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Cummins & Partners exits CumminsHybrid as Adelaide agency returns to Hybrid brand

Independent creative agency Cummins & Partners has ended its South Australian joint venture with Hybrid, selling its stake in the CumminsHybrid business, a year after it began.

CumminsHybrid will go back to being called Hybrid, with founders Rob Porcaro, and Craig Jackson, having full ownership.

CumminsHybrid will be renamed Hybrid after one year in market

The two brands came together 12 months ago after Cummins & Partners closed its Adelaide office and moved its remaining staff into the offices of Hybrid. As part of the deal, Hybrid, which launched seven years ago, was rebranded as CumminsHybrid, with the agency becoming part of what Cummins labelled at the time “arguably Australia’s largest independent agency network”.

At the time, Cummins & Partners founder Sean Cummins insisted that the move did not mean an exit from Adelaide for his group, but the creation of a “unique” new model.

In this week’s announcement, Hybrid’s MD Porcaro said it was “always” in the plan for one agency to take the “lead position”.

When the company first launched at the beginning of last year, Cummins & Partners did not respond to Mumbrella’s questions on what stake the agency had in the new operation.

‘Hybrid’ will be operated by Rob Porcaro (left) and ECD Craig Jackson (second right)

“We are delighted to be able to finalise this deal as it was always in our plans that one agency would take the lead position when we first merged,” Porcaro said of the acquisition.

Mumbrella has confirmed partner Bronwen Gwynn-Jones has left the business and moved to Sydney to take up a role with Tourism NSW.

Sean Cummins, founder and global CEO of Cummins & Partners, said in a press release: “We loved our time in the market and defied a lot of the naysayers. But no one works better in South Australian market than South Australians.”

Chris Jeffares, CEO at Cummins & Partners, said it was “perfect timing” to sell the stake, as the company continued to consolidate its efforts in Melbourne, Sydney and New York.

“Rob and Craig are true entrepreneurs and that was what attracted us to them in the first place,” Jeffares said.

“From their growing Service Design capabilities through to their IP and startup incubator in HybridO2, they are really trying to push the boundaries of the industry in Adelaide and we look forward in watching them blaze a trail for South Australian agencies”.

The final acquisition follows client wins for the agency including SA Health, Tonsley Red Kangaroo Beverages, Electoral Commission and Department of Premier & Cabinet.

Other clients including the Motor Accident Commission, Cancer Council and Credit Union South Australia.

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