Month: January 2026

Transaction unites one of the industry’s largest full-service independent agencies and one of its hottest emerging creative shops

PALAZZO served as exclusive financial advisor to The Opinionated Group, an award-winning advertising and creative agency in its acquisition by Tombras. This transaction will enable Tombras to establish a meaningful West Coast presence, and accelerate their mission to become the world’s leading independent agency.
 
Founded in 2017, Opinionated has emerged as one of the industry’s most sought after agencies, winning business with clients including Panda Express and Shake Shack. The agency reported its strongest annual growth in 2024, and extended its growth trajectory amid an otherwise turbulent 2025. The acquisition provides Opinionated access to essential new capabilities across media, data, analytics and deeper social expertise— with Tombras being one of a few independents that offer both creative and media under one roof; handling nearly $1 billion in media business annually.
 
Mark Fitzloff the founder of Opinionated said, “The concept of independents merging was not on my radar. I hadn’t really heard of it happening, so I never considered it an option to pursue in the first place.” Reflecting on their shared values with Tombras, he added, “I think there’s an attitude of defiance and rebellion that comes with being in a quote, unquote Tier 2 or Tier 3 market, but creatively, it’s much more empowering, because you have perspectives from the fringes that are unique, true and authentic.” Opinionated’s 40-person team will continue to operate out of Portland, Oregon, as Opinionated, a Tombras Company, before transitioning to Tombras West. There are no leadership changes planned, with Mark Fitzloff and Partner and President Trish Adams remaining in their roles.
 
Tombras’ president Dooley Tombras categorized its latest deal as “the most significant move in [our] mission to become the world’s leading independent agency.” With the addition of Opinionated, Tombras’ headcount now totals nearly 600 employees worldwide. Outside the U.S., the agency has a growing presence in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with roughly 80 staffers in the area and a new office set to open in February.

Vaan Group establishes Verndale’s best-in-class D2C commerce practice and expands Shopify expertise

PALAZZO served as financial advisor to Vaan Group, a leading D2C agency and Shopify Platinum Design & Technology partner known for creating design-led, high-performing commerce experiences. The acquisition establishes a dedicated D2C offering within Verndale and significantly expands the company’s ability to build and optimize Shopify storefronts that unite brand expression with enterprise-grade technology.
 
Vaan has powered growth for DTC, luxury, and lifestyle brands through premium Shopify storefronts, platform migrations, and design-driven ecommerce ecosystems. Their Shopify-Platinum expertise strengthens Verndale’s end-to-end experience model, enabling faster paths from product concept to build, launch, and continuous optimization.

“Brands today expect digital experiences that elevate their brand and perform flawlessly at scale,” said Chris Pisapia, CEO of Verndale. “Vaan’s Shopify credentials and commerce-focused conversion design elevate our ability to deliver exactly that. With the acquisition of Vaan we can help brands move faster, convert better, and operate with more adaptability in the D2C space.”

While Shopify agencies have traditionally been acquired within the commerce specialist ecosystem, this marks a notable expansion of strategic capability for a broader digital experience partner like Verndale, reflecting the increasing importance of commerce as a core part of experience strategy.

“Joining Verndale allows us to bring our commerce-first approach to more brands and more complex digital challenges,” said Xavier Armand, CEO of Vaan Group. “Our shared focus on integrated design and technology thinking creates an incredible opportunity to deliver even more impactful commerce experiences.”

For clients, the acquisition means access to both best-in-class Shopify design and execution—including migrations, headless builds, and conversion optimization—alongside Verndale’s broader capabilities in UX, product engineering, experimentation, and ongoing optimization. This integrated model reduces friction between commerce and experience strategy while increasing the speed, quality, and business impact of digital initiatives.

The acquisition reinforces Verndale’s commitment to building a modern growth partner designed to meet the expectations of today’s digital landscape­­—where brands must meet constantly evolving customer behavior with experiences that perform and convert.