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French agency network Havas has acquired a majority stake of 51% in U.K. agency Uncommon Creative Studio.
The Vivendi-owned business said the move could help the agency, now in its fifth year, reach a value of over $150 million before 2030.
Uncommon founders Natalie Graeme, Lucy Jameson and Nils Leonard will retain a material 49% stake.
The London-founded agency will now sit within the Havas Creative network, which is overseen by Donna Murphy, global chief executive of Havas Creative and Havas Health & You. However, it will operate independently and maintain its “entrepreneurial zest,” according to a statement released by both companies.
Yannick Bolloré, Havas’ global chairman and chief executive, said Uncommon would bring “new energy, creativity and audiences” into Havas’ existing proposition.
Bolloré added, “Uncommon have created a new space and energy in the industry. They are a once-in-a-decade company and having them join the Havas family is an exciting prospect. We share a vision: with every project, Uncommon and Havas remind the world that creativity is, and always has been, the difference.”
Opening doors globally
Uncommon was founded in 2017 by the trio of ex-Grey London execs billing itself as “the creative company for leaders and founders in a moment of change.”
The London-headquartered agency’s U.K. client roster includes British broadcaster ITV and British Airways. It recently picked up its first Cannes Lions Grand Prix for its “A British Original” billboard campaign for the latter which featured 500 unique print, digital and outdoor executions.
In the U.S., Uncommon has already worked with brands such as Google and Nike Jordan, but following the cash injection from Havas, it will now open a New York office to grow its foothold in the market.
There will be additional benefits in becoming part of the wider Vivendi group, which has a stake in Universal Music Group and owns TV business Canal+, film production company StudioCanal and games business Gameloft.
“Havas, along with its sister companies in Vivendi, offer Uncommon a way to accelerate into the spaces where we have already made headway,” said Graeme.
“Whether that’s into the entertainment world—taking what we started with our Nick Cave documentary [‘This Much I Know’]—or our design practice, gaming or other geographies. This partnership will open doors globally for Uncommon.”