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Jason Langer

Minneapolis marketing agency Riley Hayes has acquired branding agency Triage Co., which was founded by Target Corp. creative alum Jason Langer.

"This partnership gives Riley Hayes a strong strategic shot in the arm, opening us up to an entirely new stream of business," said Tom Hayes, founder and president of Riley Hayes, in a statement.

Langer, who had worked at Target since 1998, co-founded Target Creative, the retailer's in-house creative agency. After leaving the company in 2016, Langer went on to start Triage which focuses on brand consulting for "early stage ventures, private equity turnarounds and major label rebrands."

As part of the acquisition, Langer will become the vice president executive creative director at Riley Hayes. Agency leaders hope the move will add more brand development and retail strategy depth to Riley Hayes.

"I was drawn to Riley Hayes because of their client-centric focus," Langer said, in a statement. "Many agencies claim this as a core value, but all too often their work tells a different story. Riley Hayes means it. Their collaborative approach to problem solving is unlike any agency I've encountered."

Riley Hayes has recently completed advertising campaigns for Delta Air Lines and HealthEast.