Omnicom's TBWA\Worldwide has acquired Dark Horses, a UK creative agency for the world of spor.
The deal is designed to add depth to the UK group’s expertise across the total brand experience.
Commercial details of the acquisition haven't been released.
Dark Horses, led by CEO Melissa Robertson, ECD, Steve Howell and chief strategy officer, Matt Readman, prides itself on breaking away from the field and has a roster of clients bridging sport, fitness, health and wellbeing.
The agency's work includes supporting major sponsorship deals for global brand, Nissan, helping TikTok reach new audiences through their relationship with UEFA EURO 2020, creating Shelter’s #NoHomeKit which encourages football clubs to give up their home kit in aid of all those without a place to call home, and launching Peloton to the UK market.
In 2022, the team created The Seven Deadly Sins of Marketing Women’s Sport, a practical guide on how to properly promote women’s sport as it strives for parity on and off the field.
CEO Melissa Robertson believes now is the right time to join the TBWA family.
“This is an exciting deal that supports our boutique culture as independent, curious creatives, at the same time as providing the scale that can turn us into a truly global business," she says.
"We work with some of the most influential sports organisations in the world, so it’s thrilling to imagine what we can do with the reach of TBWA’s 11,000 strong collective.”
TBWA Global CEO, Troy Ruhanen, says he's been watching Dark Horses for some time.
"As a collection of best-in-class agencies at the top of their game, we’re always looking for those deep specialists that complement us and add significant expertise to the total brand experience of our clients," he says.
"I’m excited to see what growth they can unlock across the board.”
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