Welcome to Planet Smith: Inside the World of Global Branding’s Go-to Creative Producer

If you haven’t seen it, you should watch FILA’s Welcome to the Bellisimo Club advertisement. It’s only a minute and forty-one seconds long, but it packs a lot into such a short amount of time. Every hallmark of Italian culture is rolled out in a gentle pastiche of azure blue sea, tennis court drama, sugary sweet refreshments, speeding golf carts, crystal clear swimming pools, bustling kitchens, angelic statues, and pizza, of course, all backed with a dreamy, nostalgic canzone.

It’s part of a global campaign to relaunch FILA, catering to a younger generation while staying true to its Italian roots. According to those involved, it wouldn’t have happened without Smith.

But Who is Smith?

“I’m certain that without Smith, the project would have never come to life,” says Bruno Luglio, a former executive creative producer for Sid Lee US, who worked with Smith not only on “Bellissimo,” which debuted earlier this year, but another FILA campaign produced recently in South Korea.

“His sense of style, knowledge of culture and experience in the industry made the campaign jump from ‘great’ to perfection,” he says. “I’m confident to say that Smith was a key piece of the puzzle that made the project not only happen, but has proven to change the trajectory of FILA.”

This appears to be the case, as FILA’s “Bellissimo” was inarguably well received. While Smith, a 37-year-old creative producer from Paris who has won accolades for his production management skills, not to mention his passion for creative storytelling, is not featured in the campaign, his touches are all over it. One could even say that his global awareness, honed during the years he worked in the hospitality sector in Paris and London, have borne fruit, not just in the the FILA campaign, or other global branding campaigns, but in all of his work, from startling and vivid music videos to short films and television programs too.

“I think my most unique career trait is applying the people skills I learned in my hospitality career to production, putting people first.” says Smith of his approach. “I’ve always been drawn to different cultures, music, visuals, and travel,” he says. “My thirst for knowledge and adventures pushes me to stay humble and to constantly reinvent myself.”

A Team Player

Most who work with Smith, Luglio included, say that he’s a team player par excellence, a person who can manage large teams, deal with difficult clients, and, importantly, knows what he likes.

“He makes everyone around him feel like they’re taken care of,” says Luglio. “He knows how to work with creatives and clients alike.” Smith also has impeccable taste, according to Luglio. “He’s the one who can elevate any project because he trusts his instincts of what’s good and what’s not.”

“I’m proud of my international impact on global campaigns, and my ability to enhance the creativity to push the culture forward,” Smith agrees. He achieves this, he adds, by “staying curious about everything, and by trying to understand people and culture the best I can.”

Another successful collaboration has been with FIFA, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, where Smith worked with the Sid Lee Global team on FIFA’s 2022 World Cup Qatar commercial. This one also managed to pack in diverse cultural touchstones, with a tasteful, cinematic flow. Kristian Manchester, ex-chief creative officer at Sid Lee Global, said that Smith was key to realizing the vision of the 2022 World Cup Qatar commercial, and that he so much enjoyed working with Smith that he asked him to help out on other projects for GURU, Allbirds, and Nutrafol, as well as FILA. Manchester describes Smith as being cool as a cucumber, able to manage bids and deal with complex clients while remaining calm and calculated throughout.

“His many years of experience show up when there are difficulties and challenges during the process,” says Manchester. He calls Smith a “rare breed of creative producer,” one that takes a product to the next level. He’s also a people person, which serves to the project’s advantage.

The Customer is Always Right

Smith developed these chops for thriving under pressure and keeping clients happy in the hospitality sector in his youth, working in restaurants, bars, and nightclubs in Paris and London. After he moved to Canada, he began to cut his teeth in music video production, working with acclaimed talents from Zach Zoya and Sarahmée to London Grammar, Pink, and DJ Khalid. In addition to working on the agency side of commercial projects for industry giants like Sid Lee and Cossette, Smith also has a wealth of experience working on the production side of commercials and music videos, working with award-winning production companies like Consulat, CULT Nation, and Prettybird, to name just a few.

Recently, Smith started a new position as Executive Producer for the Americas for Division, an award-winning creative production company with offices in Paris, Los Angeles and Sydney. In this role, he hopes to continue to deliver the kind of high-level production quality he brought to both FIFA and FILA, as well as other high-profile commercial projects for clients including Allbirds and Converse, among others.

“I’m very happy with my new adventure at Division, and am looking forward to pushing the culture with groundbreaking music videos, developing relationships with new directors and artists, and producing the next culture-shaping commercials,” says Smith of his latest gig.

His advice for doing the job right? “Stay curious about everything,” he says. “And try to understand people and culture the best you can.”