Former TBWA and Whitegrey leaders open ‘creative practice’ Tightknit Studio

September 18, 2025 2:50

Lee Simpson and Evan Roberts have launched a new venture

Whitegrey’s former CEO Lee Simpson, and TBWA Sydney’s ex-chief creative officer Evan Roberts, have joined forces to open a new creative business, Tightknit Studio.

Described as a “creative practice” built upon deep collaboration and creative discipline, Tightknit was developed to respond to the demands of modern organisations operating in an ecosystem of better-resourced competitors, turbulent stakeholders, decreasing attention spans and “macro conditions”.

In addition to having an AI strategy, it deploys a tri-offering to service its clients: it provides an agency model; it collaborates with in-house teams; and it works as an “outsourced marketing function across the full marketing mix”. The company’s overall purpose is to apply creativity to as many areas of an organisation as possible.

“This gives us more opportunity to tackle both familiar challenges and new kinds of problems,” Simpson said in a media release announcing the new venture.

“We’ve been busy exploring models to help us do just that – from operating in a regular agency model, to partnering closely with in-house teams, and, perhaps most interestingly, already acting as an outsourced marketing function across the marketing mix.”

“Tightknit is a promise of how we work and what we deliver. We know business is more challenging than ever before. Tightknit Studio is a creative practice born to tame this complexity and turn it into something beautiful,” Roberts added.

Tightknit logo

Christina Knox — former senior brand marketing manager at Archie Rose Distilling Co — announced on Linkedin that she has joined Tightknit as its senior marketing manager.

“What excites me most about Tightknit is the way they take big, complex challenges and work with their clients to weave them into something beautiful. It’s inspiring to be part of a team that cares this much about the work and the people behind it, and I can’t wait to see what we create together!” Knox wrote.

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The agency’s opening marks a reunion between Roberts and Simpson. They were colleagues at Clemenger BBDO Melbourne, when the former served as its executive creative director, and the latter was its managing partner.

Simpson and Roberts collaborated on NAB’s “More Than Money” platform, which the banking giant launched in mid-2016. The duo are also known for working on the Victorian Transport Accident Commission’s “Meet Graham” campaign.

Before co-founding Tightknit, Simpson was the Australian CEO of WPP-owned advertising agency Whitegrey.

He officially stepped down from his position towards the end of March 2024, after it was announced that AKQA would absorb the agency into its fold. Simpson’s career has also seen him work as managing partner at M+C Saatchi Australia, board account director at AMV BBDO London, and business director and group account director at Grey London.

Roberts has more than 20 years of experience in the industry, having worked in copywriting roles at several companies, including at George Patterson Y&R (VML) where he also served as creative director for seven months from January to July in 2014. He left Clemenger BBDO Melbourne and started at TBWA Sydney in 2020. Roberts left TBWA in February this year.

“Building an agency from scratch means we aren’t dealing with legacy structures and can set ourselves up for the emerging future as well as help clients find their place in it. It’s an incredibly exciting moment in time,” Simpson said.

Tightknit already has several clients in its portfolio, covering ASX-listed institutions and start-ups. These include sectors such as charities, fast-moving consumer goods, financial services, and property.