Smuggler’s heavy-hitting bench was all in on work with a purpose. Henry-Alex Rubin explored the “other-side” of school gun violence in another Sandy Hook Promise ad from BBDO, captured from the P.O.V. of the shooter. He was also on board for Budweiser’s unexpected Super Bowl move--an ad from David that touted the company’s philanthropic water program. Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow told the stories of women kidnapped by Boko Haram in a campaign the company created in partnership with Preacher and the International Rescue Committee; Jim Cummings created a haunting spot for The Brady Campaign, via Droga5, and Randy Krallman was in your face for BBH’s Planned Parenthood campaign that urged people to 'F*ck whoever the f*ck you want.” 

On the lighter side, kids made mad mischief in Mark Molloy’s “Homework” ad for Apple, and Whoppers helped explain net neutrality in David’s Burger King spot from Kris Belman. On the content front, Smuggler co-founder Patrick Milling-Smith served as a producer on McCann New York’s “Universal Love” campaign that flipped famous love song lyrics to make them LGBTQ-inclusive. Miles Jay’s provocative music video “Smile” for Jay-Z nabbed the 2018 Cannes Lions Entertainment Grand Prix for Music, while Jaron Albertin’s first feature film “Weightless,” earned critical acclaim, with New York Times critic Ken Jarowski describing his characters as “so strikingly realized that you can’t help but care for them.”