ZEAL acquires majority stake in creative agency Tommy

Independent brand activation agency ZEAL has acquired a 51% stake in social-first creative studio Tommy, as it looks to strengthen its offering amid shrinking attention spans and increasingly fragmented buying journeys.

The acquisition brings together ZEAL’s expertise across shopper marketing, experiential and partnerships with Tommy’s capabilities in social-first content, AR, out-of-home and experiential work. Tommy counts Amazon, TikTok, Netflix, Mastercard and Google among its clients.

In a statement, ZEAL said the move is aimed at helping brands close the gap between inspiration and purchase, delivering ideas designed to drive both brand equity and sales in the same moment.

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Founded in London, Tommy operates studios in Singapore and Los Angeles, adding global reach to ZEAL’s existing London and Manchester hubs. The studio will retain its brand and creative independence while integrating into ZEAL’s wider offering to serve clients across markets and disciplines.

The combined offering will be underpinned by Zeal EQ, ZEAL’s proprietary methodology focused on driving emotional impact and effectiveness across touchpoints.

The acquisition forms part of ZEAL’s broader growth strategy, following the launch of its experiential arm ZEAL X and partnerships unit ZEAL Collab in 2024. According to the agency, these moves have supported the expansion of ZEAL’s global client roster, which includes Nestlé, Arla, Suntory and Kraft Heinz.

It also deepens ZEAL’s presence in the tech and entertainment space, a key growth area for the agency. Through ZEAL X and ZEAL Collab, ZEAL already works with brands such as PlayStation, Sony, Spotify and Sky. With Tommy’s client base spanning Amazon, Netflix, TikTok, Adobe and Google, the group said it is doubling down on culture-led and content-driven creativity.

“Since 2017, Tommy has been built on the belief that creativity should move at the speed of culture and technology. Joining forces with ZEAL allows us to accelerate that vision at scale, pairing our strength in social-first activations, innovation and interactive experiences with ZEAL’s award-winning brand and retail activation expertise," said Chew Guo-You, managing director at Tommy Singapore.

"Together, we're uniquely positioned to help global brands create meaningful impact across APAC at every key moment of engagement," he added. 

In tandem, Stewart Hilton, co-founder of ZEAL, said, “We’re in the middle of the biggest disruption to brand building since TV advertising. The funnel has collapsed. Culture moves faster than campaigns. And people can discover, consider and buy in a single scroll. At ZEAL, our mission has always been to create energy that cuts through that noise and drives action, especially for the world’s biggest FMCG brands."

"Partnering with Tommy gives us world-class creative craft and global reach, with new hubs in APAC and LA extending our ability to serve clients across regions. Together, we’ll deliver ideas that inspire action and build brands in the same moment – whether that’s in London, Los Angeles or here in Asia," added Hilton.

The acquisition builds on Tommy’s efforts to strengthen its regional leadership. In August last year, Tommy Singapore appointed Pearlyn Ong as its creative director, signalling a continued push for bolder, social-first work in the market.

Ong joined from Lazada, where she led creative for the beauty vertical across Southeast Asia, and previously held senior creative roles at Grey. At Tommy, she oversees creative strategy and output, with a focus on work that balances originality with commercial impact.

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