Grant Rose, Marnie McManus and James Bartold. Credit: agency named desire
Independent Agency Named Desire, AND, has launched in Melbourne.
AND will deliver strategic and effective sponsorship, partnership and ambassador campaigns.
The agency’s philosophy is a values-driven approach designed to cut through an industry often weighed down by jargon and complexity.
Founded by James Bartold, Marnie McManus and Grant Rose, the trio have delivered partnerships across their career including Crown & Taylor Swift, La Roche-Posay & Alex De Minaur, Shaw & Partners & Surf Life Saving Australia, Caltex & Newcastle Knights, and Pepperstone & Aston Martin Formula One.
Bartold and McManus previously worked together at independent agency Bastion.
Rose brings experience in agency establishment as founder of Six Point, Vivid Sports Management and Flare Media Partners.
Having come together in late 2025, Agency Named Desire has launched a client roster including GWM, Swyftx, HOKA, waterdrop, Caltex, PepsiCo and Vinomofo.
“We love partnerships. It’s work that genuinely excites us, and we wanted to build an agency with a singular focus, helping brands understand the role partnerships can play in their marketing mix, from cultural relevance through to real commercial impact, and then making them successful,” said managing director James Bartold.
“We’ve lived other agency models, and we don’t want to try to be a PR, creative or media agency, or a one-stop-shop. Our role is different.
“We bring a complementary offering to a brand’s agency village, helping brands find smarter, more integrated and genuinely interesting partnership activity that serves their brand strategy.”
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.