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The agency has been created by Swinstead co-founders John Swinstead and Adam Dewhurst. It uses traditional below-the-line methods, including branded literature, PR and events, to promote brands worldwide to a media-savvy and culturally aware audience.

Espionage has already developed campaigns for brands including Puma, Diesel, Smirnoff Ice and Jose Cuervo tequila.

"One thing that unites youth is that we are disillusioned by this world," Dewhurst said. "That is where the idea for Sleazenation came from, that we live in a world full of sleaze."

The launch of the agency is being overseen by Dewhurst, also Swinstead's marketing director, who believes the youth sector is more about attitude than an age group.

"When I say youth, I don't mean an age demographic, I mean young-minded people," he said.

Account handling is headed up by brand solutions manager Dave Chase, a former account manager on brands such as Xfm and Virgin at youth agency Cake, while the creative side is led by creative advisor Alexi Summer, a former freelance creative consultant.

The agency takes its name from the fact that in addition to its core team, it has access to the several hundred freelances around world, such as fashion, art and music journalists and photographers, who contribute to Swinstead's different offerings. These include magazines, an image library called PYMCA and a distribution company called Rogue.

"The idea of Espionage is having someone you can trust on the other side to tell you what is going on," Dewhurst said. "It takes the clients directly into the heart of the culture and works to develop an initiative, campaign or creative."

Teams are selected from this network to work on individual brands, once it has been established what clients are trying to achieve.

"We work by building a team using our network of freelances that is specific to the brief of who the brands want to target," Dewhurst said. "The campaigns are culturally led but can translate into the mainstream."

One of Espionage's current tasks is working on the launch of Puma's Jamaica trainer range.

The drive includes a booklet in the format of a seven-inch single, celebrating the different ways Jamaican culture has influenced life in the UK, such as music, food and speech. It is also staging a series of reggae events, culminating in Culture Clash in London's Cargo club on Sunday October 12 and PR throughout October to coincide with Black History Month.

The booklet, which carries very little Puma branding, is being distributed through outlets such as trainer boutique Size? and carried in the current issue of Sleazenation in areas where the shop is based, along with other relevant titles.

Espionage has also worked on Smirnoff Ice, to promote the brand as a drink that you can drink at home. The agency produced a publication called Outside In, billed as "a guide to entertaining at home by Sleazenation and Smirnoff Ice".

Swinstead, founded seven years ago, also publishes Xfm's magazine X-Ray for Capital Radio Group.

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