BRUSSELS—Ogilvy & Mather, has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Social Lab, a social marketing agency based in Belgium with offices in Paris and Amsterdam. Founded in 2010 and employing 50 people, Social Lab specialises in social media marketing. Clients include IKEA, Club Med, Interbrew, L'Oréal, Galbani, Electrabel GDF Suez, Nespresso, Oasis, Delhaize and the National Lotery. Social Lab’s unaudited revenues for the year ended 31 December 2012 were EUR 3.1 million with gross assets as at the same date of EUR 0.4million. 

LONDON—Grayling Future Planet has formed a partnership with green energy charity Ashden to help it support Ashden Award-winning businesses across the UK. The Ashden Awards celebrate businesses and charities that are helping create low-carbon buildings, tackling fuel poverty, reducing business running costs and giving local communities control over their energy use. Grayling will be helping Ashden provide communications advice to Ashden's UK Alumni Network through a series of workshops covering all aspects of communications and social media. It will also be offering Ashden advice and support to help it promote entries to the 2015 Ashden Awards.

LONDON—Marylebone Cricket Club, the owner of Lord's Ground, has hired Threepipe to run integrated digital marketing and PR campaigns on a range of projects for Christmas 2013 and throughout 2014. The agency will be using a blend of PR, digital display, paid search and social media advertising to help the MCC achieve its commercial objectives in areas including Lord's hospitality, events and ticket sales, the MCC Cricket Academy and the Lord's Cricket Store. 

LONDON—Text100 has appointed Lewis Webb (pictured) as digital director, based in the agency’s London office. Webb will be responsible for leading digital activities at Text100 UK. He most recently worked at Ketchum, where he was associate director within the brand team, heading up social media business for the global Philips consumer lifestyle business and leading the global PR account for Chivas Regal. In addition, Text100 has named Jennifer Christie as EMEA sales and marketing lead, joining the agency from Waggener Edstrom.

ABU DHABI—Newgate Communications has opened an office in Abu Dhabi, headed by Habib Bacha, a Lebanese national who has extensive consultancy experience in the region. Habib will liaise closely with Byron Ousey, partner in the Newgate London office, who has more than 20 years’ experience working in the region. Newgate Abu Dhabi has already won its first client with the launch of Eurisbank, an Islamic financial services group.

LONDON—Penn Schoen Berland, the global research-based consultancy unit of Burson-Marsteller, has appointed Jonathan Shingleton as chair of Penn Schoen Berland EMEA. He will report to Jay Leveton, Penn Schoen Berland’s chief executive officer. Shingleton is former executive chairman of Business Planning & Research, which he founded in 1986 and sold to WPP Group in 2003. WPP rebranded BPRI as Millward Brown Corporate.

LONDON—Good Relations Brand Communications has launched Step Up To Serve, a new campaign to increase opportunities for young people to get involved in social action. Launched at Buckingham Palace with HRH The Prince of Wales, the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, the campaign aims to double the amount of young people currently taking part in social action by 2020. The GR team led the media outreach for the launch, working with the client, Clarence House and many of the youth organisations supporting the campaign.

LONDON—GolinHarris has appointed Zac Schwarz as executive creative director. Schwarz has worked for agencies including Mischief, Shine Communications and Freud, delivering creative for clients including Virgin Atlantic, The National Trust, Unilever and Akzo Nobel.

LONDON—Friends Life, a leading insurance and pensions provider, has appointed Bell Pottinger and Good Relations following a competitive pitch process. The agencies have formed an integrated team to provide consumer, corporate and financial communications programs as well as developing and delivering a public affairs strategy. The integrated agency team will work with James Gatoff, director of group communications, and Peter Webb, head of media communications.

GLASGOW—Citigate Dewe Rogerson has launched a new regional office in Scotland. Based in the center of Glasgow, the office provides a full suite of corporate and consumer PR services and will be managed by Colin Grant, a former journalist.

LONDON—Liberty Comms, a specialist technology communications consultancy, has won a brief to support open networking company Vello Systems on its expansion across Europe. The agency will provide integrated communications support to drive recognition for the company with a view to expanding share of voice around its software defined application platform.