Havas swoops for Uncommon in deal worth up to £120m

Havas has acquired a majority stake in Uncommon Creative Studio, claimed to be the fastest growing independent creative company in the UK, in a move which the French giant insists reinforces its longstanding commitment to investing in creativity to develop meaningful brands.

Launched in 2017 by three former Grey executives “for a time when the world hates ads”, the agency launched a data-driven division, Uncommon CX in 2021, led by ex-Lida chief executive Jonathan Goodman.

The Uncommon founders will retain a 49% stake in the business, growing their brand globally and sharing best practice across Havas and parent company Vivendi.

The deal values the future potential of Uncommon at between £80m and £120m, considering their projected growth plans. Uncommon will retain its brand, vision and freedom to make its own decisions across its client partners, internal team and creative output.

Uncommon clients include British Airways, ITV, B&Q, UNHCR, WWF and Formula E.

Havas chairman and global CEO Yannick Bolloré, who is also chairman of Vivendi, said: “Uncommon will bring new energy, creativity, and audiences into Havas’ already leading-edge creative network, igniting, inspiring, and supporting every aspect of creativity.

“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.”

Uncommon co-founder Lucy Jameson said: “From the first minute we met [with Havas chiefs], we recognised our shared values: the focus on building meaningful brands, the power of creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit to do things differently. We are so excited about the scale of what we can now access and achieve for our clients.”

TOPICS:agency news creativity customer experience CX data-driven marketing Havas