Aegis Group's revenues in the first half of the year reached $880 million - 19 percent more than in the first six months of 2005.

Strong results from Aegis's digital marketing unit, Isobar, along with $1.3 billion in new business for Aegis, drove revenue growth, reports AdWeek. Isobar revenue increased 30 percent in 1H06; media operations (Carat and Vizeum) increased 15 percent; and market research arm Synovate reacorded 25 percent revenue growth. In the U.S., revenue increased 3 percent, to $110 million, compared with the year-earlier period.

Pre-tax profits for the six months increased more than 15 percent, to $82 million, ahead of expectations. New business included work from Abbey Digital, Alain Affelou, Fiat, HP Foods, Hutchinson 3G and Orange. 1H06 organic revenue increased 7.2 percent, which is at the upper end of industry growth, writes AFX.

"We expect to deliver further good growth this year and beyond," said Aegis CEO Robert Lerwill, in a statement.