What you need to know:

• Indie digital agency Sparro has acquired socialfirst creative and production house Jack Nimble.
• The acquisition creates a 90person business that adds to the $120 million in ad spend already managed by Sparro.

Sparro, Australia’s largest independent digital agency, has acquired creative and production shop Jack Nimble that specialises in short-form, social-first content.

The merger will create a 90-person business forecast to reach 33 per cent growth for the 2022 financial year, as well as fill a gap for data-led social content and creative, Cam Bryant, Sparro’s co-founder, said. Jack Nimble will continue to operate as a separate business, with clients like eBay, American Express, Gumtree, Tourism Australia, humm and HelloFresh.

“Data erosion, automation and the low barrier to start marketing online means the ‘we’re here’ type marketing of the past is finished. You need to say something, resonate and create actual brand impact,” Bryant said.

“We’re taking that approach and applying performance principles with measurement, testing, and innovation.”

Adam Wise, who co-founded Jack Nimble in 2017, said it was “love at first sight” when they were approached by Sparro.

“(Co-founder) Angus (Mullane) and I started Jack Nimble because we saw a gap in the market for a social-first creative agency and production company hybrid,” Wise said. “To get us closer to living up to our vision, we knew we had to bring social-first creative, production and media together under the one roof. So when Sparro came knocking on our door thinking the same thing, it was love at first sight. We’re really looking forward to working with them to bring our shared vision to life.”

Sparro was founded by Morris and Cameron Bryant in 2013, has 80 staff and manages $120 million in ad spend for companies like WebJet, Temple & Webster and Catch Group.