Corbis to Acquire NMA Group

Corbis, the digital media company owned by Bill Gates that licenses the intellectual property rights to photographs, music and public personalities, is expanding again by acquiring the NMA Group in Los Angeles, a pioneer in the realm of branded entertainment, which helps marketers weave products into the plots of movies and television shows.

Clients of NMA, also known as Norm Marshall & Associates, include General Motors, Heineken, Puma, the SodaStream soda maker and the Xbox unit of Microsoft. The acquisition is to be announced on Monday.

“This will greatly expand our ability to offer advertisers ways to more closely affiliate with branded entertainment,” said Gary Shenk, chief executive at Corbis in Seattle.

NMA, which also has offices in New York and London, will operate as an autonomous unit of the entertainment division of Corbis.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/09/business/media/corbis-to-acquire-nma-group.html?_r=1