RSBG Infrastructure Limited has snapped up The Yard Creative for an undisclosed fee, as part of its plan to rejuvenate physical shopping and the high street.
The agency will complement the group’s urban development portfolio, atop its experience in brand activation and experience work for the likes of Nike, Fortnum & Mason, Converse, John Lewis & Partners, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Max Factor and Bourjois.
Following its 2018 acquisition of architecture firm Leslie Jones Architecture, a firm specialising in reimagining urban centres, RSBG will integrate The Yard into these commercial opportunities. In particular, it appears that The Yard will help create an ‘ownable’ identity for property spaces to maximise value for local councils and property developers.
Steve James-Royle, co-founder of The Yard Creative, said: “It has been our ambition, since inception, that TYC should have a positive effect on the world around us. Our process of using research and insight to generate strategy and design enables us to create evidential innovation, giving our clients a competitive advantage. It is this unique process this has set us apart from the norm and we are immensely proud of our projects and clients alike."
Tushar Prabhu, chief executive of RSBG Infrastructure, added: “The joining of forces with Leslie Jones and the wider RSBG family will mean that, with the support of a group of like-minded companies, we can continue achieving our ambitions on an even bigger scale.
“Leslie Jones Architecture and The Yard Creative share many synergies and complement each other’s strengths. Now united within the RSBG Infrastructure group, these two companies form a unique, engaging and strong proposition that other masterplanning and placemaking businesses cannot match.”
The Yard said in a release that it aims to operate as an “autonomous” innovation agency delivering research, strategy and design.
It will reportedly maintain its presence in retail, food and beverage, transport, leisure and property sectors – with a global expansion into hospitality, workspace, urban renewal and regeneration projects.