Why TBWA has taken over the reins at Dark Horses

TBWA\London has found itself with another capability to its offering, with Omnicom shifting the specialist sports marketing agency Dark Horses - previously sharing offices with Lucky Generals - into its Bankside HQ.

Dark Horses, which Omnicom acquired in April 2023, now comes under the responsibility of TBWA\London's CEO Larissa Vince and CCO Andy Jex, while Matt Readman, the pre-existing CSO of Dark Horses, makes up the final part of the leadership triumvirate.

While TBWA\London's creative output are a known quantity, Dark Horses' creds might be a little bit more obscure given its focus on sports marketing. But there are plenty of creative highlights, across clients including adidas, Nissan and Prime Video.

For example, last December Dark Horses created 'Dare to Defy', a three-part documentary with Nissan, taking a forensic lens to accessibility and inclusivity in sport.

Launching on Prime Video on 3 December - the International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2024- the documentary starred broadcaster Adele Roberts and double Paralympic gold medal winner Richard Whitehead MBE.

It saw them embark on a journey to learn more about the barriers to participation in sport that underrepresented communities face, with the ultimate goal of putting on the most inclusive running event.

Similarly, its debut campaign for Great British Racing (GBR) in May saw the agency delve into real-life experiences of racegoers to tell emotionally engaging human stories about how racing brings people closer together.

The film brought together a host of videos, voice notes and still images - a mixture of real videos, shot footage and GBR race day footage - from a host of racegoers.

Other recent work from Dark Horses includes ‘NISMO Electric Racer Tokyo’ - the first video-game for the Nissan Formula E Team’.

The game launched alongside a classic 1990s-inspired video game ad, created in collaboration with Japanese illustrator Kentaro Yoshida, that blended gameplay with real-life race footage and the feel of a classic toy ad.

The integration of Dark Horses into TBWA saw the departure of CEO Melissa Robertson and CCO Steve Howell as the new leadership team takes charge. They have plans to expand the Dark Horses brand into some global markets, although it will remain headquartered in the UK.

Vince, Readman and Jex discuss the move and what it means for the future of both agencies, their capabilities, and for their clients.

Creative Salon: So why the merger and why bring it under the TBWA wing?

Larissa Vince: I think the main driver, as is often the case with these things, was client appetite. Over the last 18 months - maybe even longer - we’ve seen a huge rise in interest from clients in sport, passions, and fan culture. At TBWA, this has been especially noticeable.

Dark Horses’ understanding of fandom is not just brilliant within sport marketing - it’s incredibly relevant to non-sports clients who have an interest in sport. Most of our clients already have major sponsorships in areas like Formula 1 and football, across a broad range of sports. So, it’s a natural alignment.

As for TBWA - it’s because sport is global. Along with music, it’s one of the few truly growing global cultural forces. It transcends borders.

One of the big opportunities for us is international expansion, and TBWA’s global collective gives us that existing footprint in key markets. Staying as a UK-only entity wouldn’t have allowed us to capitalise on that.

And culturally, there’s a lot of alignment between Dark Horses and the concept of disruption. Matt and I were just saying - Dark Horses has always talked about breaking new ground and doing things differently creatively. That’s exactly the essence of disruption.

Matt Readman: Yes, we used to say, “breaking away from the field”- a bit of a horse pun - but it’s true. Sport can be incredibly conventional because of all the rules, the rights, the sacredness of fandom - it belongs to the fans. So it’s easy for everything to become a bit samey.

From the start, Dark Horses aimed to break out of that and be truly disruptive. That’s why the TBWA model fits us so well. It offers a simpler, clearer message to clients about who we are and what we stand for.

CS: Sports marketing is quite a crowded market though, isn’t it? Is there still growth to be had? And if so, where?

MR: Definitely. Over the last decade, the market has grown by about 150 per cent. We’ve gone from $100bn annually to $250 billion globally. The majority of that spend is in traditional media aimed at reaching sports fans, with around 20 per cent in sponsorships.

But sports marketing itself is changing - it’s moved from being driven by hospitality, PR and experiential to being centred on creativity. It’s now about content and experiences that stand out, that are different. Creativity is now core. That’s another reason why TBWA is such a good fit - it allows us to double down on that creative edge the market is demanding.

CS: Andy, in terms of creative ambitions- have you admired any particular work from Dark Horses? Are there areas you’d like the business to move into creatively?

Andy Jex: Yes, the goal is to scale up the specialist, convention-breaking work that Dark Horses does so well. There are a few standout campaigns I mentioned to the team last week. Vanarama Wrexham, for example - a fantastic piece of work. And the ‘No Home Kit’ campaign for Shelter, where players wore away shirts - that was lovely.

The work is really strong. Now we want to take that kind of creativity to a wider audience and to more clients.

CS: As Matt mentioned, sports marketing has traditionally been about sponsorship and activation, which can be limiting creatively. But are there areas where you're seeing expansion beyond that?

AJ: Yes - and the activation space itself is huge and quite elastic. For example, there are things like Nissan’s Amazon documentaries- that arguably falls under content more than traditional advertising.

So whether it’s producing documentaries, race-day experiences, or PR stunts like the Wrexham campaign, the creative canvas is broad. Dark Horses’ existing portfolio is quite varied - yes, there are traditional out-of-home, TV and online films, but also a lot of those bigger activation-style ideas.

From my experience working on adidas, for example, they still put massive emphasis on ground activations - alongside major World Cup campaigns. So there’s room for both.

CS: And there’s still space for innovation in sport, creatively?

LR: Definitely. As Matt said, the market is crowded, which means clients really need to stand out. If a property is hot, there can be hundreds of sponsors so creativity becomes essential. That’s actually a good incentive for brands.

AJ: And there’s something unique about sport - it’s not the same as other categories. Some clients are hesitant because they don’t feel like they “know” sport. Taking on a rugby or cricket sponsorship can feel daunting. So having an agency with deep specialism in sport gives huge reassurance. That’s not true of most other categories, but it really is in sport.

CS: That leads nicely to my next question: what are the benefits for clients? And have you worked together on any shared business yet?

LR: Not really. Nissan is a big organisation, and different parts of it work with Dark Horses and TBWA respectively. So while it’s one brand, it’s not the same client. There’s no real overlap, but the shared knowledge is definitely helpful.

The benefits go both ways. Dark Horses clients now get access to international data, specialist services, and resources they might not have had before. TBWA clients gain access to that fan culture expertise and sports insight. We’re already seeing TBWA clients expressing strong interest.

CS: When you say “sport”, does that include eSports and gaming

MR: Yes, eSports definitely falls under that umbrella. It’s still a less mature market, so while brands are spending in it, the activations aren’t as advanced yet. Most spend is still in traditional sport, because it lends itself better to advertising and activation. But we expect eSports to grow and become more important over time.

CS: Is Dark Horses becoming a global brand under the TBWA umbrella?

LV: Yes. Our first international office - Amsterdam - just opened. We’re aiming to open another four or five in key markets over the coming months. We won’t be in every market, but a presence in six key locations globally makes sense.

CS: And will the three of you be running the network?

LV: Yes, certainly in terms of brand positioning and what we stand for. TBWA is an independently minded collective. Local offices have autonomy, but the brand ethos - like 'disruption - remains consistent. It’s our blueprint, and local teams adapt it to fit.

CS: How will you split your time between TBWA and Dark Horses?

LV: Like anything, it’s about being smart with time- knowing when to have the right conversations with the right people. The team will move into Bankside soon, and being physically together will make things much more efficient.

CS: A quick one to wrap up - what are your favourite sports and teams?

LV: I’m a Nottingham Forest fan. You’re allowed to mention the tattoo - just not where it is!

AJ: My dad’s a Tottenham fan - but as a rebellious child, I support Arsenal. It was pure defiance.

MR: I’m into pretty much every sport, which baffles my wife. She’s always saying, “You’re watching another sport?” Football-wise, I support QPR. I was given a shirt at six and I’ve stuck with it—despite the pain!

LV: The only thing I don’t like is rugby. I’ll watch darts, golf - anything but rugby.