Chemistry buys Boston's Colossus and opens its fifth US office

Chemistry has bought its way into Boston. The independent agency has acquired Colossus, a Boston advertising, design and media company, and the deal creates Chemistry Boston, its fifth US office after Atlanta, Pittsburgh, New York and Miami.

Terms were not disclosed.

Two decorated independents

Chemistry runs creative, digital and media under one roof for clients including Coca-Cola, Marriott, Salesforce, Netflix, the NFL and The Ad Council. It has been named Ad Age Small Agency of the Year three times, and says it has grown for seven years in a row. In 2025 it partnered with Breakwater Management to fund its next phase.

Colossus covers advertising, brand identity, design, production and media, with deep expertise in design systems and visual storytelling. It has also won Ad Age Small Agency of the Year three times, in healthcare, B2B and design. Recent work includes Adobe Acrobat, Wellness Pet Company, Kayem and Astound Broadband, a rebrand of Kendall Square alongside Moderna, Google, Microsoft and MIT, and an Emmy-winning autism film with Jon Stewart.

Co-founder and managing director Jon Balck joins Chemistry with the team.

The pitch

Chemistry CEO Ned Show framed it as a talent deal. "We're not acquiring just to get bigger," he said in the announcement. It is a familiar route for PE-backed independents: buy a respected local shop with a strong creative reputation, and a new city comes with it.

Running a well-regarded independent and wondering what it is worth to a buyer? Agencies.co can help.

Sources: Chemistry announcement (PR Newswire)