Mick Jenkins ‘Smoke Break-Dance’ by Andre Muir
Promonews: “The idea of chasing a high lays the foundations of Andre Muir’s brilliant promo for Mick Jenkins, exploring the idea of escapism in every area of life. The video features a series of powerful vignettes, tied together by their portrayal of different forms of toxic black masculinity, which ultimately drives the characters to seek…
Bakar ‘Alive!’ by rubberband.
Promonews: “Director duo Simon Davis and Jason Sondock – aka rubberband. – craft a bold and daring video for Bakar where the British alt-soul artist literally stops the traffic in the middle of Piccadilly Circus. The video for Alive! begins at the iconic British location, where curious onlookers are transfixed by the car that has…
Phillip Youmans Wins Cannes Lions Grand Prix for “Beautiful Life”
LBB: “Through striking storytelling carried by authentic performances from the nuanced and diverse cast, Phillip Youmans entwines his craft and the powerful single from Kiwanuka into a matter of life and death celebrating the real strength in the human spirit.”
Making the Business Case for Creativity
Adweek: “‘This Is How We Work Now’ features the dead CEO, Jack, singing about how his ways shouldn’t be the ways of the future. The epic ad, and its many iterations, jacked up awareness of the company. In the six months following the campaign’s launch in September 2022, unaided awareness grew more than 30%, with…
Lionel Messi Series Set at Apple TV+
Variety: “The currently untitled series is produced for Apple TV+ by Smuggler Entertainment. It is executive produced by Emmy winner Tim Pastore (“Free Solo,” “Jane”), Emmy and Tony winners Patrick Milling Smith and Brian Carmody and Emmy Award winner Matt Renner (“Free Solo,” “Limitless with Chris Hemsworth”) of Smuggler Entertainment, alongside Jon Henion (“Welcome to…
Apple’s ‘Relax, It’s iPhone’ Campaign Rolls On, Very Slowly, With a Pumpkin-Hauling Tractor Driver
Ad Age: “As sleek and modern as most of its product demos are, Apple does like to dip into the dusty realm of Westerns once in a while. This time, we see a tractor driver hauling an enormous pumpkin across an even more enormous expanse of wasteland. The old Ludacris track “Two Miles an Hour” plays,…
Into the Library with Miles Jay
LBB: “Speaking to LBB’s Ben Conway, Miles discusses nine pieces from his career so far that hold the most significance for him, ranging from a Bond-esque blockbuster to a comedic spot with legendary actor John Malkovich to an emotionally and politically complex video for the iconic rapper Jay Z.”
In Conversation with the Film Director Fiona Jane Burgess
C41 Magazine: “In this evocative and thoughtful interview, the film director Fiona Jane Burgess–represented by SMUGGLER–reveals her forward-looking and unconventional mind, gives us a glimpse into her personal thoughts, explaining herself and telling us a little more about the person she is and her working methodology, in which she manages each time, with mastery and confidence, to…
The AICP Awards 2023 Honours the Best Advertising of the Year
SMUGGLER was the joint most-awarded production company at the 2023 AICP Awards with seven total honours. Aoife McArdle was one of the most honoured directors in the show, receiving four awards.
Get to Know Our Summer Talent: Ebeneza Blanche
The Face: “Born in Holland, raised in London, filmmaker Ebeneza Blanche’s life was flipped upside down when he went to boarding school in Ghana aged 13. “Mum sent me to learn a lesson,” he recalls, ruefully. “It was a culture shock, the Ghanaian mindset. It’s eat or get eaten.” He didn’t go back for nine…