Olivia Hussey.
In this series, AdNews spotlights young talent in the Australian media, marketing and advertising sector. This time it's Havas Host's strategist Olivia Hussey.
Time in current role:
Coming up on two years.
How long have you been in the industry?
5 years. But ad-years are like dog years, a lot happens in them. In these 1825-ish days, I’ve worked with some of the world’s greatest strategic minds, created work I’m proud of, and met some fantastic clients too.
How did you get here? Was this always the plan?
Like most strategists, I fell in.
I was studying Commerce, which felt too analytical, and Film Studies and English, which I loved but had no idea what to do with. I then met the great Tim Mottau. I heard he got paid to watch, read, and listen to culture, and shape how brands would play within it. This got me excited, and the rest, as they say, was history!
Who is your right-hand person?
I’ve been lucky to have many right hands over my career. In the early days, Simon Lee took me under his wing and showed me the magic of creative-strategic partnership. Then came Graham Sweet and Kate Smither who honed my strategic skills and taught me to back myself. Today, it’s a combination of Olly Taylor, Phil Pickering, Kevin van Geest, Ruby Brus, and Tania Teurquetil, some of coolest, smartest people I’ve ever worked with.
What is the best thing about the industry you work in?
The stories we hear.
I love talking to people, and hearing their stories. It’s my favourite part of the job. A privilege I’ll never, ever take for granted. From talking to regional men about their mental health struggles, to new mothers navigating the whirlwind of parenthood and matrescence, to bakery owners and pizza lovers, I’ve heard some incredible stories over the years.
I feel so lucky to have heard these stories and to be able to weave them into the work I do.
And the biggest challenge?
Advertising can be fickle. My hope is that we shift away from making ads for the industry’s approval, and focus on creating things that deliver real value to the issue, audience, and/or brand at hand.
Whose job have you set your sights on in the future?
I’m not sure just yet.
Where do you turn for inspiration?
Nick Cave’s Red Hand Files.
Music, Books, TV and Movies.
Public Transport.
My boyfriend, Alex.
My favourite advert is:
Bodyform Womb Stories.
I am passionate about women’s health. From pain to pleasure, puberty to periods and menopause, it’s often treated with awkwardness and wrapped in cotton wool. I love that Womb Stories shows the realities of womanhood without shying away from the bloody truths of it.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
I make Jewelry and volunteer for HOPE, a Cambodia-based organisation championing women and children’s health and education.
In five years’, time I will be:
Hopefully, having fun and doing work I’m proud of.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.