Ogilvy Melbourne has a focus on creative transformation and borderless creativity, which begins with prioritising a diversity of thinking and approaches led from the top by ECD Hilary Badger.
Badger, who joined the creative agency at the start of 2023 from Clemenger BBDO, said that creative leadership is still very much a white male dominated field across the industry, so with only a handful of female ECDs in the whole country, Ogilvy Melbourne already has a head start on others.
“Naturally having that diversity of leadership in the creative department leads to diversity of hiring, so that's really been my focus: to not just talk about diverse hiring, but actually do it,” she said.
“It puts us in a differentiating position to have more female leaders than male leaders, and it's also true of the wider Ogilvy network as well.
“There’s a real demand for it - I think clients are really interested in having a different perspective that more reflects their target audience. I really have sensed a massive uptick in that over the years.”
In terms of the way the agency thinks about creative ambition and the type of work it wants to make, MD Gavin MacMillan said Ogilvy Melbourne talks a lot both internally and externally about helping brands get into the fabric of the nation.
“Brands like Cadbury, AAMI and GIO are big names that are already fairly established in the fabric of the nation - our job is to keep them there and to continue to innovate to try and find new ways to keep them in that lofty position,” he said.
“It doesn't necessarily mean that we have to try and make every brand Qantas and sponsor the Wallabies or something like that. It just means that every brand is going to have its way of finding its place in culture that establishes itself in the fabric of our culture.”
MacMillan said there are two key considerations to bring this to life: what the brand's best self is and what the cultural tension the brand can resolve is.
Bringing these two facets together leads to what Ogilvy Melbourne calls a ‘big ideal’, which is bigger than a ‘big idea’ - it's an organising idea for the whole company, not just the brand.
“It's an idea before advertising and an idea beyond advertising, and it's an idea that informs the brand's partnerships and sponsorships, which so often play a big role in getting it into the fabric of the nation,” he told AdNews.
“It's an idea that informs the employee value proposition and how they show up and it's also an idea that informs how the brand can play a role in customers lives.”
MacMillan said that there's no shortage of ambition among Australian clients at the moment, which comes down to the rise of marketing science and the fact that CMOs can now go back to their boards and say ‘this is what we know to work’.
“That is essentially driving the emotional side of the brain,” he said.
“Marketing science has also shown the link between creativity and effectiveness and that's been shown through effectiveness awards, but also in a micro sense in testing done by Google and some of the tech companies.
“I think there's a more established link between creativity and the need for a creative ambition and business success.”
The Melbourne-based creative agency has had a number of notable campaigns so far this year – GIO’s 'Protects Precious' and AAMI's 'Athletes in the Making' among them – but it may have been the Matildas’ ‘Til It's Done’ that got the most amount of buzz in terms of recent outputs.
The campaign not only won a Bronze Cannes Lion in the Sport – Brand Storytelling category, but has also been shortlisted for a pair of APAC Effies.
Badger said that in terms of a conversation that both clients and the public wanted to get involved in, it was perfect for Ogilvy Melbourne as a display of its creative ambition and the desire to speak about and manifest diversity, but also showcased how a brand can appear in culture and show up with a dialogue that's relevant to all Australians.
“A lot of our clients are really engaged in sport, so we already had good form in that space to talk about women in sport. I do think it will set us up for the wider brand, as well as our relationship, in a really good space," she said.
Having been in her ECD role for over 18 months now, Badger said that the experience she gained from working in “all of Melbourne's best agencies” along her career meant she had a great proving ground for what she wanted to do once she was elevated to that leadership position.
“Leadership should be a two-way dialogue; it shouldn't be my creative vision coming down from above and not hearing and respecting the people in the team,” she said.
“I think it should be a two-way conversation, because as much as I'm trying to deliver a creative ambition, I'm also trying to help the team deliver their own creative ambition, as well as our clients.
“I have brought along with me some people that I already had existing relationships with, people that I really trust and respect, to help me realise our shared creative ambition. I've hired six real high impact players across the creative department since I started and also allowed some of our high performers to really flourish as well that were already here.”
Managing partner Danielle Chapman said such ways of thinking also extends beyond the agency’s creative department.
“If you look at account management and planning as well, I see our teams really just leaning forward to all the opportunities that are presented to them, trying different things, seeing what works, but also being really confident in themselves and in their chosen path,” she told AdNews.
MacMillan said the agency has made a conscious decision to grow the creative department as despite feeling that the capability on offer was great, that needed to be fueled by a greater emphasis on creativity.
“Since Hilary's arrival, there has definitely been a creative-first mentality and getting back to the core of what makes a business and offering like ours great," he said,
"There has been extra investment behind that to back up that strategy. It's not just a set of words, it's a set of activities that we need to get behind.”
Chapman said Ogilvy Melbourne is fortunate enough to be working with clients who want to partner with the agency to push some of those boundaries.
“Our recent campaign called ‘Give a Cheer to a Volunteer’ is a good example of treading into new space where clients are really keen to partner with us on that journey, which has been great,” she said.
MacMillan said that ultimately, agencies have to have a conversation about creative ambition with clients and get to a shared view of what that looks like before beginning to present work.
“I've really never been in a situation in my whole career with a client where we're not on the same page very quickly - I find everyone wants to do great work,” he said.
“Once you get to that shared view, then it's just about working through what are the things that we need to do and what are the barriers we need to remove to get to this shared vision we have.”
Anthony Eid and Jenny Fang - creative team
What’s the biggest challenge in your role?
Working as a team. We want to murder each other every two seconds, but we tolerate it because we like each other’s ideas. We argued about what to say next. Jenny won: “Meow”.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Honestly, we haven’t had a typical day at Ogilvy.
It has been nothing like we expected when we started here. The Ogilvy Network has shocked us with how connected it is.
In our second week we found ourselves presenting to a room of 20 of Ogilvy APAC’s creative leaders in Cairns (not the French one). They were reviewing our work… it sounds intimidating but it’s hard to be scared of someone in their Hawaiian shirt and boardies.
We’re beyond grateful for the connections we’ve been able to build with the APAC leaders. It has allowed us to have some crazy opportunities, like going to Hong Kong for a global pitch and working on briefs for Ogilvy’s existing global clients.
If we HAD to be really strict with our typical day. We’d probably be outside working on some of Australia’s biggest brands with clients that have an appetite for great work.
We are never at our desks. If the sun is out, we are outside. Anthony literally hangs in the trees… not joking. We sit at cafes, sit at the park and sit on the ground. Anywhere but our desks.
What attracted you to Ogilvy?
Hilary and Toby’s ambition to make great work were the biggest factors. There’s real passion and drive for the best ideas. It’s no walk in the park (ironically) but it has been amazing to have the support from our leaders to work on such great briefs. After the first few presentations we got an idea of how ambitious our clients are for great work and it has kept us motivated to keep pushing ever since. We also want to go to the French Cannes one day, maybe not in June though. (We hear it’s really busy.)
Kate Hely - Group Strategy Director
What do you love most about your role?
Outside advertising, 'strategic planner' is one of those job titles that leaves people scratching their heads. But I always say it's like playing with thoughts all day. Sure, there are systems, processes, and data to wrangle, but the real magic happens when you combine that with philosophy, psychology, human behaviour, and a healthy dose of intuition.
My background is actually in architecture, and planning feels surprisingly similar. You scope out the landscape, understand the client's needs, and then find that perfect launchpad for a creative leap. It's about building a framework for brilliant ideas to take flight.
What attracted you to Ogilvy?
Ogilvy's openness to flexible work arrangements was a major draw for me. It allows me to pursue my other passions while contributing my experience and strategic thinking to a respected agency with strong clients. I'm grateful to have a supportive and ambitious team that values my contributions, even in a part-time capacity. While part-time senior roles may seem unusual in our industry, I believe it's a valuable model that can help agencies attract and retain talented individuals who have broad interests in life.
What does a typical day look like for you?
My day always starts the same: a one-hour walk to work. It's my ritual. I pop in my earbuds and escape into podcasts and audiobooks. And I'm not listening to the latest marketing trends, oh no. Give me great storytelling, fascinating histories, anything *but* ad-land talk. It's like a mental palate cleanser before I dive into the strategic trenches.
After that, there really is no typical day. Every campaign brings new puzzles to solve and stories to tell. The only predictable part of my schedule is when I walk through the door at home and am immediately tackled by my three sons. They're a force of nature, those boys, and a good reminder that sometimes the best strategies are the simplest ones.
What’s the biggest challenge in your role?
In a world swimming with data, reports, trends, case studies and theories. The challenge is not just to aggregate it all in the service of the client’s challenges, but also to challenge it. To step back and rely on simple empathy for the consumer and to understand the bigger picture.
Ant Simmons - Group Creative Director
What attracted you to Ogilvy?
Hilary and I were a CD team at Clemenger BBDO and it just felt like a natural fit to work with her again. We both have big ambitions for what Ogilvy can achieve and so do the teams and most importantly our clients. Plus, with Gav and Dan and of course Toby Talbot as CCO we have all the elements we need to do good work. We also have an incredible business management team who have great relationships with clients which makes each day easier rather than harder.
What’s the biggest challenge in your role?
Aligning ambition with reality. Everyone has a different definition of success on each brief; from client to strategy to the creative teams and business management. If we can align these expectations and motivations early on, we have a better chance of making great work. The barriers come in the familiar forms of workload, timings, budget and most importantly clarity – the process is managing to navigate these barriers, so all ambitions are met. To do this, you need great people who manage the process from start to finish with all this in mind.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Coffee.
Then once at work having conversations about the upcoming day or week ahead with Karen who keeps everything on track. She has a sixth sense of what needs attention and navigating the shifting sands of each project. I like to keep in touch with creatives, strategy and business management throughout the day to keep communication flowing. I try not to stay at my desk for too long unless I need to get something done. My primary school teachers were known to tie me to my chair with rope, not kidding. I’m naturally restless, which helps me move around the agency to have these conversations.
What are you focused on for 2024?
2024 kicked off with three huge projects in production at once. We started the year shooting the AAMI brand campaign with Revolver directed by Jonathon Kneebone. We went straight into a five day shoot for Mitsubishi Triton with Goodoil directed by Hamish Rothwell. Then onto another 5 day GIO brand shoot again with Revolver directed by Leilani Croucher. The pre-production, production and post-production schedule was back to back across all three and amongst that there was the day to day work so in some sense it felt like a year’s worth of brand campaigns delivered in the first three months. The production in the agency continued across AAMI with the athletes in the making and AFL partnership spots, both shot by Tim Bullock. The focus for the rest of 2024 is maintaining the momentum we’ve help create for our clients who are building on the success of these campaigns. And of course helping them create innovative work that delivers greater impact for their brands.
What do you love most about your role?
Advertising is a professional passion. You have to love it and there’s nothing like seeing people come together to bring ideas to life. I love seeing what our industry creates year in year out, the opportunity to be a part of that constantly motivating.
Linh Diep - Account Director
What are you focused on for 2024?
I’m already eyeing 2025 and focusing on how to thrive in the year ahead. My goal for 2024 is to set a strong foundation for success and growth in 2025.
What do you love most about your role?
I love the blend of commercial creativity—where craft, storytelling, and impactful work intersect. The chance to collaborate with talented humans and achieve great things together is incredibly fulfilling.
What’s the biggest challenge in your role?
The biggest challenge is juggling competing priorities while keeping the team aligned on a unified mission. I see my role as being the glue that holds everything together and ensuring clear, effective communication amid the calm (or chaos!).
What attracted you to Ogilvy?
Ogilvy’s creative ambitions and its work with Australia’s most beloved brands were major draws for me. The opportunity to engage in impactful projects within an inspiring, supportive environment, and to be part of Melbourne's most innovative work with exceptional people, was too good to pass up.
What does a typical day look like for you?
My day typically starts with 30 minutes of planning over coffee, setting the stage for whatever curveballs might come my way. The unpredictability of each day is what keeps the role exciting and dynamic.
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