History Will Be Kind snaps up DOUBLESTAR CO

History Will Be Kind has acquired Sydney brand and design agency DOUBLESTAR CO, bringing its team into the communications agency and appointing co-founder Jye Smith as executive creative director.

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The deal expands HWBK’s capabilities across brand strategy, design and production, alongside its existing communications, social, influencer and reputation work. All DOUBLESTAR CO employees will transition into the HWBK team.

HWBK expands upstream into brand and design

DOUBLESTAR CO was founded in 2019 by Smith and Baptiste C David. The agency has since delivered more than 250 projects spanning brand, strategy, content and film.

Its clients have included Advanced Navigation, Airtasker, BYD, Hanrob and Kayo Sports. Smith has more than 20 years of industry experience, including senior roles at Red Engine, PwC and Weber Shandwick.

EJ Granleese, founder and CEO of History Will Be Kind, said the acquisition would allow the agency to work with clients earlier in the brand-building process.

“Working with the expertise of the DOUBLESTAR CO team, including Jye who steps in as HWBK’s Executive Creative Director, our thinking can now start earlier and run deeper - from what a brand needs to stand for, through to how it shows up, the communications that earn it a place in hearts and minds, and the approach needed to win in the AI age.”

Granleese said the model was designed to bring those disciplines together rather than passing work between separate teams.

DOUBLESTAR CO team joins HWBK

Smith said DOUBLESTAR CO was built around bringing strategy and craft together rather than treating them as separate stages.

“I've said for years that splitting them is how you end up with work that's smart but forgettable, or beautiful but pointless,” Smith said.

“Being part of HWBK means our team gets to do that properly, at real scale, backed by real communications insight and a genuinely great group of people across disciplines.”

Smith said the combined team was already working across new and existing briefs.

The expanded agency will offer brand and creative strategy, earned communications, influencer and social work, integrated campaigns, production, content, film and digital design.

Acquisition follows leadership and awards momentum

The deal follows the appointment of Edwina Brook as managing director in September 2025. HWBK also operates its Brand Visibility Engine practice with sister agency Deepend.

The agency was recently named Agency of the Future at the APAC In2 SABRE Awards and was included among PRovoke Media’s Top 14 PR Agencies in APAC. It also received Employer of the Year and PR-Led Content Campaign of the Year honours at the Mumbrella CommsCon Awards.

Brook said the acquisition marked the beginning of a new phase for the agency.

“It feels like we’re truly fighting fit and my focus is continuing to elevate the work and impact, leading from the front and never settling,” she said.

History Will Be Kind is part of Deepend Group, alongside Deepend and How To Impact.