Heather Robinson LTD Rebrands as Ordinary Hero – Marking 17 Years of Independent Innovation in Live Events and Brand Experience
17 years after leaving THA Group to launch her own boutique agency built around a bold, streamlined business model, Heather Robinson is unveiling the next evolution of her company: Ordinary Hero, the reimagining of the long-established Heather Robinson LTD.
Robinson founded the agency in 2008 with a simple principle at its core – Do One Thing Well. Her vision was shaped by years at board level within full-service agencies, where she saw first-hand both the advantages and the limitations of large, high-overhead models. Ordinary Hero now represents the maturation of that vision: an agile, highly skilled core team partnered with the best freelance specialists in the industry – a structure that has proven resilient through recession, rapid digital transformation, and a global pandemic.
A Career Built in the Heart of the Industry
Robinson’s career began in Soho’s Frith Street after completing a degree in Theatre, Film and TV production. Joining HP:ICM, one of the original pioneers of experiential and live events, she cut her teeth working with clients such as Nissan, Halifax, and Standard Life. After briefly moving in-house at a mobile phone company, she returned to agency life at The Presentation Company, evolving with it to become Wheel (later LBi/Publicis), where she quietly built the live events division working with the likes of ABN AMRO, Royal Mail and Post Office, while the company’s digital arm grew exponentially.
When approached to join THA Group, the timing was opportune, tying in with Wheel’s ambition to focus solely on digital. As a result, Robinson transitioned the business she had built at Wheel, into her new home at THA Group. Over six years at THA she rose to board director, leading the Production, Motivation & Comms departments and heading major accounts including Honda, Oracle, and BP. Her tenure culminated in overseeing Honda Dreamscape in the Live Action Arena at the last British International Motor show – an ambitious showcase of the brand’s 60-year history featuring alongside a full product range, the iconic ASIMO robot.
A Leap Into Independence
Sensing the pressure mounting on large agencies during the run-up to the 2008 recession, Robinson opted to step away. What followed is now the stuff of industry folklore: a phone call from C&IT on her first morning out of THA, asking for comment on her “new agency” – which didn’t yet exist. By the end of the day, Heather Robinson Live Communication had been named, photographed (courtesy of a self-time camera and a toaster) and printed.
The agency quickly found its footing, with clients embracing Robinson’s hybrid operating model: a senior, experienced core team supported by best-in-class freelance talent and specialist partners. It delivered the creativity and expertise of a traditional agency without the heavy overhead – a structure that has kept the business adaptable through every market shift.
Becoming Ordinary Hero
The new name has been a long time coming. In 2015, after a logo refresh, an internal invoice arrived addressed to “HE-RO” – account short name for Heather Robinson. It planted the seed, an identity waiting for the right moment. Over time, though, it began to feel serendipitous. The agency increasingly became the strategic centre of the campaigns they touched – leading projects, shaping direction, and becoming the central “lead” in major campaigns – the steadying hand. The name stopped feeling like imposter syndrome and started feeling like the truth.
Now, at 17 years strong, the company is embracing the name Ordinary Hero – a reflection of the role the agency plays in bringing ideas to life with clarity, craft, and a grounded, human approach.
“Behind every standout moment is a team that’s worked quietly, patiently, and brilliantly to make it happen,” Robinson says. “Ordinary Hero is a celebration of those people – the unsung talent that brings ideas to life. We’re simply putting a name to what we’ve always believed in.”