Smart
Smart is an Australian independent advertising agency founded in 2000 by Ben Lilley, Paul Findlay and John Mescall.
Last updated October 15, 2026
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Overview
Smart is an Australian advertising agency established in 2000 by creative directors Ben Lilley, Paul Findlay and John Mescall. The founders were all under 30 when they launched the business, positioning it as an alternative to the large multinational agency networks that dominated much of the Australian advertising market. The agency developed a reputation for combining creative ambition with an intentionally selective approach to client relationships, concentrating on advertisers that valued distinctive, high-impact work. The agency operated from offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and expanded substantially during its first decade. Its growth was recognized through inclusion in the Business Review Weekly Fast100 list of Australia's fastest-growing businesses and through industry awards, including B&T's Agency of the Year recognition. B&T also described Smart as a New Age advertising agency, reflecting its founders' relatively young profile and the company's effort to challenge established agency conventions. Smart's client work and business-development activity were associated with unconventional ideas as well as conventional brand campaigns. The agency was appointed by the Australian lifestyle brand Mambo, which had previously declined to work with advertising agencies. Smart also attracted attention through publicity stunts designed to win business and talent: agency staff reportedly sent dwarves to Peugeot's headquarters to seek inclusion on the automaker's agency pitch list, while another stunt involved disguising staff as takeaway-delivery drivers to place recruitment advertisements inside competing agencies. In 2011, McCann Worldgroup acquired Smart. The transaction was followed by a change in the leadership of McCann Worldgroup Australia, with Smart's management team taking over the Australian operation. This placed the independent agency's founders and operating culture within a global communications network. In 2020, Ben Lilley acquired Smart back from McCann Worldgroup, returning the agency to independent ownership. The agency is therefore associated with two distinct phases: its independent founding and operation, its period under McCann Worldgroup, and a new independent phase under Lilley's leadership. Smart is also connected with the creative work behind Dumb Ways to Die, a campaign widely described in the supplied reference material as the most awarded campaign in the history of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The campaign's association with Smart's founders is an important part of the agency's creative reputation, although the available material does not fully establish its commissioning, production structure, award timeline or current business scale. Smart's current office structure, complete client list, revenue, workforce and official website are not established in the available references.
History
Smart was founded in Australia in 2000 by creative directors Ben Lilley, Paul Findlay and John Mescall. The three founders were each under 30 at the time, and the agency was created as an alternative to the established multinational advertising networks. Its early identity emphasized youth, creative independence and a willingness to depart from conventional agency practice. During its first decade, Smart expanded into a multi-office Australian agency with locations in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. It became known for selective client acquisition, focusing on advertisers described in the reference material as blue-chip creative clients. The agency's reputation was supported by industry recognition: B&T named it Agency of the Year and referred to it as a New Age advertising agency, while Smart also appeared on the Business Review Weekly Fast100 list of Australia's fastest-growing businesses. The agency's business-development style was unusually theatrical. Smart secured an appointment from Mambo, an Australian brand that had previously refused to work with advertising agencies. It also staged publicity-oriented efforts to obtain attention from prospective clients and employees. One reported stunt sent dwarves to Peugeot's headquarters to request consideration for the automaker's agency pitch list. In another, agency staff dressed as takeaway-delivery drivers and placed recruitment advertisements inside rival agencies. These activities reinforced Smart's image as a challenger agency prepared to use the same creative thinking in its own marketing that it offered to clients. In 2011, McCann Worldgroup acquired Smart. The acquisition was not simply a brand purchase: Smart's management team was used to replace the existing management of McCann Worldgroup Australia. The arrangement brought Smart's operating leadership into a global network while preserving an important role for its founders and managers. The agency is also connected with Dumb Ways to Die, a highly awarded creative campaign that the supplied reference material attributes to Smart's founders and describes as the most awarded campaign in the history of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The available source does not provide enough detail to reconstruct the campaign's client relationship, production credits, launch date or complete award record, so those details are not expanded here. In 2020, Ben Lilley bought Smart back from McCann Worldgroup. The transaction returned the agency to independent ownership and marked a new phase under Lilley's leadership. The available reference describes Smart as operating independently again, but does not establish its current employee count, revenue, complete office list, clients, leadership structure beyond Lilley, or official website. Those areas require further verification.
- 2020
Smart returns to independent ownership
[1]Ben Lilley acquires Smart back from McCann Worldgroup and resumes operation of the agency as an independent business.
- 2011
McCann Worldgroup acquires Smart
[1]Smart becomes part of McCann Worldgroup, and its management team takes over leadership of McCann Worldgroup Australia.
- 2000
Smart is founded in Australia
[1]Ben Lilley, Paul Findlay and John Mescall establish the agency as young creative directors seeking an alternative to multinational advertising networks.
Expansion into Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane
[1]Over its first decade, Smart grows into an agency with offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Products and positioning
An independent, creatively led Australian advertising agency known for unconventional ideas, selective client relationships and high-profile creative work.
Advertising service · 2000
Creative advertising campaigns
Smart's core offering is the development of creative advertising campaigns for brands. The agency's reputation is associated with distinctive concepts, strong creative execution and work designed to attract public and industry attention rather than relying only on conventional media formats.
Marketing communications
Integrated brand communications
The agency provides broader advertising and brand-communication work around client needs. The available material does not specify a formal service catalogue, but Smart's client and campaign history indicates an emphasis on integrated creative solutions and selective partnerships with established advertisers.
Campaign
Dumb Ways to Die
Dumb Ways to Die is the campaign most strongly associated with Smart's creative reputation in the supplied reference. The material links its creation to Smart's founders and characterizes it as exceptionally successful at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Further details about client, date and production credits are not established here.
Marketing campaigns
- Dumb Ways to Die
International
A highly awarded campaign associated in the supplied reference material with Smart's founders. It is described as the most awarded campaign in Cannes Lions history, although the available source does not provide a verified launch year or a full account of the campaign's client and production arrangements.
Outcome. Exceptionally high creative-award recognition
- Mambo client appointment
Australia
Smart won work from Australian brand Mambo, which had previously refused to work with advertising agencies. The appointment was notable as evidence of Smart's ability to attract unconventional or agency-sceptical clients.
Outcome. Client appointment
- Peugeot pitch-list stunt
Australia
Smart sent dwarves to Peugeot's headquarters in an unconventional attempt to secure a place on the automaker's agency pitch list.
Outcome. Publicity-generating business-development stunt; later commercial result not specified
- Recruitment advertisements inside competing agencies
Australia
Agency employees reportedly disguised themselves as takeaway-delivery drivers to post recruitment advertisements inside rival agencies, using an attention-getting tactic to promote Smart as an employer.
Outcome. Publicity-generating recruitment stunt
Brand decisions
2020
Return to independent ownershipM&ABackground
Following its period within McCann Worldgroup, Smart was acquired back by founding partner Ben Lilley.
Action taken
Lilley purchased Smart from McCann Worldgroup and resumed operation of the agency as an independent business.
Aftermath
Smart returned to an independent ownership model under Lilley's leadership.
2011
Join McCann WorldgroupM&ABackground
After a decade of independent growth, Smart was acquired by McCann Worldgroup.
Action taken
Smart entered the McCann Worldgroup network, while its management team assumed leadership of McCann Worldgroup Australia.
Aftermath
The agency's management became responsible for the Australian McCann operation within a global network.
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
Smart introduces new #2 small car[2]
Reported:
Forbes reports on the new Smart #2, a new small car that brings the Smart brand back to its small-car roots.
- Unconfirmed
Smart #1 2027 model launched in China[3]
Reported:
Smart launched the 2027 model of its #1 compact SUV in China, featuring an 800-volt electrical system, faster charging, a more powerful motor, design changes and more than 200 technical improvements.
Smart and Finhabits announce retirement technology partnership[4]
Reported:
Smart announced a partnership with Finhabits under which Smart will integrate its retirement technology within the Finhabits app, providing a route for Latino small business owners and their workers to access retirement savings plans.
Smart and Samsung team up on 5G standalone technology[5]
Reported:
Smart Communications and Samsung teamed up to drive the development of 5G standalone technology in the Philippines.
Adverty announces global partnership with Smart[6]
Reported:
Adverty announced a global partnership with Smart to widen access to Adverty's programmatic in-game advertising inventory.
- Unconfirmed
Smart launches GigaPlay[7]
Reported:
Smart Communications launched GigaPlay, a streaming app offering Smart subscribers free access to sports and entertainment content.
Smart introduces GigaHello subscriber freebies[8]
Reported:
Smart introduced GigaHello, offering new Smart Prepaid and TNT 5G-ready SIM subscribers up to 9 GB of free data, calls and texts through successive subscriber steps.
smart launches smartidea lifestyle brand[9]
Reported:
smart launched smartidea, a lifestyle brand developed with fashion brands, designers and consumers. The report also says designer Su Wukou and ROARINGWILD were invited to join the platform and their collaborative collections were released.
Finvasia launches SMART mutual fund platform[10]
Reported:
Finvasia announced the launch of SMART, a mutual fund analysis and trading platform that enables users to invest and trade in exchange-traded mutual funds and SIPs, with direct mutual fund investments available at zero commission.
- Unconfirmed
Smart partners with Moonton for MPL Season 7[11]
Smart Communications teamed up with Moonton as the official telecommunications partner of the upcoming Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League Season 7 in the Philippines.
Showing the 10 most recent.
Sources22 sources
- 1Smart (advertising agency)en.wikipedia.org
- 2Smart推出全新#2小型车news.google.com
- 3Smart #1 2027款车型在中国发布ansa.it
- 4Smart与Finhabits宣布退休储蓄技术合作finanznachrichten.de
- 5Smart 与三星携手推动 5G 独立组网技术philstar.com
- 6Adverty 宣布与 Smart 建立全球合作伙伴关系finanznachrichten.de
- 7Smart推出GigaPlayrappler.com
- 8Smart推出GigaHello新用户福利technology.inquirer.net
- 9smart发布潮趣生活方式品牌smartideaworkercn.cn
- 10Finvasia推出SMART共同基金平台aninews.in
- 11Smart与Moonton合作举办MPL第七赛季ilonggotechblog.com
- 12SMART发布METL无气自行车轮胎techcrunch.com
- 13smart推出紧凑型纯电动SUV的计划曝光news.zol.com.cn
- 14Smart推出GigaLife应用technology.inquirer.net
- 15smart任命管理团队负责人tech.sina.com.cn
- 16Smart推出Giga Work数据套餐rappler.com
- 17据报 Smart 计划推出首款纯电动 SUVunwire.hk
- 18PLDT Global与SyncShop合作，为阿联酋菲律宾人提供服务gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
- 19吉利与梅赛德斯-奔驰成立smart全球合资公司finance.sina.com.cn
- 20Raven Industries收购Smart Agfinance.sina.com.cn
- 21Smart支持菲律宾电竞代表队Sibolspin.ph
- 22Smart launches new 5G-ready SIM with biggest inclusions on country’s fastest mobile networktechnology.inquirer.net
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