NP Digital's Creative Division Rebl House Strengthens AI Capabilities with Strategic Acquisition
In a significant move to enhance its artificial intelligence-driven creative offerings, NP Digital's global creative division, Rebl House, has announced the incorporation of Ultralight Creative. This strategic acquisition, announced from Toronto on January 28, 2026, sees Ultralight Creative's AI-enhanced creative and strategic systems integrated into Rebl's global platform.
Executive Leadership Appointment
As part of this incorporation, Ultralight Creative founder Matt Hassell has joined Rebl's executive leadership team as Global Senior Vice President of Creative and Creative Technologies. This appointment represents a substantial deepening of Rebl's AI-driven creative capabilities, effectively pairing NP Digital's extensive global scale with advanced creative technology as the agency continues its international expansion.
In his newly established global role, Hassell will spearhead the evolution of Rebl's creative product through the application of artificial intelligence and innovative creative technologies. His primary focus will involve creating bespoke creative teams specifically tailored to meet each client's unique needs and ambitions. Additional responsibilities include establishing new creative and business roles across emerging international markets throughout 2026 and developing next-generation creative offerings.
Extensive Industry Experience
Matt Hassell brings more than twenty years of experience building high-performing agency teams, leading global brands, and scaling creative cultures to his new position. His distinguished career includes serving as chief creative officer at prominent agencies such as OgilvyOne, KBS Canada, and Forsman & Bodenfors Canada. His creative work has received recognition from numerous prestigious industry awards including Cannes Lions, Clios, One Show, Effies, Webbys, Epicas, and Communication Arts.
Most recently, as founder and chief creative officer of Ultralight Creative, Hassell pioneered an innovative AI-enhanced consultancy model that effectively blends creativity with AI-powered brand intelligence and synthetic personas. His client portfolio has included notable organizations such as CCM Hockey, Seneca Polytechnic, STK Steakhouse, and Holland Bloorview.
Strategic Vision for Growth
Alex Toulch, global director of creative at Rebl House by NP Digital, emphasized the strategic importance of this appointment, stating: "Matt's appointment is a clear signal of where we're headed. As we expand globally, we're investing in leadership that can elevate our creative offering, embed technology into how we work, and help our teams and clients grow smarter and faster. Matt brings the vision and executional rigor to do exactly that."
Hassell joins Rebl two years after NP Digital acquired the creative agency, a period marked by sustained, profitable growth and increasing global momentum. Since the 2024 acquisition, Rebl has demonstrated strong, double-digit year-over-year growth across both new and existing accounts while simultaneously improving gross profit and operating income.
Award-Winning Performance
Since joining the NP Digital family, Rebl has earned multiple industry honors, including a Gold MUSE Creative Award for Browns Shoes and a Best Brand Video win at The Netty Awards for Pompeian Olive Oil. Most recently, the agency's Maybelline "Born With It" campaign featuring WNBA star Bridget Carleton generated widespread attention across marketing media. The agency continues to scale globally and sustainably across various industries and categories, demonstrating improved project discipline, stronger delivery efficiency, and effective management practices.
AI Transformation in Creative Industries
Matt Hassell commented on the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in creative fields: "The rapid advancement of AI is dramatically transforming creative and advertising, opening new possibilities for how we build bespoke creative solutions for brands. With NP Digital's technology and scale, we can now assemble tailored teams around each client's unique needs and ambitions more effectively than ever before."
Mike Gullaksen, CEO of NP Digital, reinforced this strategic direction: "As AI expands what's possible in marketing, bringing Matt on board advances our AI-enhanced creative systems to scale a global creative engine that blends human imagination with intelligent technology to deliver measurable growth for clients."
About NP Digital
NP Digital represents a global digital marketing agency focused on enterprise and mid-market challenger brands. Supported by its creative production division Rebl House and its proprietary technology platform Ubersuggest, NP Digital has established itself as one of the fastest-growing, award-winning end-to-end digital marketing agencies in the industry. As NP Digital's global creative division, Rebl House strategically blends creativity, strategy, and advanced technology to deliver bespoke brand-building creative that drives substantial business outcomes at scale.
