There's a certain sense of arrival when, as a teenager, you finally move from your parents' house into your very own digs. It's a rite of passage into adulthood. For Smuggler, who until recently had sublet space, christening new offices in both New York and Los Angeles this past year was the equivalent to packing up, moving on and leaving the rock 'n' roll posters on the wall.

Yes, Smuggler has matured. But they've far from grown up - it's not their style. After what executive producer Brian Carmody calls "two years of heavy branding and being ruthless about getting the best work", Smuggler is comfortable with their position as a going concern in the big leagues while continuing to maintain the edge that brought them early recognition.

The company's work from 2005 shows newfound diversity, oscillating effortlessly from effects-driven work like Nextel "Ants" (Stylewar) and Gatorade "Shattered" (Brian Beletic) to cinematic work like Coca-Cola "Barriers" (Beletic), and of course including the requisite amount of quirky comedy, such as Wendy's "Rabbit" and Brawny "Happy Birthday" (Happy).

While much blockbuster work still comes from the affiliation with London's Stink - particularly from star Ivan Zacharias (Honda, Rexona) - 2005 proved that Smuggler had developed a voice of its own. "Our directors are coming of age. They're so strong and different from where they were a few years ago," says EP Patrick Milling Smith.

It helps, they say, that the majority of the roster has been with the company since the beginning. Not only is every player at Smuggler on the same page, but the EPs say the directors are as invested in the company as they are. (In late '05, Murderball director Henry Alex Rubin joined the roster - the only change to the lineup last year.)

Still, both admit 2005 offered some terribly stiff competition. But that, they say, only strengthened their resolve to continue growing and developing.

"The low point was when Beletic lost Xbox to Budgen," offers Milling Smith, referring to "Jump Rope" and "Water Balloons", which were part of the global launch campaign. "And there were a couple of other spots that would have taken some directors to the next level."

Now that the curtains are hung, it's all about looking to the future at Smuggler and the focus for '06 is to win what the pair call "pillar spots" for each director. "Suddenly the whole thing feels very strong," says Milling Smith. "The foundations are there and our roster is solid." Put plainly, their goal is "for our directors to be doing the best work in the country. We're hungry, we're fresh, we're the new guard."

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