Young Gun: VMLY&R account manager August Lantay-Lefkovich

6 February 2020
 

Our Young Gun profile takes a look at some of the young talent across the advertising, adtech, marketing and media sector in Australia. It aims to shed light on the varying roles, people and companies across the buzzing industry.

Today we speak to August Lantay-Lefkovich.

Time in current role:
11 months.

How long have you been in the industry?
Just under three years.

How did you get here? Was this always the plan?
It wasn’t always the plan to be in advertising, but I’ve always been curious about it. Weirdly, one of my favourite parts of going to the cinema is to watch the ads in 5.1 Surround Sound (because it’ll show if they’re the best/worst). It got to a place where my curiosity around the industry got the better of me at the right time. Within four months of starting at VMLY&R my curiosity did me good as they fast tracked me from account executive to account manager.

Who guides you day to day?
I’m lucky enough to have an amazing team around me that mentor/guide me in the day to day at VMLY&R & in the industry. Leaning on these people as soundboard’s matched with my intuition has kept me in good stead so far.

What’s the best thing about the industry you work in?
In an industry that champions lateral thinking & creativity to solve real business problems, no two days are the same when you work with some of the most crazy/brilliant minds on a daily basis.

And the biggest challenge?
No two days are the same because you work with some of the most crazy/brilliant minds on a daily basis. You’re constantly on your toes.

Whose job have you set your sights on in the future?
No one’s. When your focus is to champion creativity through collaboration and innovation, you end up creating new jobs that are fit for you. If anything, my sights are set on building an empire, not on any one job in the industry.

Where do you turn for inspiration?
Everywhere. Books, music, art, psychology papers, business blogs, my parents, my friends… Inspiration is everywhere if you’re open to taking a moment to observe it.

My favourite advert is:
You’ll often find me answering any and all questions with “por que no los dos?” (El Paso, Hard & Soft Tacos) in between singing “It’s A Big Ad” (Carlton Draft, Big Ad) while I eat some illegally sourced Panda Cheese (Panda Cheese, Never Say No To Panda). These ads transcend the space of just selling products to influencing culture, behaviours & the way we (mostly I) interact in world.

Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
I’m in a band called Storm & Stone. With my siblings. #BlueMountainsJackson3
I’m also a model on the side. #FiveTwentyManagementrepresent.
I’m also NOT Chrissy Teigen (much to mine and many others disappointment).

In five years’ time I’ll be:
Laughing all the way to the bank (on my phone… from my couch… in a Lupin field in Iceland…).

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