MIRIMAR, a creative agency founded in Los Angeles in 2019 by Australian brothers John McKelvey and Luke McKelvey, has sold a minority stake to Common Interest, the communications and entertainment group dedicated to building culturally significant brands.
The deal creates a shared ownership structure between MIRIMAR and Common Interest, with Common Interest taking an initial minority stake with a path to majority ownership, and MIRIMAR’s founders and partners becoming equity holders in Common Interest. Financial terms were not disclosed.
MIRIMAR will continue to operate independently, with its leadership, creative approach, and teams in Los Angeles, New York, and across the U.S. co-founders Luke and John will run the company as CEO and chief creative officer, respectively, working closely with Common Interest founder and CEO Anthony Freedman.
Common Interest is taking a unique approach to building its collective. It is founder-led, with no private equity or venture capital investors. Each company keeps the distinct culture, creative freedom, and entrepreneurial energy that made it successful, while giving clients the opportunity to work with Common Interest as one connected team.
“MIRIMAR’s guiding philosophy is ‘Make It Worth It ’for our team, our clients, and audiences. After connecting with the other founders in the group, we are inspired to do that with even greater capability and ambition, together,” said Luke McKelvey. “This partnership sets up a new chapter to pursue bigger opportunities and expand what MIRIMAR can do, all while maintaining our culture, entrepreneurial spirit, and the creative vision that we are built on.”
“This is all born of optimism, shared ambition, and the opportunity to think bigger creatively with a whole new set of talented collaborators,” added John McKelvey. “We have always backed ourselves and our exceptional team at MIRIMAR. This evolution feels good – we stay focused on originating powerful creative ideas that can earn attention, and now we can be MIRIMAR at a new scale.”
The announcement follows a period of growth and creative recognition for MIRIMAR. Its work with the Apple TV+ team on Mythic Quest won a Gold Lion at Cannes, as did the world’s first live crossover at the Super Bowl with John Denver’s ‘Take Me Home Country Roads’ for Rocket. The agency recently partnered with Square Zero Films to launch the upcoming feature film Exit Right (working title) starring Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon and William H. Macy, written and directed by Thomas Morgan.
The team previously won an Emmy, partnered with Lady Gaga and Rocket at this year’s Super Bowl, and won the Tribeca X Award for its Beats work with global streamer IShowSpeed.
Common Interest has also been building its entertainment credentials.
In September this year, Common Interest forged a strategic partnership with SISTER Group, the global entertainment studio co-founded by Elisabeth Murdoch and Jane Featherstone and the creative force behind Chernobyl, Pamela, A Love Story, Victoria Beckham.
Underpinned by an investment in Common Interest to support the development of brand-led entertainment, the partnership brings together brand creativity, entertainment execution and access to world-class production talent: the pieces needed to build IP that can live and deliver commercially across film, TV, podcasts, live experiences and beyond.
Founded in the U.K. by Freedman in 2023, Common Interest operates at the intersection of brand and entertainment, with a creative collective spanning brand strategy, culture-driving creative, AI-powered cultural intelligence, design, PR, entertainment and experience.
“MIRIMAR strengthens our ability to build creative platforms that come to life through Common Interest in surround sound, across entertainment, experience, design and culture, delivering outputs and outcomes for clients that wouldn’t be possible in any single agency or holding group,” Anthony Freedman added.
MIRIMAR was advised by Clarity on the partnership deal.
