Award-Winning Global Studio and Production Company SMUGGLER Joins The Independents

LOS ANGELES, SEPTEMBER 16, 2026 — The Independents, one of the world’s leading communications groups, today announces that SMUGGLER, the award-winning global studio and production company, is joining its growing ecosystem. This strategic step in The Independents’ development further strengthens the group’s ability to develop world-class storytelling at the intersection of fashion and entertainment, cementing its position as the partner of choice for leaders across luxury and lifestyle.

As the lines between fashion, entertainment and advertising continue to blur, brands increasingly need stories that can travel across channels, formats and markets, driving demand for cinematic, cross-medium storytelling. Anticipating this shift, The Independents has deliberately built its ecosystem to include a distinct content production vertical comprising world-class, complementary partners.

Founded by Patrick Milling-Smith and Brian Carmody and built on the belief that great storytelling transcends format, SMUGGLER represents many of the world’s most celebrated filmmakers, producers and creative talent, with offices across Los Angeles, New York and London, strengthening The Independents’ proposition across strategic communications, live experiences and content production.

The Independents’ model is rooted in the belief that, to tell consistent stories across channels, brands need partners with a shared creative sensibility and cultural fluency. The group has scaled by building an ecosystem of complementary capabilities designed to meet the increasingly complex needs of brands and audiences. The group is on track to deliver its strongest year to date, with revenue of $1.3 billion expected in 2026.

For more than two decades, SMUGGLER has existed to champion storytellers: protecting their vision, backing their ambition, and enabling them to do their best work across branded entertainment, original IP, live experiences and Broadway productions. Its work has earned multiple Emmy and Grammy Awards, alongside 14 Tony Awards for its Broadway productions. SMUGGLER is a five-time Ad Age Production Company of the Year and winner of the top company honors at Cannes Lions, the British Arrows, AICP and Ciclope Festival.

Recent projects include adidas' 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign "Backyard Legends", Burberry's "It's Always Burberry Weather" featuring Olivia Colman, Barry Keoghan and Little Simz, and the Tony and Grammy Award-winning Buena Vista Social Club on Broadway. Its original documentary slate has topped the charts of the world's biggest platforms, most recently with Hulu's #1 limited series My Grandfather Manson and the Apple TV+ Messi series Messi's World Cup: The Rise of a Legend and Messi Meets America.

"SMUGGLER is a creative force with an exceptional track record across filmmaking, branded entertainment, original IP and live/immersive experiences. Its distinctive culture, values and creative ambition make it a natural partner for The Independents as we continue to grow by bringing together entrepreneurs whose expertise opens up new creative possibilities for brands. With SMUGGLER, we are deepening our ability to deliver ambitious, cross-medium storytelling for the world's leading brands." — Isabelle Chouvet, Co-Founder and CEO of The Independents.

“We've always believed in the enduring power of great storytelling, in exceptional talent, and in protecting the creative process. The Independents share those values, and this partnership formalizes a relationship that's already strong, as we keep making ambitious work that people genuinely want to engage with." — Patrick Milling-Smith and Brian Carmody, founding partners of SMUGGLER.

The partnership safeguards the independence that lets SMUGGLER marry a studio's storytelling rigor with an appreciation of brand needs. It also opens SMUGGLER up to more global creative opportunities and to brands increasingly seeking work that earns attention rather than interrupts it, from premium branded content to live experiences and immersive formats.