Residence adds social agency OK COOL to growing creative network

LONDON, 27th January 2026 – Residence, the global network of creative companies, has acquired strategic and social creative agency OK COOL, as part of its ongoing mission to champion best-in-class creative work while supporting the talent and culture that make it possible. The acquisition underlines an increasing focus on social media as brands shift investment towards social-first, audience-centric advertising.

Founded in 2022, Residence is a 600+ person business headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices in New York, Sydney, London, Amsterdam, Vienna and Vancouver. Its clients include Airbnb, Microsoft, JP Morgan and Meta, and the companies in its network include Buck, It’s Nice That, and Giant Ant. Inspired by the ‘artist in residence’ model, Residence enables its companies to remain independent in their creative approach while centralizing select operational functions where appropriate. 

OK COOL, founded in 2016, has more than 100 staff across London, New York and Sydney. The agency was started by Liz Stone and Jolyon Varley, neither of whom came from a traditional marketing or advertising background. Stone had worked in fashion, while Varley had built businesses across art, music and technology.

Both shared an early belief that social media would become the most important channel for brands, creating direct dialogue with audiences and culture. At a time when few agencies were focused on this space, they set out to build a social-first business centred on humanising brands and connecting them to culture.

In 2019, Stone and Varley were joined by Ben Gordon, formerly of WPP and Omnicom agencies. Bringing deep network experience, Gordon recognised the opportunity in OK COOL’s model and helped sharpen its ambition to compete directly with more established agencies for global brand business.

The agency focuses on social-native storytelling and creator partnerships, helping brands communicate in ways that reflect contemporary culture. The shop has worked with brands including Spotify, Nike, Lululemon, Puma, TikTok Shop, Berghaus and Uniqlo. In 2025, it was reappointed as global agency of record for Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group for a second consecutive year, and it also has a long-term global partnership with Meta Wearables.

Built as a social-first agency, OK COOL is one of the few UK-founded independents of significant global scale, and one of the very few of its kind that has successfully launched in the USA.. It has increasingly competed and won pitches for global brand business against larger, more traditional networks. The Residence acquisition positions OK COOL as part of a bigger business whilst protecting what makes the agency special and giving it further opportunities to grow globally. 

OK COOL’s leaders chose to join Residence because of chemistry, aligned vision and a focus on craft, things that were missing with other companies that showed an interest in buying the agency. 

Residence’s ambition is to build a network of collaborative companies whose capabilities reinforce one another. OK COOL’s expertise aligns closely with this approach and creates space for further additions to the network.

Following the Residence model of championing its agencies’ independence, OK COOL will continue to operate under its own brand and leadership team as part of Residence’s global network, led by co-founders Liz Stone, Global Chief Creative Officer, Jolyon Varley, Global Head of Brand, and Ben Gordon, Global Chief Operating Officer, alongside a senior regional leadership team. This includes Katrina Bain, who leads the UK & EMEA region and brings experience from RAPP and Saatchi & Saatchi; Benjamin Arnold, who leads North America and is former CEO of We Are Social; and Ellen Fox, who leads APAC and has been part of OK COOL since its inception.

The acquisition expands Residence’s capabilities across audience insight, platform strategy, always-on content, creator-led campaigns, social listening and real-time measurement. It also strengthens its presence across fashion, retail, travel, beauty, food and beverage, technology and entertainment, while deepening reach in the UK, EU, APAC and US. 

Ryan Honey, CEO and Co-Founder of Residence, said: “We're building a network of companies that actually strengthen each other. OK COOL brings social-native expertise that expands the Residence offering, and they share our commitment to craft, community, and collaboration. That creates value for both our companies and our clients.”

Jolyon Varley, Co-Founder and Global Head of Brand at OK COOL, added: “I can’t conceive of a better home for OK COOL than Residence. The industry makes you believe that an acquisition or merger means selling out to some insipid, corporate behemoth who dismantles your brand and everything that makes you special. Residence understand that we are doing something extraordinary in creativity and they want to support us to scale that globally. This deal is a dream come true.”

Liz Stone, Co-Founder and Global Chief Creative Officer at OK COOL, concluded: “Residence’s ambition to raise the creative bar globally is exactly what drew us in. They deeply understand what we’re building at OK COOL and how social-native creative can move culture forward. That alignment ensures our creative values are protected and amplified as we grow the vision together.”

Waypoint and Lewis Silkin advised OK COOL on the deal.

Residence is a global network of creative companies united by a shared mission: to empower creative potential. Its companies bring deep expertise across branding, experiential marketing, digital products, media, and community-building, working collectively to help ambitious organizations make a meaningful impact. Residence was founded to champion best-in-class creative work while supporting the talent and culture that make it possible. For more information, visit residence.co.

OK COOL is a culture-first creative agency with teams in London, New York, and Sydney. The agency focuses on social-native storytelling and creator partnerships, helping brands communicate in ways that feel relevant to contemporary culture.

Its team brings expertise in cultural insight, platform strategy, and contentproduction across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and emerging channels. Throughcampaigns, always-on programs, and paid social, OK COOL supports brands lookingto build meaningful, timely connections with their audiences. For moreinformation, visit okcool.io.