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Freddy Mandy signs to SMUGGLER
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SMUGGLER welcomes BAFTA winner Freddy Mandy, formerly of directing duo The Bobbsey Twins from Homicide, for global representation.
SMUGGLER welcomes BAFTA winner Freddy Mandy, formerly of directing duo The Bobbsey Twins from Homicide, for Global representation.
Known for his cinematic world-building, dry humour, and deft VFX, Mandy’s comedy is always pitch-perfect. His work makes you laugh and fires up the imagination. From his clever subversion of the ultimate locker room speech for Dos Equis to the awkward dialogue in his H&R Block spot about a man's ex-wife still doing his taxes and his award-winning Dirty Dancing ad for MoneySuperMarket, where Skeletor and He-Man become improbable dance partners. What truly sets Mandy apart is his ability to explore human emotions, societal norms, and the intricacies of the human condition through absurd comedic contexts.
Once half of the famed director-duo The Bobbsey Twins from Homicide, Mandy and his directing partner, Tim, honed their creative talents as agency creatives at Mother London with notable spots including Ikea Beds, Ikea Cats, and their BBC ad for the Winter Olympics. Their transition to directing was marked by a series of comedic films for Halfords, which garnered critical acclaim and awards at Cannes. Other successes include spots for Little Caesars, Visa, IHOP, and Radio X, among others.
Underscoring his ability to craft comedic narratives that resonate across borders, Mandy has received awards from Cannes Lions, BAFTA, Clios, The British Arrows, among others, further cementing his position as a standout talent.
In recent years, he has helmed award-winning campaigns including Stop Dreaming about NZ and Go for Tourism New Zealand, Spread the Merry for Australia Post, and A World Without Coffee for BNZ. He also won shots’ Director of the Year Pacific award in 2022.
This signing marks a new chapter in Mandy’s professional journey as he explores new horizons independently. With his relentless pursuit of artistic excellence, Mandy has continued to elevate each project with his distinct humour and nuanced films, each imbued by his intimate understanding of advertising, comedic talent, and incomparable craft. Mandy will remain with Finch in AUS/NZ.
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Mandy said, “I’ve admired Smuggler for a very long time, so when Patrick assured me that there would be snacks on the table in all face to face meetings, I knew I’d found my forever home.”
CEO of SMUGGLER Patrick Milling-Smith added, “We had all been following Freddy’s work for some time. We collectively jumped at the opportunity to be working together. Freddy occupies a unique space of being genuinely funny, knows how to craft film, has the imagination to create worlds while possessing actual taste and wry nuance. We are working with Freddy at a great moment in his career. There is a confidence and assuredness in his filmmaking with the added layer of having been a very successful agency creative for many years. Very excited about the journey ahead.”
