Five by Five Launches Social Affairs Communications Agency

Above, left to right: Marisol Grandon (Tellus MD), Nick Lawton (Five by Five global CEO), and Annabel Mackie (Five by Five MD)

Independent creative agency Five by Five has launched a new social affairs communications agency, Tellus, with founding clients featuring the UN Foundation and Plan International UK. This new initiative will specialise in developing best-in-class communications for the world’s most urgent social issues.

The team will be led by Marisol Grandon, an entrepreneur, journalist, and former civil servant who has previously worked in leadership communications roles for the UK government, notably the Department for International Development, and she will report into global CEO Nick Lawton.

Alongside working with founding clients, Tellus recently helped to celebrate the passage of a new law in the UK to see more protection from public sexual harassment on our streets for women and girls, via Plan International UK’s #CrimeNotCompliment campaign. Digital out of home billboards announcing “Change is possible” went live across London in November.

The idea behind Tellus, which is Latin for Earth, came from the ever increasing need for businesses, charities, NGOs, and humanitarian organisations to raise awareness and action for their causes, lobby for legislation and shine a light on the impact they are making within society.

Nick Lawton, global CEO for Five by Five, said, “Our purpose as an agency is to make a positive impact on business and society. It felt as an agency we could be doing more, so we’ve launched Tellus. Marisol and her team are extremely experienced, very passionate and are culturally aligned with the agency.”

Marisol Grandon, managing director of Tellus, said, “I am extremely excited to become part of the Five by Five family. Their global footprint of USA, Europe, and Australia and strengths in engaging mainstream consumer audiences will allow Tellus to bring high-calibre private sector expertise to underserved causes around the world.”

Annabel Mackie, managing director for Five by Five UK, said, “Launching Tellus is a significant moment for the agency as we strive to achieve our purpose. It’s been a dream start with the founding clients and we’re looking forward to what we can achieve together in the future.”