You’ve been with BMF over 13 years now, 5 of those as CEO. That’s a great run; you must be enjoying the place?!
I do love it! I’m enormously proud of what we’ve been able to build at BMF over the years. It was a great agency before I joined, and while there have been a few bumps in the road over the years (like any agency), we’ve enjoyed more than our fair share of success.
We’ve managed to hold together an incredible group of talented humans, and build a positive, inclusive culture, all while staying creatively and commercially ambitious. It’s not an easy balance to strike, especially in a world that keeps throwing you curve balls.
Having a long-term partner in crime like Christina Aventi also makes a big difference. She’s been a BMFer for over 20 years, is the beating heart of the place and is certainly most of the brains in our duo! We now affectionately refer to each other as ‘work wife-work husband’.
Often once the founders have exited it is tough to retain momentum, however it feels to me that (in particular) the last few years you’ve had a bit of a purple patch with some nice wins and good client retention (including an AOTY). Is there a secret sauce?
For me it comes down to consistency and ambition. When Warren and Matt stepped away, they left behind a strong creative culture and a belief in long-term, effective thinking. We didn’t try to reinvent BMF, we built on that foundation and just kept evolving it.
Over the past few years, that’s meant a clear focus on effectiveness and Long Ideas, which has culminated in being named Effective Agency of the Year at the 2024 Effie Awards, AdNews’ Creative Agency of the Year in 2022, WARC’s Most Effective Agency in 2021, and Mumbrella’s Agency of the Year in 2020, amongst some others.
We’ve also evolved the breadth and depth of what we offer, broadening our capabilities.
We’ve continued to attract and retain like-minded clients who value long-term creative thinking. That includes extending our partnership with Tourism Tasmania and attracting brands such as Westpac, Endeavour Group and Tennis Australia. But just as important are the long-term relationships we’ve had for decades and keeping them fresh. ALDI has been a partner for nearly 25 years, and the Federal Government since BMF opened its doors in 1996. Both clients, in my opinion, are producing more, and better, work now than at any time in our relationship.
If there’s a ‘secret sauce’, it is our relentless focus on our people and culture. We’ve worked hard to build an environment where everyone feels supported, accepted, challenged, and genuinely proud of the work they do. That doesn’t happen by accident. It’s something we continue to work on, protect and prioritise every day.
What are your thoughts on the industry at the moment? It’s been a tough couple of years for some, is there light at the end of the tunnel?
It has been tough; there’s no question about that. But one thing that’s come out of it is a renewed appreciation for work that actually works.
In uncertain times, effectiveness matters more than ever. That puts creative agencies with strong strategic chops in a good position. We’ve also seen brands return to bigger, longer creative platforms and a growing fatigue for more disposable ideas. The opportunity is there for agencies that can marry creativity with commercial impact, and have the cultural strength to bring it all together.
Any work you’ve seen recently that you admire?
I was fortunate enough to be in Cannes a couple of weeks ago, which meant a more-than-you-can eat buffet of the world’d most creatively interesting work, all washed down with gallons of the local rosé.
Channel 4’s 2024 Paralympics work was and is phenomenal. 2012’s Meet the Superhumans is still one of my all-time favourite films, and they’ve somehow managed to match that incredibly high-bar twelve years down the track (track and field puns intended-ish!). Globally, brands like Apple, Nike and Ikea keep churning out brilliance and were recognised in multiple markets for their commitment to creativity in all its forms.
Agency-wise, there’s always plenty to admire from the teams at Mother London and Uncommon. But what stood out was just how present Australian creativity was again, not in a token way, but in a way that demanded attention. The craft was lauded as the best in the world and the thinking was both, fresh and beautifully human.
What have you learnt in the last 5 years?
That there’s never a dull moment in this beautifully bonkers business of ours! To survive, and thrive, you’ve got to love the chaos, be adaptable, excitable, resilient, lucky and brimming with belief!
If you hadn’t ended up in agency/consulting world, what alternative career may you have fancied?
I did an archaeology degree, so there was a chance I’d go all Indiana Jones. But the reality is you spend 8 hours a day on your knees scraping away topsoil, and I didn’t have the knees or the patience for that!
Otherwise, something in sport. Never quite had the talent to be a player but always had the love.
What advice would you give your younger self?
‘Triumph and disaster – treat those two imposters just the same’ (a piece of advice stolen from R. Kipling). Invest everything you have and can borrow in property. Watch out for a Global Financial Crisis in 2007 and a global pandemic in 2020.
Outside of business, what keeps you out of trouble?
Three kids, two dogs and doing enough exercise to allow for some excessive eating and drinking.
What are you driving, what are you listening to and what are you watching?
Driving: A white car big enough to fit the fam or I’m a passenger on the Northern beaches B-line.
Listening: Various playlists, but also Adam Morgan’s podcast ‘Let’s make this more interesting,’ which starts with marketing and The cost of Dull, a brilliant re-frame of why we have to use our creativity to make great work if we want it to work. But it quickly moves on to people and subjects which are varied, fascinating and inspiring.
Watching: The Last of Us series 2 (on Max), The Bear series 3 and 4 (Disney). British Lions and Wimbledon.
Favourite band: Tricky one. My taste in music is a bit all-over-the-place. I’ve recently enjoyed a few live gigs that have ranged from the ethereal wizardry of Jose Gonzales to the surfer, folksy sound of Babe Rainbow.
Where is your next holiday?
These school holidays just gone we headed off to the Blue Mountains for a few days. Family, including the dogs, for some walking, waterfalls and wine – the last one is reserved for the two legged, over 18s amongst us!
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