Moore Kingston Smith advises Common Interest Group on latest acquisition

Moore Kingston Smith has provided financial and tax due diligence, deal advisory and tax structuring services to Common Interest on its latest acquisition of global creative agency, Amplify.

Amplify, the global creative agency specialising in experience, entertainment and culture, and winner of Campaign’s 2024 award for ‘Experience Agency of the Year’, has joined culture-first collective Common Interest.

Common Interest has acquired an initial 51% stake in Amplify, with a commitment to purchase the remaining 49% over the next five years. As part of the deal, Amplify’s global leadership team will become partners and equity holders in Common Interest.

Amplify, established in 2007 and led by Founder and Global CEO Jonathan Emmins, is best known for creating brand worlds, campaigns and experiences that traverse channels and drive business transformation through the power of culture. It has offices in London, LA, Paris, New York and Sydney, working with clients including Lego, Google, Pinterest, PlayStation and Nike. Amplify also has two audience specialist agencies: Seed, whose focus is on youth and Gen Z, and business experience specialists Wonder. Emmins will continue to lead the business, alongside the global and local leadership teams, including those of Seed and Wonder.

Common Interest, a communications and entertainment group focused on connecting brands and audiences through popular culture, was founded in September 2023 by former Havas AUNZ chair, ‘One Green Bean’ and ‘Host’ agency founder Anthony Freedman. Headquartered in London, it is already home to companies including global brand transformation and growth consultancy TwentyFirstCenturyBrand; design, motion and innovation studio Otherway and CultureLab, the group’s first-of-its-kind AI cultural intelligence platform.

Moore Kingston Smith provided financial and tax due diligence, deal advisory and tax structuring services. The team was led by Partners Mike Orton and Mel Reed, and supported by Charlie Killingbeck, Corporate Finance Director, and Tom Acland, Tax Director. This is the third acquisition Moore Kingston Smith has advised Common Interest on, having previously provided advice on their acquisitions of TwentyFirstCenturyBrand in 2023 and Otherway in 2024.

Anthony Freedman, Founder and CEO of Common Interest commented: “Common Interest’s position as the world’s first group focused on building brands in popular culture is supercharged with the addition of Amplify which brings its proven track record for delivering worldbuilding ideas that blur the line between brand, entertainment, tech and modern media, both globally and locally. A big thanks to the Corporate Finance and Tax teams at Moore Kingston Smith who again played a key advisory role. Their deep understanding of the media sector and technical expertise has been of huge value on this and the other deals we have done together.”

Mike Orton, Corporate Finance Partner at Moore Kingston Smith and Transaction Services specialist, said: “I’m delighted to have worked with Anthony and the Common Interest team once again. They’re building an innovative, energetic group, and it’s been hugely rewarding to continue to support them in their exciting growth plans.”