Game-changing merger as The Hardy Boys and Grey form new creative agency

Image supplied. Post-merger, VML will operate two distinct brands in the market: the main VML agency, and The Hardy Boys, which will comprise The Hardy Boys and Grey South Africa. L to r: Dale Tomlinson, founder of The Hardy Boys and Jarred Cinman, CEO of VML South Africa

The newly formed brand will be known as The Hardy Boys South Africa, uniting the extensive creative, design, and social expertise from both agencies into one of South Africa's mid-size boutique agencies.

“Our vision is to cultivate a mid-sized boutique agency that is part of our broader market offering,” says Jarred Cinman, CEO of VML South Africa.

“This business will benefit from the extensive capabilities of the larger VML network, encompassing creative, strategy, technology, data, social, and commerce.”

Both VML and The Hardy Boys will be creatively led by Fran Luckin, VML's chief creative officer, who has a long and successful history with Grey.

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Tlali Taoana steps down

As part of this evolution, Tlali Taoana, CEO and president of Grey South Africa will step down to explore new opportunities.

Taoana took on the leadership role at Grey in 2023 and has been instrumental in guiding the agency through a transformative period.

Reflecting on his time at Grey, Taoana says that leading Grey South Africa has been an incredible journey.

“I am immensely proud of the significant strides we made in building a powerful creative force and driving our clients' success.

“As I look to the future, I am excited about new possibilities ahead, and I remain deeply appreciative of the talented individuals and clients I've had the honour to work with."

Cinman says, "I have had the privilege of working with Tlali for a short time, but he has handled the business with courage and provided calm leadership through a challenging year.

“I particularly want to call out his incredible devotion to his people and clients.

“He is an excellent CEO, and I have no doubt he will go on to do amazing things in the future of this industry and beyond."

Grey South Africa made its mark as a creative leader, particularly over the past three years, with the Distell (now Heineken) brands.
Under Grey’s stewardship, Savanna became the #1 cider in the world.

The agency continues to work with an impressive portfolio of brands, including Hunters, Amarula, Bernini, Metropolitan, Burger King, Volvo, RMB, Haleon, and many others.

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The Hardy Boys

This month The Hardy Boys celebrates its 30th anniversary and the merger with Grey marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter, setting the stage for the next 30 years of growth and innovation.

VML recognises the importance of maintaining a presence in the market with a smaller, creatively driven agency.

Preserving and enhancing The Hardy Boys as a distinct brand aligns perfectly with this strategy.

Founded in 1994 by Dale Tomlinson, The Hardy Boys was named after the series of books by Franklin W Dixon in which Frank and Joe Hardy use their curiosity to solve seemingly unsolvable mysteries with help from their friends along the way.

While their curiosity often landed them in trouble, it was also the secret to their success. This problem-solving curiosity has been the spirit of THB since its inception.

“Launching an agency amid the euphoric emergence of our new democracy was certainly cause for heightened optimism even though Durban was not the epicentre of the industry.

“Maybe this was a pioneering example of remote working that is now the global norm. We were good at it, and we still are,” says Tomlinson.