Advertising Age spotlighted Obsidianworks, the enterprise co-founded by A-list actor Michael B. Jordan and former Nike executive Chad Easterling.
The firm is restating its position with a “New Money America” platform.
The Ad Age content is definitely worth reading.
Michael B. Jordan’s agency regains its independence—behind Obsidianworks’ bet on ‘New Money America’
By Brian Bonilla
Obsidianworks, the agency co-founded by actor Michael B. Jordan and former Nike executive Chad Easterling, is going fully independent by buying back the minority stake previously owned by WME Group’s 160over90 since 2021.
The move is intended to help Obsidianworks grow faster and more deliberately, according to Easterling, who serves as the agency’s CEO. Part of that growth plan is Obsidianworks reframing its positioning to embrace what it calls “New Money America,” which Easterling describes as younger, more diverse and culturally fluid generation that is driving the largest wealth transfer in history.
The agency launched in 2019 and took on investment from 160over90 in 2021. At the time, reports said the investment was worth about $20 million.
Easterling declined to comment on the figure or disclose the financial terms of the buyback. The decision to regain full ownership was not the result of a failed partnership but rather the next phase of a plan that had been in place since the beginning, he added.
“When we entered the partnership, going independent was always part of the plan as well,” Easterling said. “For us and for them, it was really about wanting to help us get established—help us get the fundamentals and structure in place.”
160over90 wasn’t immediately available for comment.
Michael B. Jordan is also currently managed by WME, which is part of WME Group.
Obsidianworks’ origins
Obsidianworks was founded on the belief that the traditional agency model needed to evolve.
“Mike saw an opportunity from his side as an actor—working with studios and production companies that were asking him about connecting with consumers—and as a brand ambassador working with brands and trying to connect to consumers,” Easterling said.
From the start, the founders wanted to build a company that could scale beyond Jordan’s personal network.
“We didn’t want this to be where he’s trying to walk us into every single door, and he feels that pressure,” Easterling said.
That ambition is what made the partnership with 160over90 appealing. The relationship gave Obsidianworks infrastructure, credibility and the ability to operate like a more established agency early in its life.
One notable project produced alongside 160over90 was the creation of the Legacy Classic, a televised HBCU men’s basketball showcase held in Newark, New Jersey. Easterling said that led to work with Marriott, along with projects the companies collaborated on for Meta and Nike.
“The partnership allowed us to have a level of structure and foundation that let us not only get after one or two projects as a small, nimble shop, but get after multiple bodies of work that overlapped at the same time,” he said.
Why independence feels right now
After five years of building the business and establishing a roster of clients with support from 160over90, Easterling believes the agency has proven its model and can now expand more freely.
“Now feels like the right time because we want to begin to move faster, take more risks and define our own growth trajectory without constraints,” he said.
That expansion is tied closely to Obsidianworks’ focus on “New Money America.”
“They’re not niche,” Easterling said of this consumer group. “They are the growth engine many brands are trying to get to, but not recognizing.”
Easterling said the concept reflects both research and real-world observation. It includes consumers whose financial realities may not always appear in traditional income metrics—people with full-time jobs who also generate income through side businesses or entrepreneurial ventures.
“We’re not just talking about Black consumers or multicultural consumers—we’re talking about that entire demographic across every background and nationality,” he said. “They’re bringing about the largest transfer of wealth, and they operate differently than millennials and Gen X.”
According to Easterling, this audience is more entrepreneurial, digitally native and fluid in how it defines status, success and spending.
Beyond the ‘multicultural’ label
That perspective also shapes how Obsidianworks positions itself within the agency landscape.
Easterling acknowledged that when the agency launched, many conversations around it centered on multicultural marketing and inclusive work. But he said the agency never deliberately positioned itself as a multicultural shop. At that time, he argued, many multicultural agencies were still using “outdated” approaches to reach diverse audiences.
Obsidianworks, he said, aims to sit between those two worlds.
“Yes, any call we go on, people know we’re multicultural—we have that authority,” Easterling said. However, he said, that label alone shouldn’t define the business. “We were never here to be diversity consultants.”
Instead, Easterling often frames the company more broadly as an agency or enterprise built to help brands grow.
“Typically I say we’re an agency—or I say we’re an enterprise,” he said, sometimes joking that “we’re a construction company for brands and New Money America—we’re builders.”
Obsidianworks’ growth and clients
Some of Obsidianworks’ work already reflects that positioning. Easterling pointed to the Legacy Classic as an early example of the agency’s New Money America thesis. The event connected with HBCU communities through basketball while introducing those schools and experiences to audiences outside their traditional geographic centers.
“We did it in Newark, New Jersey, because it’s easy to do things where HBCUs are, in the South,” Easterling said. “We wanted to bring this to a new audience—introducing and educating a new audience about HBCUs and introducing them to that experience.”
The event also aimed to generate economic activity for Newark and bring national attention to the city.
Today, Obsidianworks’ client roster includes Nike, Converse, Jordan Brand, Meta, Target and Spanx. The agency currently employs about 20 full-time staffers and plans to add another 10 to 12 people during the first half of the year.
Despite a broader pullback in investment toward diverse-owned agencies, Easterling said the company has maintained strong client relationships.
“I’d be crazy to say there wasn’t a shift—absolutely there was,” he said. Even so, he added, “the demand for culturally relevant work that connects to consumers and to those audiences has never been higher.”
The role of entertainment
Jordan, who is up for best actor for “Sinners” at the Oscars this Sunday, remains an important part of Obsidianworks’ strategic vision, though Easterling emphasized the agency was never intended to function as a vanity project built solely around the actor’s career. Still, its connection to entertainment could become more significant as brands increasingly seek ways to participate in film, TV and other entertainment properties.
“Before, that wasn’t the biggest focus for us, even though we could do it,” Easterling said. “Now it’s more of a focus.”
Obsidianworks’ decision to go independent was not driven by the broader trend toward indie agencies finding success with clients, Easterling said, though he acknowledged the advantages the structure can provide. He also didn’t rule out future M&A opportunities or building capabilities, but said that it isn’t the agency’s main focus right now.
“Being independent is a strength and has benefits,” he said. “It allows us to move quickly and focus on delivering measurable impact for clients without as many layers.”
Clarification: This story has been updated to include the current name of WME Group.
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