Aloysius Butler & Clark marketing firm acquires Al Paul Lefton Co.

Aloysius Butler & Clark, a full-service marketing communications firm, announced the acquisition of one of the country’s longest-standing independent advertising agencies, Al Paul Lefton Co., based in Philadelphia.

Aloysius Butler & Clark (AB&C) is an award-winning advertising agency with clients in healthcare, public health, higher education and financial industries. This acquisition exemplifies the firm’s strategy to grow in the area of business-to-business marketing and will bring top creative and interactive marketing to Lefton’s clients.

“The acquisition of the Al Paul Lefton Co. will immediately broaden our scope of business,” said John Hawkins, president and CEO of AB&C. “AB&C has had great success in traditional and interactive consumer marketing. With the addition of the incredibly talented Lefton team, we look forward to further expanding our reach into the business-to-business marketplace.”

Al Paul Lefton Co. will continue to operate from its office at Independence Mall in Philadelphia as a division of Aloysius Butler & Clark. The two agencies will immediately begin leveraging their combined services and team members to provide additional capabilities to existing and prospective clients.

“My father founded the Lefton Co. and ran it until his death in 1964,” said Al Paul Lefton Jr., president and CEO of Al Paul Lefton Co. “Since then it has been my good fortune to be at the helm, but now I’m ready to retire.

“Al Paul Lefton Co. and AB&C bring highly complementary strengths to the table that will benefit our clients immediately. Our strategic thinking and creative capabilities, now combined with AB&C’s extensive expertise in these areas, plus their knowledge in digital technology and interactive media, will result in a strong product that will help clients compete in these changing times.”

Founded in 1928, Lefton is one of the advertising industry’s pioneers. For many years, it was recognized as one of the top business-to-business firms in the country. Early accounts included the Pennsylvania Railroad, Schmidt’s Beer and Brillo. Lefton also maintained a New York office for 60 years that represented such well-known names as RCA, Mazda, Michelin, Off-Track Betting, Beneficial Finance and Jean Patou. The agency currently provides strategic planning, advertising and public relations for Fortune 500 and international clients.

“AB&C is always evolving,” said Hawkins. “Marketing communications has dramatically changed over the past decade, and our priority has been to stay on top of these trends. This acquisition allows us to continue to grow and benefits both us and Lefton as we combine their history with the cutting-edge tactics of AB&C.”