What happened
- Hussel — a Manchester‑based marketing agency — obtained funding from Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II), through the sub‑fund managed by GC Business Finance & River Capital Smaller Loans. (Insider Media Ltd)
- The funding is being used to purchase and convert a specially customised vehicle — a Hummer H2 — which will serve as a mobile, multipurpose marketing “campaign vehicle.” The agency calls it the “Mobile Disruption Unit.” (Insider Media Ltd)
What the “Mobile Disruption Unit” is for
- The vehicle will function as a mobile marketing hub for experiential campaigns, live events, brand activations, product demos. It is equipped with a DJ booth, digital displays, and space for on‑the‑road campaigns. (Insider Media Ltd)
- The agency intends to use it at festivals, city‑centre activations, events, and various on‑the‑road marketing campaigns — giving clients a higher‑impact, unconventional marketing channel. (Insider Media Ltd)
- The idea is to stand out from standard marketing campaigns by offering a mobile, in-person, immersive experience. (Insider Media Ltd)
About Hussel and its Founder
- The founder is Lewis Ellis. After losing his job during the COVID‑19 pandemic and seeing plans for a travel business collapse, he turned to freelancing in web design, SEO, and marketing. Over time he transformed that into the agency. (Insider Media Ltd)
- Hussel aims to position itself as a “disruptive creative agency,” one that avoids repetitive, cookie‑cutter ideas — aiming for creative, high‑energy campaigns. (Prolific North)
- With the support of NPIF II, Hussel plans to grow its operational capacity by taking on project‑based staff (creatives, technicians, event staff) as needed for its campaigns. (Insider Media Ltd)
📈 What it means for NPIF II and Regional Funding
- The funding to Hussel is part of a broader wave: as of late 2025, NPIF II has directly invested in over 300 small businesses across the North of England, with more than £115 million deployed so far, plus additional private sector co‑investment. (pressat.co.uk)
- NPIF II — launched in March 2024 — provides a mix of finance options: smaller loans (£25k–£100k), larger business loans (£100k–£2 million), and equity investments (up to £5 million), depending on the business, region, and growth potential. (British Business Bank)
- Supporting creative/marketing agencies like Hussel shows NPIF II’s scope is not limited to tech or manufacturing, but extends into services, creative industries, and marketing — underscoring the fund’s ambition to support diverse types of businesses.
What to Watch — Implications & What This Could Lead To
- The “Mobile Disruption Unit” might set a trend for more marketing agencies to seek NPIF II funding for unconventional, experiential marketing. If successful, this could influence how brands approach outreach and engagement — leaning more on live events and immersive experiences rather than purely digital campaigns.
- For Hussel: success with this funding could lead to more contracts, growth in staff & freelancing opportunities, and perhaps inspire similar “out-of-the-box” marketing offerings.
- For NPIF II: including creative/service‑based firms signals openness to funding a broad base of business types — which could encourage other small agencies, creative studios, or non‑traditional SMEs to apply for funding.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of case‑study style insights and public comments related to Hussel — the Manchester agency that secured Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II) support — and what their “mobile disruption” move reveals about funding, strategy, and reaction within the industry.
Case study: How Hussel used NPIF II to build a “Mobile Disruption Unit”
Background & origin story
- Hussel was founded by Lewis Ellis after the COVID‑19 pandemic disrupted his prior plans (he lost his job and a planned travel business collapsed). Rather than wait for support or furlough, he leveraged years of freelancing in web design, SEO and marketing — ultimately growing that into a full‑service marketing agency. (Prolific North)
- From early modest beginnings, by 2022 Ellis committed to making Hussel “the UK’s most disruptive creative agency,” refusing to recycle ideas and promising always to pitch something fresh. (Prolific North)
The NPIF II‑backed move: building a “Mobile Disruption Unit”
- With backing from NPIF II (via the “Smaller Loans” route through GC Business Finance & River Capital), Hussel acquired and converted a Hummer H2 into a branded, multi‑purpose marketing vehicle. (Insider Media Ltd)
- The vehicle — dubbed the “Mobile Disruption Unit” — is outfitted with a DJ booth, digital displays, and space for live product demos or activations. It’s intended for experiential campaigns, live events, brand activations, festivals, city‑centre marketing, and “on-the-road” campaigns. (Prolific North)
- The NPIF II funds covered both acquisition and conversion costs. (Insider Media Ltd)
Business model & immediate plans
- Hussel is already taking bookings for the Mobile Disruption Unit and working on signing further brand partnerships. (Prolific North)
- As they scale, they plan to hire flexible, project-based staff — creatives, technicians, and event support — rather than fixed headcount, making the business more agile and cost-efficient. (Insider Media Ltd)
- Their past clients reportedly include known brands such as TGI Fridays, Cats Protection and Revolution Bars, suggesting this new vehicle adds to an existing portfolio of brand-focused experiential marketing services. (Yahoo News UK)
Public comments & views on the initiative
From founders, fund managers, and funding bodies involved:
- On why Hussel started this journey, founder Lewis Ellis said:
“This whole journey started because I had to survive. … I always wanted to be known for doing something different.” (Insider Media Ltd)
- On the nature of Hussel’s promise:
“We don’t copy and paste, we don’t recycle ideas. We bring energy, personality, and a bit of madness to everything we do. The Mobile Disruption Unit is the epitome of exactly that.” (Insider Media Ltd)
- From the funders:
- GC Business Finance’s investment manager, Alison Darkes, said this was “a brilliant example of resilience” — transforming hard circumstances into a “powerful and fun” business idea. (Prolific North)
- From British Business Bank (which backs NPIF II), senior investment manager Sue Barnard said: it’s great to see a Northern business using NPIF II funding to scale up, create jobs and explore fresh ways for brands to engage audiences. (Insider Media Ltd)
These comments underscore two things: (1) the personal, almost “lean‑startup” origin of Hussel, and (2) the view by funders that marketing & creative agencies are valid targets for NPIF II financing — not just traditional tech, manufacturing or infrastructure firms.
Broader context: How Hussel’s story fits into NPIF II trends
Turning to similar cases helps show whether Hussel’s path is exceptional or part of a wider pattern:
- As of late 2025, NPIF II has invested over £115 million into more than 300 small businesses in the North of England — plus around £68 million of private co‑investment. (Insider Media Ltd)
- While many funded businesses are tech‑driven — e.g. finance companies, SaaS firms, infrastructure‑software providers — NPIF II’s scope clearly includes creative, marketing, media and experiential‑marketing firms. The Hussel case is thus part of a broader shift toward supporting a diverse mix of SMEs. (Insider Media Ltd)
- Another example: 75Media — a roadside media / out‑of‑home advertising operator — recently secured a seven‑figure NPIF II investment to build an AI‑powered platform for billboard booking and advertising (“BOB”). (FinSMEs)
- These funding examples suggest NPIF II isn’t just fueling “traditional” startups; it’s also enabling companies reimagining how content, advertising, events, and physical/digital media intersect.
What this case suggests — lessons & takeaways
| Lesson / Insight | What Hussel’s case shows |
|---|---|
| Creative businesses can attract growth financing | Even a marketing/experiential‑marketing agency can leverage NPIF II funding, not just tech or industrial firms. |
| Resilience & pivoting pay off | Hussel’s origin comes from survival after job loss — but pivoting into digital marketing + creative campaigns laid a foundation for growth and funding. |
| Innovation in format matters | The “Mobile Disruption Unit” — a repurposed vehicle for live, experiential campaigns — shows that clients/potential funders value out‑of-the‑box thinking, especially in saturated marketing markets. |
| Flexible staffing & asset-light scaling | By using a mobile vehicle and hiring staff on a project basis, Hussel can scale up/down per project — reducing fixed costs while maximizing flexibility. |
| Funding programmes support broader SME ecosystems | NPIF II’s support for firms like Hussel or 75Media signals that regional funds increasingly consider creative industries, not just traditional sectors, as key economic contributors. |
What remains to watch / What is unclear
- Demand risk: A “mobile disruption unit” is a creative bet — success depends heavily on demand for experiential campaigns and events, which can fluctuate (especially in a post‑COVID era).
- Sustainability of bookings: The viability depends on whether Hussel can keep securing brand deals consistently (festivals, activations, events) — otherwise the high fixed costs of conversion + maintenance could be risky.
- Scalability beyond one vehicle: It’s unclear whether this model can scale — e.g. more vehicles, more markets — or remain a one‑off novelty.
- Effect of macroeconomic factors: Marketing budgets are often cut first in tough economic times; if clients tighten spend, experiential campaigns may be among the first impacted.