Superunion SA joins Design Bridge and Partners, redefining design for businesses, brands and people

The country’s leading design agency will join Design Bridge and Partners’ 850-person strong network operating in 12 countries with clients like Coca-Cola, Mastercard, Diageo, Unilever, Reckitt, Intel, HSBC, Tencent, Colgate, Nestle and NASA Artemis among others. Design Bridge and Partners South Africa works with brands including Standard Bank, Astron Energy, PEP, Vodacom, Unilever, AB InBev, Multichoice and University of Pretoria, to deliver impactful client work across sectors.

A WPP company, Design Bridge and Partners was created in January 2023 following the merger of Design Bridge and Superunion. The two complementary companies came together with a vision to fundamentally redefine the role of design for a new era, positioning it at the forefront of business growth and social change through consumer, business, and experience design. John Morris, formerly CEO of Design Bridge, serves as group CEO, and Jim Prior, who was previously CEO of Superunion, as chair, with Mathew Weiss taking on the role of managing director in South Africa.

Design is one of the most powerful tools in business, and yet it’s historically been underutilized.

With centres of excellence in New York, London, São Paulo, Amsterdam, Singapore, Madrid, Berlin, Shanghai, and now Johannesburg and Cape Town, Design Bridge and Partners has positioned itself as an industry leader across every aspect of brand strategy, identity, experience, and brand guardianship. This includes graphic, motion, digital, physical and communication design, underpinned by a creative philosophy of leveraging the power of exceptional design to solve business and societal challenges.

The business has a strong cultural focus on collaboration and nurturing talent, forging deep and long-lasting partnerships with clients, and operating as a seamless global entity bringing the best talent to clients wherever they may be.

John Morris, CEO of Design Bridge and Partners, said: “Design is one of the most powerful tools in business, and yet it’s historically been underutilized. As Design Bridge and Partners, we’re on a mission to change that, and simultaneously help shape the future of organisations worldwide by unleashing the full power of design. We’re pleased to have Design Bridge and Partners South Africa join us on our mission to redefine the role of design for brands, businesses, and people in South Africa and globally.”

Mathew Weiss, managing director of Design Bridge and Partners South Africa said: “As a new kind of design agency for a new era, Design Bridge and Partners uniquely combines strategic and creative excellence across a vast range of design capabilities to deliver extraordinary, impactful results. Together, we’ll redefine the role of design in our broader world to create positive, meaningful change for our clients and our country.”