Hardie Grant Media has acquired creative communications agency Keep Left, adding to its network of independent marketing agencies.
Keep Left, founded in 2001 by founder and Managing Director of Keep Left, Caroline Catterall, operates in Melbourne and Sydney, delivering PR and creative campaigns across financial services, technology, sustainability, property, not-for-profit and the public sector.
Its clients include Australia Post, ANZ, Guide Dogs, Experian, Great Southern Bank, Charter Hall and St Vincent de Paul.
The acquisition brings Keep Left into Hardie Grant Media’s agency group, which includes Reload Media, Heads & Tales, Tide Communications, Sherpa, Mercedes-Benz, Yamaha, Nintendo, SodaStream and BIG4.
Catterall will remain as Managing Director alongside business partner Gillian Gosling as Head of PR. The agency will continue to operate under its own brand and leadership, with the full team, including Executive Creative Director Blair Kimber and Head of Creative and Content Johanna Murray, joining Hardie Grant Media.
Craig Somerville, Group Managing Director of Hardie Grant Media, said: “Caroline and Gill have built a brilliant agency with a clear point of view, a strong team, and deep client relationships. Keep Left’s earned-first approach and creative thinking make it a great fit for our group. We’re excited to welcome them and look forward to what’s next.”
Keep Left’s earned media evaluation tool, Impact Score, will also sit within the group. Updated in collaboration with OpenAI, the platform automates coverage logging and is available by subscription to agencies and in-house teams.
Catterall said: “It’s been an incredible journey building Keep Left into the agency it is today. Gill and I are so proud of the team, the work, and the client partnerships we’ve nurtured over the years.
“Joining Hardie Grant marks an exciting new chapter for us as a levelled-up Indie. For our clients, it will mean access to even more integrated thinking, specialist capabilities and creativity – which will help us reach audiences in new and innovative ways.
“For our team, it brings new colleagues, new growth opportunities, and the chance to collaborate across a broader national network. Most importantly, we’re joining a group that genuinely values its people and culture. We’re energised by what’s ahead.”
Nick Hardie-Grant, Chief Executive Officer of Hardie Grant – which includes book publishing business Hardie Grant Publishing and HGX, the group’s digital venture studio – added: “We’ve long admired Keep Left and its reputation for delivering meaningful work.
“In addition to the impressive team, the Impact Score is a genuinely exciting product with huge potential and a real point of difference for our agencies. With the support of the broader business and continued investment we’re looking forward to helping it reach its full potential.”
Top image: Craig Somerville, Caroline Catterall, Gillian Gosling, Nick Hardie-Grant