What Saint Elmo's does

Saint Elmo's is a Munich-headquartered, full-service creative agency group founded in 2001 and operating as a subsidiary of Serviceplan Group, Europe's largest independent agency group. The group delivers integrated marketing communications — brand strategy, creative development, content marketing, digital and social media, performance marketing, 360-degree media planning, employer marketing, e-commerce, trade marketing, and tourism marketing — through a federated structure of specialized units: Saint Elmo's München and Hamburg (creative lead agencies), Saint Elmo's Tourism, Saint Elmo's Boost (digital/social/performance), Mediateam 360° (media, a JV with Mediaplus Gruppe), Linking Brands (cooperation marketing), and Project M (tourism strategy consulting). The company employs 51–100 staff across offices in Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, Salzburg, and Innsbruck, serving enterprise and mid-market clients such as PENNY, expert, BMW, Bugatti, WWF, SCHOCK, Schwarzwald Tourismus, Stage Entertainment, and Baller League.

The business model is professional services revenue: project fees, retainer agreements, and campaign-based pricing negotiated per client. GTM is sales-led, leveraging direct enterprise relationships alongside parent-company referrals and cross-sell across the subsidiary network. Notable technical and creative components include the proprietary "Long COVID Mode" gaming modification (Elden Ring, Minecraft, Witcher 3) for disease-awareness education, dynamic DOOH campaigns (LOTTO Hamburg), AR-in-print integrations (F.A.Z.), and an AI Consulting / Generative Engine Optimization service line targeting AI search systems. The agency is consistently award-decorated at Cannes Lions, D&AD, ADC, Clio, and Webby level, and was named MAX Agency of the Year in 2024.

Ownership is private, with Saint Elmo's Germany GmbH & Co. KG (Munich) as the primary German entity and Saint Elmo's International GmbH (Salzburg) for Austrian operations. Leadership comprises CEO Kathrin Jesse (ex-CEO of BBDO Germany), CCO Matthias Harbeck (1,000+ creative awards), and CFO Hannes Haller (founder of Saint Elmo's Tourism, in CFO role since July 2025). Financials are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Saint Elmo's

Legal name

Saint Elmo's Germany GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://saint-elmos.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Saint Elmo's is a Munich-based, full-service creative agency group (founded 2001) within Serviceplan Group, serving enterprise clients across retail, automotive, tourism, and consumer goods in the DACH region through integrated brand, digital, and media services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Marketing Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Loyalty, Rewards & Incentive Programs (BPAFAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Affiliate Marketing & Partner Program Management (MPAAACAD)

Keywords

• Integrated marketing communications
• Creative advertising agency
• Brand campaign development
• Digital marketing services
• Tourism marketing agency

Headquarters

HQ city

München

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Creative Agency Services: Full-service creative agency providing integrated marketing communications including brand marketing, content marketing, digital marketing, social media, and campaign development. Revenue generated through project fees, retainer agreements, and campaign-based pricing for enterprise clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Saint Elmo's is a full-service creative agency group that plans, designs, and executes integrated marketing communications for enterprise and mid-market clients. Its service portfolio spans brand strategy, creative campaign development, digital and social media marketing, performance marketing, 360-degree media planning, tourism marketing, employer branding, and content production (audio, video, digital), delivered through a network of specialized agencies including Saint Elmo's München, Hamburg, Boost, Tourism, and partner firms Mediateam 360°, Linking Brands, and Project M. Revenue is generated through negotiated project fees, retainer agreements, and campaign-based pricing under a sales-led go-to-market motion.

Product overview

Saint Elmo's is a full-service creative agency group founded in 2001, now part of the Serviceplan Group. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of integrated marketing services through its network of specialized agencies: Saint Elmo's München and Hamburg (creative agencies), Saint Elmo's Tourism (tourism marketing specialists), Saint Elmo's Boost (digital/social performance), Mediateam 360° (media), Linking Brands (cooperation marketing), and Project M (strategy consulting). The service offerings span Brand Marketing, Content Marketing, Direct Marketing, E-Commerce Marketing, Employer Marketing, Interactive Solutions, Social Marketing, Mobile Marketing, Performance Marketing, 360-degree Media Planning, Tourism Marketing, Trade Marketing, Strategy & Consulting, Experience Design, Audio/Vision, and AI Consulting. The agency is known for award-winning campaigns for clients including PENNY, expert, WWF, Bugatti, Duravit, e.GO mobile, Schwarzwald Tourismus, and Baller League.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Saint Elmo's München (Creative Agency)
• Saint Elmo's Hamburg (Creative Agency)
• Saint Elmo's Tourism
• Saint Elmo's Boost
• Mediateam 360°
• Linking Brands
• Project M
• Brand Marketing
• Content Marketing
• Performance Marketing
• Data-driven 360-Degree Media Planning
• Tourism Marketing
• Interactive Solutions (UX/UI Development)
• AI Consulting
• Strategy & Consulting
• Experience Design
• Audio/Vision Production
• Employer Marketing

Quantifiable outcome

• Long COVID Mode campaign achieved 0€ media spend with organic reach across multiple countries and gaming audiences
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers25 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Serviceplan GruppecoreOthersSaint Elmo's is part of the global Serviceplan Gruppe, Europe's largest independent agency group. This provides access to extensive resources, international network, specialized disciplines, and efficient media buying capabilities while maintaining boutique agency agility.
• Mediateam 360°coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint media agency between Mediaplus Gruppe and Saint Elmo's. Offers comprehensive 360-degree media concepts with the agility of a customer-focused agency while benefiting from international network resources.
• Project MminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading strategy and management consultancy in tourism, leisure, and location development in the DACH region since 1998. Advises companies, government organizations, cities, regions, and associations.
• Linking BrandsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustria's leading agency for international co-marketing, connecting brands and tourism partners based on target groups, strategy, and values. Subsidiary of Saint Elmo's Tourism.
• BILD, FOCUS, ntv, T-Online, ProSieben, RTL, Stern, GMX, TV Spielfilm, WEB.DE, Wetter.de, WeltcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partners for WWF 'Save What You See' campaign. First click was sponsored by media partners to make the first step as easy as possible. Extensive media partnership network for campaign delivery.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jung von Matt: Leading independent German creative agency with multiple offices across DACH. Directly comparable to Saint Elmo's as a top-tier German creative shop winning major awards (Cannes Lions, ADC) and serving enterprise brands across automotive, retail, and consumer goods.
• Scholz & Friends: Major German creative agency network and former Serviceplan competitor. Comparable integrated creative offering for German enterprise clients, with strong brand-strategy heritage and overlapping client verticals including automotive and FMCG.
• Antoni (Antoni Berlin): Berlin-based creative agency within the Omnicom group known for bold, award-winning campaigns. Directly comparable to Saint Elmo's in terms of creative reputation, German enterprise client base, and ambition to win major international creative awards.
• thjnk: Independent German creative agency with offices in Hamburg, Berlin, Düsseldorf, and Munich. Closely comparable integrated creative offering, with overlapping client portfolio and similar positioning around brand strategy and digital transformation for enterprise clients.
• Kolle Rebbe: Hamburg-based creative agency known for award-winning brand campaigns. Closely comparable to Saint Elmo's Hamburg in creative style, German enterprise client roster, and specialism in brand storytelling across digital and traditional channels.
• Grabarz & Partner: Hamburg-based independent creative agency with strong focus on brand communications for German enterprise clients. Comparable in scale, creative reputation, and reliance on the DACH market for growth.

Broad incumbents

• DDB Germany: German arm of global DDB network (Omnicom). Competes with Saint Elmo's for major German brand budgets in automotive, retail, and consumer goods, but operates as part of a much larger global network rather than a DACH-focused independent.
• BBDO Germany: German arm of global BBDO network (Omnicom) and former employer of Saint Elmo's CEO Kathrin Jesse. Overlaps with Saint Elmo's in automotive, retail, and consumer brand work but offers deeper global network reach.

Others

• Serviceplan Group: Saint Elmo's parent group and Europe's largest independent agency group. Sister agencies like Serviceplan München compete for the same DACH clients and budgets, making Serviceplan a sibling peer rather than direct competitor, but relevant for network-level benchmarking.

Emerging players

• Pilot Screencast (MediaMonks / S4 Capital) Germany operations: Digital-first agency network expanding DACH presence. Comparable on integrated digital and content capabilities with Saint Elmo's Boost, but with a different operating model emphasising content production and global delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/saintelmos

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Saint Elmo's