WE ARE A TEAM OF CREATIVES & THINKERS

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Founded in 2013 by Andrew Sparrow, Tried&True has built a reputation for forging enduring partnerships with our clients. Many of our collaborations span over a decade, reflecting our commitment to delivering exceptional value and impactful design that works.

Our team of innovative thinkers and passionate creatives works with a diverse range of clients, from global enterprises to emerging startups. Regardless of size, our approach is always centred on delivering meaningful, strategic design solutions that drive brand success and resonate with target audiences.

At Tried&True, we don’t just create brands; we craft brand experiences that are memorable, relevant, and aligned with our clients’ long-term goals. Our expertise lies in transforming business visions into compelling brand stories that stand out in the marketplace and inspire trust and loyalty.

 

Andrew Sparrow
Managing Director/Creative Director
Tried&True was born out of Andrew’s desire to play a more strategic brand role for his clients. He identified an opportunity in the market for a highly skilled, multi-disciplined agency that was results driven through great design. He’s built a specialist team that can champion a businesses brand across multiple touch points.

With over 30 years in the design industry he has worked extensively overseas in Holland, London and Australia, before returning to New Zealand. He has worked for some of the country’s leading agencies and has built a reputation of creating some of New Zealand’s most awarded and commercially successful brands. This experience has lead to cross pollination of thinking, problem solving and connection.

Prue Fenwick Smith
Business Director/Strategy
After 15 years working abroad, Prue returned home to focus on where she left off in London, heading up client service teams in agencies working on multinational companies. Prue’s global exposure to large and complex organisations gives her the ability to build strong relationships with clients and fulfil client requirements and expectations at all times.

Leonie Whyte
Creative
As one of Tried&True’s senior designers, Leonie comes with a wealth of experience, specialising in both Corporate and Packaging design. With client work ranging from conservative government sectors to small boutique packaging brands she’s always pushing to find compelling creative outcomes while weaving in meaningful stories. She’s won numerous awards over the course of her career, spent time teaching (Unitech and Waikato Polytechnic) and co-curated exhibitions within the design industry.

Tricia Brady
Creative
Tricia possesses an impressive background, accumulating over 16 years of invaluable design experience within Melbourne’s boutique agency scene. Her journey has been marked by notable achievements and a robust skill set developed through her time in various esteemed agencies. Tricia moved to Auckland in 2020 where her talents have found a home with Tried&True.

Brent Davies
Production Manager
Brent is a creative artworker and retoucher with over 18 years experience in the design industry working in the UK and New Zealand. Since returning from the UK he’s worked as a senior artworker across many of New Zealand’s top brands. He has a huge amount of packaging experience and can confidently turn his hand to corporate, advertising, high-end retouching and 3D visuals. Brent has a sharp eye for design, great attention to detail and extensive knowledge of the pre-press and print industry. 

Julie Sowter
General Manager | Finance Director
Before joining Tried&True Julie spent 20 years in the creative industry where she helped grow a business in its infancy, into one of New Zealand’s most well known agencies. During this time she gained invaluable skills spanning from general finance through to operations management over three sister businesses. Julie knows how to successfully optimise performance across the complete business while nurturing and guiding highly skilled teams.

Caelan Sparrow
Creative
Caelan joined our team bringing with him a diverse educational background that began with his studies in fashion at Whitecliffe Design School. He further honed his expertise by pursuing a degree in textiles at AUT, before transitioning into design. His strong aesthetic sense and ability to think laterally have quickly set him apart, allowing him to contribute unique, forward-thinking ideas to our projects. Caelan’s multifaceted skill set and creative approach make him a valuable asset to the team.