Seattle-based agency New Engen has entered into an agreement to acquire Grapevine, a creator-powered performance content network that produces authentic creator content and activates it through whitelisted paid social campaigns.

The acquisition addresses what New Engen identifies as a constraint in paid social: scalable, authentic creator content at volume. Justin Hayashi, CEO at New Engen, said the deal reflects changes in how brands approach paid social advertising.

“As media buying becomes increasingly automated, creative and audience access are emerging as the primary growth levers in paid social,” Hayashi said in a press release. “Creator-led content isn’t just a format shift – it’s becoming growth infrastructure.”

Grapevine’s Creator Network and Capabilities

Grapevine operates a curated roster of more than 700 creators. The company provides strategic briefing aligned to business objectives, manages pre and post-production and optimization in-house, and distributes creator-produced, advertorial-style content through creator and publisher whitelisting on paid social channels. Grapevine also supports brands with editorial, blog, and long-form creator content.

Caroline Levere, CEO and co-founder of Grapevine, said the partnership provides infrastructure to expand the company’s offerings. 

“New Engen and Grapevine already share clients like Arrae and Rugiet, and this is a natural next step that allows us to accelerate our vision and deliver more creative, media, and measurement capabilities to our clients,” Levere said.

Expanded Creator Capabilities

The acquisition expands New Engen’s creator-focused performance capabilities within its broader full-funnel digital marketing offering. The agency’s Donut Studios delivers high-volume creative from brand handles, while Grapevine will scale creator-produced content through whitelisted creator accounts.

Nick Shah, CEO of Artisan Ventures, co-founded Grapevine and will support the transition into the New Engen creator ecosystem. New Engen reports managing more than $1 billion in annual ad spend and maintains partnerships with major digital platforms.

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