Agency roundup: connective3; Hatch; and more

Leeds performance agency, connective3, has launched a new partner business – Refract Productions.

Refract, led by Richard Wilson, was founded following a successful year of video and photography client wins, with the last 12 months seeing the team appointed by brands such as IWC, Q Hotels and Global Knives.

Across the last year the team have travelled to provide location led creative services for the above brands in destinations including Mexico, Norway, Italy and Germany.

As a result of this consistent growth, the decision was made to establish Refract Productions as a standalone entity.

connective3 CEO, Tim Grice, said: “A key part of our strategy has always been to invest in talent.

“The work delivered by Richard and the team over the last 18 months has been exceptional and has carved out a creative production arm to the business.

“Refract gives us a unique opportunity to broaden our service offering and industry experience, as well as linking those creative capabilities with our channel teams, amplifying performance and growth.

“I’m extremely excited about this venture and how it can help drive performance as well as our international expansion.”

Wilson added: “Coming into my fourth year at connective3, building out the Video and Photography offering, I’m really excited to launch Refract Productions as connective3’s first partner business.

“The support from the management team at connective3 has been nothing short of incredible.

“Refract Productions is the natural service progression to an already impressive service offering.

“Combining Refract’s stand out visuals and connective3’s market leading digital performance ensures no matter the challenge, we can take on any project.”

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Creative communications agency, Hatch, has won a competitive tender for UK Sport, the nation’s sports agency, to showcase “social media impact” stories from sports and events which are powering positive change.

Leeds-based Hatch, which specialises in PR, content production, social media and activation, has already begun to tell these stories, with the first campaign going live recently.

It highlights the journey of 22-year-old Team GB Hockey athlete and Olympic hopeful, Darcy Bourne, who is active in her community with hopes of using her platform to help diversify the sport.

With focus switching to this summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games, one of the key areas of work within UK Sport’s Strategic Plan is to power lasting change for people and the planet – known as social impact.

The objective of the brief is to identify and deliver stories which demonstrate sport’s ability to effect the greatest change and positive impact.

Matt Peden, managing partner at Hatch, said: “We’re passionate believers in the power that sport can play in society from grassroots to elite performance.

“We’ve seen first-hand across a range of sports how important an athlete’s voice can be in driving positive change, so we’re really looking forward to working with the team at UK Sport to help share stories like that of Darcy’s, which are beyond inspiring.”

Beth Moorley, communications officer at UK Sport, added: “We’re fortunate that we have so many unique and influential stories to tell across a range of sports and we’re excited to see these come to life with the help of the team at Hatch.

“We were really impressed with their approach to the tender and the first piece with Darcy is a brilliant example of the work to come.”

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