Agency Named Desire Becomes Latest Aussie Independent

A trio of agency execs have founded Agency Named Desire (AND), an independent designed to focus on the power of sports, entertainment, and culture partnerships to drive brand growth.

Founded by James Bartold, Marnie McManus, and Grant Rose in late 2025, the agency has already built a high-profile client list including GWM, Swyftx, HOKA, waterdrop, Caltex, PepsiCo, and Vinomofo.

James and Marnie previously worked at Bastion, as general manager and head of strategic partnerships, respectively. Grant is the founder of Six Point, Vivid Sports Management, and Flare Media Partners.

Managing director James said, after trying other agency models, it was clear the founders didn’t want it to be a “PR, creative, or media agency, or a one-stop-shop; our role is different”.

“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.

“We’ll bring a complementary offering to a brand’s agency village. We help brands find smarter, more integrated, and genuinely interesting partnership activity that serves their brand strategy.”

The agency adds to the long list of indie launches in Australia over the last few years, including Princess, TightKnit, Kerfuffle, Hellions, Bureau of Everything, and Rick Barry, to name a few.

Agency Named Desire said its approach is values-driven and focused on building integrated partnership strategies for brands overwhelmed by opportunities.

At Bastion, James and Marnie worked on local and global accounts including Bunnings, L’Oreal, CommBank, Suntory, Pepperstone, Crown, and Challenger. James was previously GM at the North Melbourne Kangaroos. Marnie has also worked for IMG, Manchester City, and the AFL.

Before founding his businesses, Grant was previously chief commercial officer at the Sydney Swans, and had stints at Lion and Sanitarium.

Between them, the trio has worked on global partnerships such as Crown and Taylor Swift, La Roche Posay and Alex De Minaur, Shaw & Partners and Surf Life Saving Australia, Caltex and Newcastle Knights, and Pepperstone and Aston Martin Formula One.

The agency plans to scale in 2026 while continuing to specialise, and is based in Melbourne with an office in Adelaide.