Identity and Smyle are set to unify under a single brand, Identity, launching next month.
The move is
designed to deliver greater creative and experiential
capabilities at better value, while maintaining the same teams and culture. It comes after Identity acquired Smyle last year, and will position the new organisation as one of the world’s most comprehensive
independent agencies.
Smyle creates insight-driven, memorable
experiences for brands including Amazon, TikTok, Adobe, and Salesforce, while
Identity brings extensive capabilities in large-scale event management and a
strong heritage delivering high-profile public sector and major international
events, including COP26 and COP28, the King’s Coronation, and London’s New
Year’s Eve celebrations. The transition will culminate in the unveiling of a
refreshed Identity brand in November 2025.
As part of this next chapter, the group’s specialist brands
– gaming and e-sports agency NJ Live, content creation specialists Dreamlike
Studio, employee experience agency Powered by Humans, and sporting event
experts The Sports Presentation Company – will also be joining the new-look
Identity’s journey, strengthening capability while driving smarter delivery for
clients.
“Both Identity and Smyle are performing exceptionally well
in their own right,” said Michael Gietzen, CEO of Identity. “But the market is
evolving, and clients expect more. With this unification, we’re combining
talent, technology, and global reach to deliver more for clients, without
compromise on cost or creativity. It’s about disrupting the expectation that
scale means expense and showing that unification can unlock real value.”
Olivier Vallee, MD of Identity, said: “This
is a moment of strength. By unifying now, we combine scale with specialism,
delivering enhanced experiences for clients in a more efficient and effective
way. Our teams’ talent remains the cornerstone of everything we do.”
Dominic Thomas-Smith, MD of Smyle, added:
“We’ve always shared a belief in the power of experience. This alignment is not
just strategic, it’s disruptive. Together, we’re challenging industry norms and
creating something greater than the sum of our parts, for clients and for our
people.”
The newly unified Identity will continue to expand its
international footprint. While headquartered in the UK, the agency already
operates globally, with an established presence in the UAE and Saudi Arabia and
a new office opening on the US East Coast in October.
