Smarts expands with a New York office

The expansion into the US comes off the back of new client wins across Smarts’ UK, Ireland and global business, including Visa and Seedlip.

The US office, which is based on Fifth Avenue in New York City, will be headed by Mike DaRe who has spent the past decade leading culture-led marketing plans for Diageo brands including Crown Royal, Bulleit Bourbon and Johnnie Walker.

In the past number of years Smarts has been expanding operations across all its offices - only five years ago the business opened its first London office.

Pippa Arlow, Global CEO of Smarts, said that the Holywood-based agency has ambitious plans to expand their current workforce by 20% over the next 12 months, with the US office very much part of those plans.

“We believe that Smarts US will help us to build on the work we already do with several high-profile US-based clients and to realise our ambitions to grow even further. Our expansion also gives us the opportunity to continue to invest in local talent who will have the opportunity to work with some of the world’s biggest brands across geographies.

“The office in New York will allow us to develop our focus on popular culture and entertainment and enable us to help clients achieve their business goals by building relevance that resonates with consumers.”

Arlow added: “I’m delighted to welcome Mike to our team. He has a superbly relevant track record in building and leveraging connections between brands and culture to deliver success for clients and to drive growth.”

DaRe, originally from Pennsylvania, said: “Smarts has decades of experience in crafting and delivering award-winning culturally relevant strategies for brands. I have had the pleasure to work with them while on the brand side and am now honoured to join this renowned group and carry forward into the US what they have established in the UK.”

Smarts is part of MSQ, a multi-disciplinary group of digital, creative, branding and PR agencies that operate internationally.

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