Vice Media has acquired commercial and music video production studio London Alley Entertainment. The Los Angeles-based production studio will merge with Vice-owned production company Pulse to create Vice Commercials and Branded Entertainment.
As part of the deal, Pulse’s Mino Jarjoura has been elevated to upped to president of the newly created division while London Alley exec Andrew Lerios will become chief operating officer.
Vice Commercials and Branded Entertainment “will leverage and support other businesses in the Vice portfolio,” including Vice Studios and ad agency Virtue. Per Vice Media, “Both Pulse and London Alley will retain their individual brand identities” under the combined division.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The recipient of multiple industry awards, including Cannes Lions, Clios, MTV VMAs and Grammys, London Alley has teamed with Swarovski, Pepsi, Bose, NFL and L’Oréal for ad campaigns, and musical artists including Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Post Malone and Kendrick Lamar on video projects.
The London Alley acquisition, which comes on the heels of Vice’s new distribution deal with ITV Studios, underlines the shifting strategy at the company, now run by owners Fortress Investment Group, Soros Capital Management and Monroe Capital, following years of financial turmoil, leadership upheaval and layoffs.
American Discovery Capital acted as financial adviser to London Alley in the deal.
“Vice has significant momentum, and this acquisition is another example of the success of our turnaround,” Vice Media CEO Bruce Dixon said. “We have the full support of our investors to explore strategic acquisitions that further strengthen and grow our business.”
Pulse’s Jarjoura added: “We have long admired London Alley and the incredible business that Luga, Brandon, Andrew, and the team have built. This strategic combination will create new opportunities for our world class directors and artists and enhance the innovative creative campaigns that we produce for global brands.”
“London Alley has always been about pushing creative boundaries and redefining visual storytelling, and there’s no better partner to amplify that vision than Vice,” London Alley founder Luga Podesta said. “We’ve admired Vice as a pioneer in culture, music, and boundary- breaking content—fearless in its approach and relentlessly authentic. Joining forces is a collision of creative energy that unlocks incredible opportunities for innovation, storytelling, and global reach. We’re beyond excited to bring our visual artistry to Vice’s iconic legacy and build something game-changing together.”
