Rethink New York has partnered with SmartLess Mobile to launch a new mobile brand in the US, debuting June 10. 

The creators of the wildly popular SmartLess podcast – Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett – have launched a new mobile brand in the US.

Rethink New York has brought together the brand’s important assets, the founders’ signature no-BS style, wit, and a mission to stop people from getting outsmarted into paying for data they don’t need. 

The new brand is built on the knowledge that people overpay substantially for wireless service due to a misconception – for the vast majority of users, cellular service is primarily a backup to WiFi. With nearly 90% of most people’s phone data going over WiFi, they are paying for unlimited data they don’t use. Most use less than 10GB but keep overpaying for data they don’t need. 

The launch campaign is socials is made up of punchy, short form videos directed by Sam Jones, known for directing the six-part docuseries SmartLess: On the Road in 2023. Much like Jones’ approach to SmartLess: On the Road, the launch spots are shot in black and white, offering an entertaining, behind-the-scenes glimpse into the group’s dynamic. The guys are seen being their unfiltered selves – ribbing Hayes for his questionable dessert choices, casually tossing around F-bombs, teasing Bateman while he naps, and even giving Hayes an unexpected shove into a pool.

The brand strategy behind SmartLess Mobile draws directly from the traits that made the SmartLess podcast a cultural hit – authenticity, vulnerability, and honesty.

In addition to collaborating with Jones and the SmartLess team on the video work, Rethink also led branding & identity (logo design, fonts, emails, website), brand strategy and positioning, creative ideation, and aided in post-production. Rethink has a long-standing relationship with Will Arnett, having worked with the actor when he was the spokesperson for Canadian telco brand, Freedom Mobile from 2018-2021.

Arnett commented, “It’s time for something to cost less. You’re paying for way more data than you use, and we’re pretty sure that Big Wireless isn’t going to let you know that your phone isn’t using their network the vast majority of the time. So, we’ll say it: If you’re using less, you should be spending less.”

Jeni McAleese, chief brand officer for SmartLess Mobile, added, “Working with Jason, Sean, and Will – alongside our creative partners at Rethink – to build the SmartLess Mobile brand was like translating their podcast magic into visual form – irreverent, honest, and refreshingly human. The wireless industry has normalised complexity and confusion, but SmartLess Mobile disrupts that with radical transparency. When you can make people laugh about a real problem while genuinely solving it, you’re not just marketing – you’re providing a public service.”

Tara Lawall, chief creative officer at Rethink New York, stated,” We’ve been longtime fans of the podcast, so getting to build SmartLess Mobile with the SmartLess guys; Jason, Sean, and Will and the incredible mobile team; Jeni, Paul, and Matt, was a dream. There are plenty of phone companies out there but only SmartLess Mobile can communicate the way we can—funny, honest, and refreshingly human.”

Rich Greco, executive creative director of design at Rethink New York, added, “We approached the identity for SmartLess Mobile in the same way the guys approach the podcast: authentically and without pretence. The brand behaves in ways both informal and honest, parallel to their service,” said. “This was a unique opportunity to build a brand around three voices who already have incredible chemistry and clarity. Rethink’s job was to make sure the brand’s visual and verbal expressions matched their energy.”