The Independents announces integration of production studio Smuggler

Global communications group The Independents announced on Wednesday the integration of Smuggler, an international creative and production studio, into its network. Founded by Patrick Milling-Smith and Brian Carmody, the production entity has offices in Los Angeles, New York and London. This move strengthens the group's expertise in strategic communication and event experiences.

Key elements of the integration:

• The Independents is deploying an ecosystem designed to bring together partners with complementary expertise in content production.
• The group expects a record year with an estimated turnover of 1.3 billion dollars for 2026.
• Smuggler will maintain its operational independence while benefiting from new global creative opportunities.

The Independents' development model is based on finding partners who share a similar cultural acuity, which is essential for building coherent brand stories. According to a statement from The Independents, Smuggler will bring over 20 years of recognised expertise in supporting creative talent and developing original intellectual properties.

The studio's work has been recognised with numerous professional awards, including 14 theatre awards, as well as major advertising and television prizes. Recently, the studio produced Burberry's campaign, titled “It's Always Burberry Weather”.

Since June 2023, The Independents group has been backed by Banijay Group and TowerBrook Capital Partners. The structure's portfolio includes several renowned companies, such as the public relations agency Lucien Pages Communications. It also owns other creative studios, including 2x4, which is based in New York and Beijing.

This article was written in part with the assistance of an artificial intelligence tool before being supplemented and edited by a FashionUnited journalist.