Advent

Chances are, if you’re a creative who’s wanted a job, or an agency that’s filled a job, you know Esther Clerehan. Esther has been a recruiter specialising in creative roles for more than 30 years.

In this episode, we cover a lot. Salary transparency. Managers who struggle because they’re too scared to ask for help. The impact of last year’s redundancies and pay cuts on this year’s talent market. The importance of pulling new people into advertising, versus hiring from the same pool of friends and family. And the industry’s focus on - and the ageism of - ‘who’s next?’.

Right now, we're recording and producing Advent from home, on the lands of the Dharawal and Gadigal people. We pay our respects to Elders, past, present and emerging.

Editing and mixing for Advent is done by Andy Stewart, with production support from Declan Clow Wood. Editorial guidance and research comes from Brittney Rigby. Alex Watts hosts Advent, and wrote this in third person.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 We're back, legends, and it couldn't feel better. Season 2 kicks off with Brent Smart, CMO at IAG, and a marketer who's transformed expectations of insurance advertising - and is generally challenges Aussie advertisers to be better.

We talk about the power of control in your creative career, the dangers of being too focused, and how incredibly fragile ideas really are. It's a banger. 

Right now, we're recording and producing Advent from at home, on the lands of the Dharawal and Gadigal people. We pay our respects to Elders, past, present and emerging.

Editing and mixing for Advent is done by Andy Stewart, with production support from Declan Clow Wood. Editorial guidance and research comes from Brittney Rigby. Alex Watts hosts Advent, and wrote this in third person. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Advertising used to be cool. Like, really cool. But in 2021, is that still the case? This week, we are joined by Global CEO of C14torce, about the danger of resting on your laurels, the importance of a more contemporary office and the need for agencies to take more risks.

Advent is produced and recorded in the studios of DDB Sydney, on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. We pay our respects to Elders, past, present and emerging.

Editing and mixing for Advent is done by Andy Stewart, with production support from Emily Wood. Editorial guidance and research comes from Lindsay Bennett. Alex Watts hosts Advent, and wrote this in third person.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode, we're joined by Ricky Chanana, Head of Sales at Twitch. In his 16 years working in advertising and media, Ricky has done his time both agency and publisher side, including heading up investment at Maxus, leading Unruly in AUNZ, and more recently, joining Twitch as Head of Sales.

We talk through the vital role of community in a successful network, gaming becoming pop culture, and how to speak to cord cutters in the inevitable shift away from TV. We also explore the role of live streaming in the media mix and being truly, inescably, authentic.

Advent is produced and recorded in the studios of DDB Sydney, on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. We pay our respects to Elders, past, present and emerging.

Editing and mixing for Advent is done by Andy Stewart, with production support from Emily Wood. Editorial guidance and research comes from Lindsay Bennett. Alex Watts hosts Advent, and wrote this in third person.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode, we're joined by Dan Ferguson, Chief Marketing Officer of Adore Beauty, Australia’s largest online beauty retailer. Dan has more than 15 years’ experience leading online growth for many companies and categories, including Vistaprint, Officeworks, GPG, Dell and DesignCrowd and is well known for his views on the role that data plays in modern marketing.

We talk about the true value of disruption in 2021, how you can transform from performance marketing to brand and back again, the role of social as a gateway in changing your brands, and most importantly, how dangerous it is to forget the customer.

Advent is produced and recorded in the studios of DDB Sydney, on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. We pay our respects to Elders, past, present and emerging.

Editing and mixing for Advent is done by Andy Stewart, with production support from Emily Wood. Editorial guidance and research comes from Lindsay Bennett. Alex Watts hosts Advent, and wrote this in third person.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Simon is the co-founder and CEO of Who Gives A Crap, a toilet paper company that dedicates half of its profits to build toilets in the developing world. Simon is an entrepreneur and philanthropist who has built three social enterprises focussed on revolutionising the way brands thinks about giving back.

We talk to Simon about how Who Gives A Crap built a distinctive brand using every touch point, the role brands can play in improving the world and if he’d ever consider spending $5m to run an ad in the Super Bowl.

Advent is produced and recorded in the studios of DDB Sydney, on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. We pay our respects to Elders, past, present and emerging.

Editing and mixing for Advent is done by Andy Stewart, with production support from Emily Wood. Editorial guidance and research comes from Lindsay Bennett. Alex Watts hosts Advent, and wrote this in third person.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peter Kirk is an Australian director, screenwriter, producer and an incredible advocate for a more representative advertising industry. Over his career, Peter has worked with brands such as Lynx, Google and Greenpeace and has been recognised around the world for his work in advertising and beyond. In 2015, Peter Kirk founded Pluto Media, a content platform that brings together creative storytelling and artist discovery, helping agencies and brands in crafting strategies that underpin the value of working with indigenous creatives.

We talk to Peter about the radical changes advertising needs to make to welcome more indigenous Australians – beyond just instating a Reconciliation Action Plan, how engaging the original storytellers of this nation could see agencies reclaim former creative glory and which businesses are leading the way in terms of diversity.

Advent is produced and recorded in the studios of DDB Sydney, on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. We pay our respects to Elders, past, present and emerging.

Editing and mixing for Advent is done by Andy Stewart, with production support from Emily Wood. Editorial guidance and research comes from Lindsay Bennett. Alex Watts hosts Advent, and wrote this in third person.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zoe Scaman is the founder of Bodacious, a business and brand strategy studio and one of the most interesting voices in brand strategy right now. Zoe describes herself as a swiss army knife specialising in planning, entertainment, strategy, innovation and more. Before setting up her own shop, she worked around the world in Sydney, London, New York and Ethiopia at the likes of Droga 5, Adidas and Naked Communications.

We talk to Zoe about divorcing strategy from the world of advertising and applying it to the creator economy, the flailing business models of the ad world and her time at Naked Communications in the 2000s and what the agency’s downfall says about the future of holding companies.

Advent is produced and recorded in the studios of DDB Sydney, on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. We pay our respects to Elders, past, present and emerging.

Editing and mixing for Advent is done by Andy Stewart, with production support from Emily Wood. Editorial guidance and research comes from Lindsay Bennett. Alex Watts hosts Advent, and wrote this in third person.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leisa Bacon is the Director of Audiences at the ABC with more than 20 years’ experience working across marketing, communications, digital and strategy roles. She’s a self-confessed content junkie and was recently recognised in the CMO 50 as the top marketer in Australia landing in the coveted #1 space.

We talk to Leisa about how the many crises in 2020 forced the ABC to evolve as more Australians turned to the public broadcaster, the ongoing streaming wars for share of mind and why the ABC will continue to invest more in brand building.

Advent is produced and recorded in the studios of DDB Sydney, on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. We pay our respects to Elders, past, present and emerging.

Editing and mixing for Advent is done by Andy Stewart, with production support from Emily Wood. Editorial guidance and research comes from Lindsay Bennett. Alex Watts hosts Advent, and wrote this in third person.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For this special end of year episode, we are joined by Optus Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Hopkins, Mi3 Senior Journalist Josh McDonnell and DDB Sydney Chief Strategy Officer Fran Clayton to discuss what mattered most in 2020, and what we need to leave behind.

From the creeping conservatism plaguing Australian marketing, to the David versus Goliath narrative building between holding companies and independents and the hideousness of Christmas pitching, we’re saying goodbye to 2020 with a little spice.

Advent is produced and recorded in the studios of DDB Sydney, on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. We pay our respects to Elders, past, present and emerging.

Editing and mixing for Advent is done by Andy Stewart, with production support from Emily Wood. Editorial guidance and research comes from Lindsay Bennett. Alex Watts hosts Advent, and wrote this in third person

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.