House 337 Unveils New Dedicated Sports Practice

House 337, the creative agency, proudly announces the launch of its new dedicated practice for sport.

Leading the sports team at House 337 are agency veterans Josh Green as executive creative director, Henry Nash as executive strategy director, and Lauren Estwick as new business & marketing director. All join from Octagon, with additional hires set to join the team, to be announced soon. Reporting to group CEO Phil Fearnley, the team is backed by an ensemble of wider House 337 talents with a range of sports experience, including Charlie Hurrell as chief client officer, Gus Mackinnon as ECD of innovation, Kim Lawrie as head of emerging creative technology, Matt Fenn as chief design officer, and Matt Harrington as head of native social & content.

The practice will cater to three types of clients: sports brands, sponsors, and rights holders. The outfit promises to combine the world-class thinking of top creative agencies, the specialised insight and commercial expertise of sports-focused agencies, and the social conscience of purpose-driven agencies – to help clients win the right way.

Commentating on the launch, Josh Green, executive creative director, stated: “House 337 is built on the foundations of purpose. Sport has an unrivalled ability to change the world. If it can unite countries and reform laws, it certainly can help build brands and businesses. Our ambition is to harness the power of sport to Make Better – for our people, for our clients, and for society.”

Josh and Henry have enjoyed a fruitful partnership over the past eight years at Octagon and sister agency FRUKT, where they held the positions of European Executive Creative Director and Head of Planning, respectively. Under their leadership, the agency experienced remarkable growth, expanding from 50 to over 250 employees. They were named Sports Industry Agency of the Year and received numerous accolades for their creative work at Cannes Lions, the Clio Awards, and British Arrows. Their most notable work was the multi-award-winning ‘Save Our Shirt’ campaign for Paddy Power. Lauren, who worked alongside Josh and Henry at Octagon as New Business and Marketing Director, brings over 10 years of experience in the sports industry and invaluable expertise from both brand and agency perspectives.

House 337 has a proven track record of creating award-winning purpose-driven sport campaigns. Recent notable examples include the Titanium Lions Grand Prix-winning ‘Long Live the Prince’ campaign for the Kiyan Prince Foundation and the Gold Lion-winning ‘He's Coming Home’ campaign for Women's Aid in 2023. 

Already boasting the England & Wales Cricket Board as a client, House 337 recently launched its latest campaign for The Hundred as well as work for Sky Zero that brings attention to the fact that the world of sport is under threat from climate change and encourages fans to travel green to this summer’s major sporting events.

Phil Fearnley, group CEO of House337, expressed: “At House 337, we’ve rewritten the rules of sports marketing with campaigns like Long Live the Prince. With the introduction of our new sports arm, we aim to consistently create work that resonates in culture. Combining our unique blend of brand expertise, specialised sports insight and desire to deliver positive impact, we will empower clients to connect with audiences on a deeper level.”

Henry Nash, the executive strategy director, added, “We believe our offering is unparalleled and tailor-made for ambitious brands seeking impact. With in-house specialisms including advertising and communications, brand consulting, innovation & A.I., user experience design, native and social content, House 337 envisions itself as the sports agency of the future."

Lauren Estwick, new business and marketing director, emphasised the tremendous opportunities presented by the current sports landscape, and said: "With prestigious events such as the Euro's, Olympics, and Paralympic Games scheduled to take place in Europe in 2024, the expansion of football into the US, and the remarkable surge in popularity of women's sport worldwide, the time feels right for a specialist creative agency that understands the immense possibilities of sport.”