Nashville, TN-based ad agency FlyteVu has been acquired by tech investment company Driftwood Music Group, which is led by well-known technology investor and executive Kevin Thompson (Solar Winds, Tricentis). 

The agency was founded 10 years ago by Laura Hutfless, a former Creative Artists Agency executive and Jeremy Holley, previously with Warner Music Group. Hutfless will continue to lead the agency as CEO while Holley is leaving to pursue opportunities in the music industry. 

The agency is known for its work for Bumble, including a campaign anchored by the company’s first Super Bowl spot it 2019 called “The Ball Is In Her Court,” which featured Bumble investor Serena Williams. 

The agency’s current client roster includes Under Armour, Spotify and Humane World For Animals, for which the agency recently did a major brand overhaul for.  

According to Hutfless the sale is providing capital and resources to execute ambitious expansion plans including hiring its first Chief Creative Officer Linda Knight, an industry veteran who had the same role at Observatory and previously served at Wieden + Kennedy and Omnicom’s TBWA\Chiat\Day. 

Knight will now lead the agency’s creative team freeing Hutfless to focus on the company’s expansion and other future plans. 

Before joining fulltime, Knight consulted with FlyteVu for a year, leading projects like the rebrand of Humane World For Animals (FKA Humane Society of the US and Humane Society International). She also helped turn a Grammy acceptance speech by Lainey Wilson into a national commercial for Tractor Supply in under a week. 

The agency is also expanding geographically and capability-wise. In the last two months the firm has established outposts in Los Angeles, New York, Austin (where Thompson is based) and Atlanta.  

The firm recently launched a celebrity booking business for clients needing influencers and talent for campaigns and other events as well as a music licensing business.  

Terms of the acquisition aren’t being disclosed, but the agency boosted revenues over the past year by 20%, says Hutfless, declining to provide specific numbers. 

As for Thompson’s involvement Hutfless says the agency “is really a passion project for him. He’s really interested in bringing his knowledge and expertise in tech into the entertainment space and creative fields.” 

Historically, she adds, “entertainment has lagged in the adoption of tech, and so I think there's a lot of expertise he brings to this space for us.” The added resources will also help the agency expand by acquisition,” she says. Thompson has scaled numerous companies, experience that will also benefit the agency as it expands, Hutfless says.  

Timed to the acquisition, the agency has rebranded with a new visual look and tagline, “Safe Doesn’t Fly,” which signifies commitments by both the agency and clients to bold, risk-taking creative work.  

A leadership photo (above, Hutfless in the center)--no AI or other manipulation here, Hutfless stresses—features the team handling raptors and is designed to reflect the agencies “fearless spirit” and way of operating, “fast, focused and flexible.” 

While the agency may be a passion project for Thompson, the agency has passion projects of its own including a small business incubator program and give-back program under which the agency has given over $1.5 million to worthy causes since the agency started 10 years ago, says Hutfless. 

“When Jeremy and I started the company, we committed to something called 'radical generosity,’” where we measure success by how much we give back, not how much we make. Ten percent of the agency’s profits are earmarked for a fund. 

Proceeds are distributed in a variety of ways including sponsoring events like 5 K runs or bringing various groups to the agency and surprising them with donations or giving staff “blank checks” that they can distribute to their favorite causes.  

For some employees, that’s the top reason for jointing the agency, says Hutfless. “They want to be part of it. That’s our purpose.” 

A separate incubator program helps startups get noticed by providing agency services for up to 12 months in exchange for equity. One example: inclusive swimwear brand Kitty & Vibe.  

The agency created partnerships for the brand with talent ambassadors such as Nicole Byer, Zoe Colletti, Olympian Sloane Stephens and singer Haley Kiyoko.  Each celebrity became a creative designer, brand ambassador, and investor. 

Also, agency staff gets a chance to invest in the startups at “very little minimums,” says Hutfless. “So I’m able to teach my young team members about investment.” 

Hutfless has a message for women considering their own entrepreneurial journeys. 

“Being an entrepreneur is hard, especially in the agency and entertainment landscape. One thing that I want my journey to prove to women is that it's possible. It's possible to leave a safe job to take a risk to start something and to grow it.  

“There's lots of personal challenges. I lost a partner to suicide. I adopted a little girl on my own, who was born at two pounds and in the hospital for nearly a year. There were so many personal and professional challenges along the way.”  

“If you work really hard and you’re disciplined and you're generous it comes back in spades. I hope that this acquisition has proved that.”