Mr Smith rebrands to creative projects company; Brendon Guthrie joins in creative partner role

A flow of new skills into the business and the changing needs of its clients has seen Melbourne production house Mr Smith rebrand as a creative projects company. Brendon Guthrie has also joined as creative partner.

Founding partner Craig MacLean said the new description was simply a reflection of the work Mr Smith is now involved in.

“It’s no secret things rarely start and end with a 30-second TVC these days. Whether our client’s an ad or a branding agency, a corporate or an NGO, the brief usually demands long form pieces and increasingly, creative input beyond that.

“It follows that we’ve attracted people with skills to make that happen over the last year or so, from established feature film writer and director Peter Carstairs to multi-media talent, Curtis Hill and now Brendon Guthrie, who’s joining us as a creative partner.”

Co-founder Helene Nicol agrees partnering with Guthrie is a necessary evolution of the four year old business.

Says Nicol: “Craig and I have worked with Brendon in his roles as an agency writer, creative director and ECD, and he’s always struck me as someone committed to both his own craft and helping others develop theirs.

“As Craig said, we are now at the point where we need a writer partner who can switch easily between commercial and non-commercial work and at the same time, add another layer of polish to everything we do. Brendon’s writing background in and out of advertising makes him an ideal fit for that – and us.”

Likewise for Guthrie, the Mr Smith partnership was a timely opportunity.

Says Guthrie: “Lots of things have changed in the advertising business during the 25 years I’ve been in and around it, but one thing’s remained a constant; an idea is only ever as good as the people who craft it into being.

“Craig and Helene founded Mr Smith on that principle and have backed it to the hilt ever since, so we’re getting together to grow the company on shared philosophical and practical ground.”

MacLean agrees: “Our reason for being is simple and it’s one everybody at Mr Smith buys into: Make it happen.”

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