, reporting to Imperato. Marcelo Diego and Daniella Camargos will continue in their roles as co-CEOs, reporting to Mafei. They will keep their positions as partners with Maquina Cohn & Wolfe.
The agency’s roster of both public and private sector clients includes Credit Suisse, EY, Zara, Xerox, Carrefour, L’Oréal, Nextel, MetLife, Bridgestone, GP Investments, Embratur, BRMalls, Qualicorp, Hypermarcas, Raízen, BRF, Grupo Estacio, Insper and Gafisa.
“We recently celebrated our 20th anniversary and I couldn’t be more proud of the accomplishments of our remarkable teams and the work they have done for our trusted clients,” says Mafei. “What I envision for our next 20 years can be achieved by becoming part of the Cohn & Wolfe family. This partnership will bring unmatched strengths globally that will benefit our current multinational clients and attract many more here and throughout Latin America. We will continue to provide the best of our culture, but will now be associated with one of the largest agencies in the world.”
MAM
Adbhoot weaves AI magic into CottonKing Aura linen campaign
Subtle AI craft brings premium linen’s texture, fall and finesse to life in cinematic film that feels tangibly real.
MUMBAI: Adbhoot has threaded the needle perfectly using AI so invisibly that the real star of Cottonking’s new premium linen range, Aura, gets to shine. The campaign, built around the insight that premium clothing isn’t merely worn but experienced, puts the fabric itself centre stage. Instead of flashy drama or exaggerated styling, every frame focuses on what truly defines Aura: its visible weave, natural drape, soft finish and effortless movement. The result feels so tactile you almost want to reach out and touch the screen.
What sets the work apart is its quiet confidence in technology. There is no “look at our AI” fanfare. Adbhoot treated the tool as a precision filmmaking instrument ensuring consistent model features, accurate proportions, natural lighting behaviour and real-world physics so the film feels polished, controlled and unmistakably premium rather than artificial.
Adbhoot, founder & creative director Vaibhav Pandit explained, “AI is powerful only when it doesn’t announce itself. For Aura, our intent was clear. The fabric needed to feel tangible, the lighting needed to behave naturally, and the model had to remain authentic throughout. We shaped AI around the brief, not the other way around.”
Cottonking director Koushik Marathe added, “With Aura, our vision was clear: to create a premium linen range that feels elevated not just in look, but in experience. Linen is a fabric of character, it breathes, it moves, and it carries a distinct elegance that can’t be replicated. This campaign captures that essence beautifully.”
The campaign marks another step in Adbhoot’s thoughtful approach to modern storytelling, innovation supports the narrative rather than stealing the spotlight. In an era when AI is often used to grab attention, this one stands out by staying quietly honest letting the linen do the talking and the craft do the work.
From weave to wind-blown drape, Aura doesn’t just look premium, it feels it. And thanks to Adbhoot’s restrained touch, viewers are left with the impression of real fabric, real movement, and real emotion rather than pixels and prompts. In the world of fashion advertising, that’s the kind of seamless finish that really leaves a mark.
