Tombras on Growth, Global Expansion, and Finding the Right Partner in Rippling

The Interview

Let's start at the beginning. What was actually going on at Tombras that made you realize something had to change?

The trigger for searching for a new HRIS was the company's rapid growth and expanding internationally. Our previous HRIS platform was not built to support global operations, which created limitations around hiring and payroll.

The decision to move off our previous HRIS was driven by gaps in international support and the lack of a unified platform. Payroll, benefits, workflows, recruiting, and HR data were spread across multiple systems, creating inefficiencies and manual work. We needed a single solution that could streamline payroll and centralize all HR functions as the company continued to grow globally.

Beyond payroll — where else were you feeling the pain?

Before adopting Rippling, we faced major pain points due to disconnected systems across HR operations. Payroll, benefits administration, recruiting, time tracking, and review cycles were managed in separate tools, leading to manual processes, inconsistent data, and limited visibility. The lack of international support further compounded these challenges, making it difficult to scale efficiently and maintain compliance as the workforce grew.

How much time was actually being lost to all of this?

Before Rippling, we spent several days — and sometimes up to a week — on manual HR tasks like onboarding and headcount planning, as teams worked across multiple systems to ensure everything ran smoothly.

So when it came time to evaluate new solutions, what were you looking for?

As one of the leading advertising agencies, Tombras evaluated platforms that could meet the same high standard of excellence. With such a broad set of needs, Tombras prioritized finding a platform that could unify payroll, HR, and IT in one system while remaining flexible enough to scale globally. Ease of use, automation, and the ability to centralize data across the employee lifecycle were key criteria, ensuring operational efficiency without sacrificing the employee experience.

And what made Rippling the answer?

What ultimately set Rippling apart for Tombras was its ability to bring payroll, HR, benefits, performance, and IT together in a single, intuitive platform. Rippling's global capabilities, automation, and scalability aligned with Tombras's growth goals, making it the clear choice over other solutions.

Talk us through the implementation. Rolling out that many products at once sounds daunting.

Tombras approached the rollout in a thoughtful, phased manner, guided closely by Rippling's implementation team. Our implementation manager, Erin Doolin, made the process seamless by walking us through each step and providing hands-on support throughout. This structured approach ensured every product was implemented correctly and met an exceptionally high standard before moving forward.

Were there moments where that support was especially critical?

Throughout the entire implementation, the Rippling team provided outstanding support at every step of the process. Their hands-on guidance and attention to detail were especially critical in ensuring a smooth transition, and the team consistently made the experience feel seamless. Rippling handled much of the administrative work, allowing us to transition HRIS systems without disruption and stay focused on delivering excellence in our day-to-day roles. We truly can't say enough positive things about the level of support and care they provided.

Now that you're on the other side of it — what's changed?

Now that Tombras is live on Rippling, automation has streamlined workflows and reduced manual work, allowing the team to focus less on administration and more on strategic priorities.

Last one — you also partnered with Rippling on a Super Bowl campaign. How did that come about?

Most SaaS campaigns tend to feel very B2B — generally set in everyday offices where the message of the ad is coming from a mile away. So we started thinking about businesses you wouldn't even expect to be dealing with bad HR, IT and payroll software. Which led us to the idea of an evil mastermind in the business of world domination whose plans keep getting ruined because his software is all over the place

 It was the perfect high-stakes caper for a Super Bowl spot. We were able to drop viewers into a familiar premise, then subvert their expectations by having the absurdity of something as mundane as bad software be the undoing of his plans. So often at the Super Bowl, the product ends up being an afterthought. But with Evil Mastermind, the software message was the crux of the story and what made the joke land.

And Tim Robinson — whose idea was that?

Once we'd landed on the concept, we couldn't think of a better mastermind about to lose his mind than the genius that is Tim Robinson. He often plays these characters whose frustration comes out in the most hilarious ways and since he rarely turns up in commercials, it was a dream scenario.

To bring it all to life, we worked alongside director Zach Tavel from blinkink, who's mastered the art of comedic cinematic genre parodies. From production design to the music score, we leaned into the melodrama of the premise and treated each spot like a mini episode of an actual Tim Robinson sketch show.

For Tombras,  the partnership with Rippling was never just about fixing what was broken. It was about building the foundation for what comes next — a global operation as sophisticated and ambitious as the work they produce. As the agency continues to grow, one thing is clear: with the right infrastructure behind them, there's no limit to what they can take on.