ZEAL Acquires 51% Stake in Social Studio Tommy

Top row L-R: Rachel Roberts, John Treacy, Will Tunstall, Chew Guo-You, Tim Solano, Ali Sargeant
Bottom row L-R: Stewart Hilton, Chris Edwards, Harriet Donovan, Rob White

​Award-winning independent brand activation agency ZEAL has acquired a 51% stake in Tommy, the social-first creative studio behind standout work for Amazon, TikTok, Netflix, Mastercard and Google. The move unites the two independent agencies’ complementary strengths and shared ambition to deliver culture-driving creativity that moves people and products alike.

The acquisition addresses a new reality for brands: one where attention is collapsing, buying journeys are messy and often instantaneous, and every interaction has to earn both equity and conversion. Bringing together Tommy’s social and content specialists with ZEAL’s shopper, experiential and partnerships, the agencies will offer ideas built to collapse the gap between inspiration and purchase, driving both brand equity and sales effectiveness in the same moment.

Founded in London with studios in Los Angeles and Singapore, Tommy adds global reach and deep craft in social-first content, AR, OOH and experiential - backed by a client roster that lives at the centre of culture and technology. Tommy will retain its brand and creative independence while integrating with ZEAL’s wider offering, joining ZEAL’s London and Manchester hubs to serve clients across markets and disciplines.

Tommy’s CEO Chris Edwards told LBB how essential it was that Tommy was able to retain its own independent brand.

He said, “Tommy isn’t just a name; it’s a way of thinking and what makes us the company that we are. Keeping our creative independence lets us take risks, move fast, and make work that truly stands out. ZEAL helps us grow while the culture and freedom that makes Tommy unique stays untouched.”

Stewart Hilton, co-founder of ZEAL, added, “ZEAL has acquired Tommy because of who they are and what they do, not because we want to change things. We love Tommy’s brand and how passionate they are about the distinctive work their brilliant team creates. Tommy are already winning fame for their work for TikTok, Netflix, Amazon, YouTube and Mastercard. All we want to do at ZEAL is give them more brands to play with in our FMCG specialist area. When we see network holding companies consolidating once famous brands that their teams are so passionate about, it makes us sad. At ZEAL, we are about ENERGY, and the best way to drive this within our group is for Tommy to proudly continue what they do best - and to be called Tommy whilst doing it!”

With bases in LA and Singapore, Stewart still believes that a “Manchester-born” activation can deliver for global clients. He said, “The question we are asking right now is if Europe’s leading independent specialist in brand activation can add genuine value to clients in Asia Pac. We think that if we focus clearly on our FMCG niche and find a way to combine our best-in-class strategy and creativity forged in the ultra competitive UK retail landscape, alongside local leadership and knowledge, ZEAL may indeed be able to give clients things that the larger networks might find difficult to match.”

Together, ZEAL and Tommy will deliver seamless, end-to-end activation – with ideas built to travel from culture to commerce, powered by social-first craft, activation expertise and partnerships. The combination strengthens ZEAL’s FMCG leadership while opening new opportunities across tech, entertainment and culture.

The combined offer will be underpinned by Zeal EQ™, ZEAL’s proprietary methodology for building emotional impact and effectiveness across touchpoints.

ZEAL CSO Lorna Hawtin told LBB how Tommy’s AR would be integrated into ZEAL EQ. She explained, “ZEAL EQ has always been about how energy moves through the whole buying cycle. Tommy’s AR and experiential expertise strengthens that lens by helping us understand how different experiences generate different kinds of emotional impact, from immersion and participation to social signalling and shared meaning.

“Social-first and experiential content doesn’t mean emotion is measured differently so much as more carefully. The question isn’t just how intense an experience feels, but whether the emotional energy is doing the right job at the right point in the journey in order to unlock growth.”

The move forms part of ZEAL’s long-term growth strategy and follows a period of significant momentum for the agency, including the launch of experiential offering ZEAL X and partnerships arm ZEAL Collab in 2024, fuelling the growth of its global client roster that includes Nestle, Arla, Suntory and Kraft Heinz.

With people now buying “in a single scroll”, a social-first approach to legacy brands like Kraft Heinz can breathe new life into a traditional shopping experience. Lorna said, “When we talk about people buying in a single scroll, we’re really talking about where culture and commerce collide. For a brand like Kraft Heinz, we’re realistic. People might not be adding tinned soup to their basket mid-feed; spontaneity in FMCG is more subtle. It shows up when a familiar brand is re-seen through humour, usage or everyday rituals, nudging habit and refreshing memory before the shop even begins. Tommy’s social-first craft helps us design those moments deliberately, not just amplifying shopper ideas in social, but shaping them to work earlier, where distinctive cultural signals and buying instincts overlap. It’s still shopper thinking, just doing its hardest work in culture, before anyone reaches the shelf.”

The acquisition also strengthens ZEAL’s position in the tech and entertainment space – a key growth area for the agency. Through ZEAL X and ZEAL Collab, ZEAL already partners with brands including PlayStation, Sony, Spotify and Sky. With Tommy’s client base and creative firepower across brands such as Amazon, Netflix, TikTok, Adobe and Google, the group is doubling down on its ambition to deliver standout work across the culture and content spectrum.

Chris added, “Our strength has always been in creating distinctive work; it stands out, gets noticed, and shapes culture. The challenge in retail and FMCG isn’t that creativity can’t exist there; it’s about combining that distinctiveness with data, scale, and regulatory requirements. For us, it’s about making work that drives results while still feeling unmistakably Tommy.”

Founded in Manchester in 2014, ZEAL has grown into one of the UK’s most awarded independent activation agencies. Named “IPM Agency of the Year” for three consecutive years (2025, 2024, 2023), winner of Campaign Experience Awards’ “Most Outstanding Creative Idea” (2024), and still the only UK agency ever shortlisted for an Effie in Shopper Marketing, ZEAL is consistently recognised for both creative excellence and commercial effectiveness. With its mission to become the world’s most recommended agency, ZEAL continues to expand its capability and global reach to meet the challenges of a disrupted brand-building landscape. 

Stewart shared his hopes for the acquisition, “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. Tommy shares that mission – they’re one of the best social and content studios out there, with incredible talent, exceptional craft and an instinct for what matters in culture. Together, we’ll deliver work that inspires action, wherever brands show up.”

Regarding Tommy’s perspective Chris said, “We’ve always believed in creativity that genuinely connects with people. With ZEAL, we can scale that belief - blending our social-first craft with ZEAL’s strengths in brand activation and partnerships to create bold, globally connected work that moves people and products. We’ve built our reputation with brands at the centre of culture like Amazon, TikTok and Netflix, and with ZEAL we’ll channel that same spirit into FMCG’s biggest names – delivering ideas with the independence, speed and audacity needed to thrive in today’s market.”