Australia – Havas has announced its agreement to acquire Hotglue, an independent media agency and creative production company, as a strategic move to bolster its growth in the Australian market.
Founded in 2010, Hotglue has become renowned for its integrated social, digital, media, and content services. It has rapidly scaled in recent years, serving leading brands like L’Oreal, Dulux, and Transurban, among others. As the ‘glue’ in its integrated model, Hotglue aligns seamlessly with Havas’ integrated model.
With this acquisition, Hotglue is set to enhance Havas’ ability to deliver advanced media and activation solutions throughout the customer decision journey. It will also meet marketers’ growing demand for integrated strategies that maximise consumer engagement across various media and e-commerce channels.
Furthermore, Hotglue’s addition to Havas Village Australia will enhance and extend the group’s existing media, digital, and content services. Hotglue will merge with Havas Media Melbourne, creating a larger, more dynamic team with enhanced expertise and leadership across digital, e-commerce, media, and activation functions.
Havas’ acquisition of Hotglue is the latest move to accelerate its Converged global strategy and shift towards a more client-centric, audience-first, and integrated approach.
Upon completion of the transaction, subject to customary conditions, the new Havas Media Melbourne team will be led by Hotglue’s founders: Nick Smith, Lewis Hearn, and Matt Hearn.
The combined team will include over 65 professionals at the Melbourne agency, expanding its scale and growth potential. This will elevate Havas’ Melbourne presence to over 120 staff across media, creative, PR, health, and digital project management.
Speaking on the acquisition, Smith said, “Since our inception 14 years ago, Matt, Lewis, and I set out to create the independent agency we always wanted to work in—one our clients deserved and an environment where our staff had the opportunity to flourish. It’s been a fun ride, and we’ve been successful in achieving just that.”
“When Havas knocked on our door and we got to know Virginia’s future vision, Havas’s sense of purpose, and their strategy for the future, it became abundantly clear that this was the next logical step for Hotglue and our team of over 55 dedicated staff. We’re thrilled to bring our fantastic culture, social, media, and production capabilities and incredibly skilled workforce into the Havas network. This move not only adds support to existing clients but further establishes Havas as a formidable presence in the Melbourne market,” he continued.
Meanwhile, Yannick Bolloré, chairman and CEO of Havas, said, “We are thrilled to welcome the Hotglue team to our Havas family. Hotglue is a forward-thinking business that perfectly aligns with Havas’ global Converged strategy, sharing our deep focus on clients’ ever-increasing needs for cross-functional, fully integrated communications solutions driven by standout creativity and the best technology. The momentum they’ve created through their integrated approach to digital, media, and content services is remarkable, and we are excited to see how their addition will support our continued, mutual growth.”
Virginia Hyland, CEO of Havas Media Network AUNZ, also said, “Following Hotglue’s success over many years, I have always admired the pedigree of the talented team, their strategic smarts, and their consistent delivery of high-quality results, which has driven their agency’s growth and success. Integrating Hotglue into Havas Media Melbourne will enhance our scale and ability to offer comprehensive solutions across the consumer decision-making journey for our clients. This acquisition supports our progressive Havas Converged strategy and operating system. I look forward to warmly welcoming the Hotglue team as we grow our Melbourne Village footprint, adding even greater depth of skills and expertise to our talented team.”
James Wright, group CEO at Havas Creative Network AUNZ and global chair of Havas PR Network, also commented, “As we look to strategically scale in Melbourne, it’s important we add greater talents and capability to our media agency business. With the expertise and brilliance of Nick, Lewis, Matt, and their team, we will have a significant foundation to further attract exciting new clients and talent to the Havas Group. We look forward to bringing the team across and building an even more powerful Melbourne Village.”
