Humans of Emotive

Celebrating eight years of game-changing ideas with the hearts and minds behind them.

By Amy Shapiro

Welcome to "Humans of Emotive," where we go behind the scenes to meet the talented and visionary minds who make up the powerhouse at Emotive, the Australian independent creative agency that has been been taking adland by storm and this month celebrates its eighth birthday.

Emotive has been carving a name for itself through their innovative and daring campaigns for top-tier brands. From Optus' "Pride Starts With Yassssss" campaign at World Pride, Pernod Ricard's "The Goonlivet," to Modibodi's "The New Way To Period," Emotive has made their mark through bold and brave work that changes the way people feel about brands. Household names such as Audible, Revlon, Google, NRL, Wotif and Breville, also join Emotive's formidable mantle, among others.

A champion of diversity, creativity, and authenticity, not only does Emotive's body of work reflect their ethos, their team members embody these values in everything they do.

We visited Emotive's office, just minutes away from the stunning Coogee Beach in Sydney, to chat with some of the visionary minds in their natural habitat. Through these conversations, you'll gain an inside look at the unique perspectives and passion that drive Emotive's success.

So join us on this journey as we delve into the world of advertising with the Humans of Emotive.

Simon Joyce

CEO & founder

What was the inspiration behind starting Emotive, and how did you get it off the ground?

Uniquely, I started on the media side. We were early pioneers in branded content and I worked my way up through that organisation. I interacted a lot with creative agencies and thought, when the time's right, perhaps I could disrupt a little bit of how they roll with a more audience focussed creative agency. As fate would have it, I had nine months on gardening leave, giving me time to dream up Emotive and secure funding. In the early days we doubled down on big content ideas brought to life purely through film. Essentially it was about creating entertainment not ads.

From your perspective, what do you think is the secret to making it as an agency in the advertising industry?

The key is clarity of agency purpose alongside a really clear understanding of what you stand for as an agency and equally what you don’t. You can't leave any grey area if you want to deliver consistently high standards. With that established it is all about the people. Find the best people, put them first and then the work will come. Or said another way... grow a culture and you will grow an agency.

What's a campaign that you've recently worked on that you feel embodies this idea?

We had a lot of fun with The Glenlivet for Pernod Ricard. The world of single malt whisky conjures up images of Scottish heaths, dark dens, leather armchairs and wise, beardy, drinkers. We wanted to shatter this stereotype and entice a new generation - and gender – of drinkers. Our ‘Obey The Rules. Miss the Fun’ campaign takes aim at the conventional whisky world.

It was set in a vibrant 1960’s style home, genre-bending Anna Paquin proceeds to have a crack at the tradition-bound world of single malt, shattering its pomposity and insularity. Everything, from maleness to mixing gets a makeover. And to cap it all off, we launched the "Goonlivet". Yep. A beautiful single malt in a goon bag that ruffled some old boy feathers and become defining evidence that The Glenlivet shatters stereotypes.

Finally, as a relatively new founder, what has been your steepest learning curve to date?

The biggest learning curve was understanding how to maintain a creative culture. The key word for us is ‘additive’. A safe environment where anyone can talk to anyone and no one is better than anyone else. Protecting and nurturing that has been key and I continue to learn in that space. The payoff is huge; it unlocks potential and allows people to thrive.

Michael Hogg

Head of strategy & managing partner

What was your journey into the world of advertising?

I got into the advertising industry completely randomly in London a long time ago. I had been doing different things and eventually moved to London because I had a girlfriend there and wanted to get a real job. I did a week's work experience at an agency called Leagas Delaney that turned into some months and then a year copywriting and doing creative. I got into planning there and got hooked up with a bunch of interviews around London by the head of planning at that agency. I took a job at fallon, which was doing the "Sony: Balls by fallon" balls bouncing down the hill and all that kind of stuff. I was there for five or six years before moving to the Monkeys in Australia for another five years.

What about your journey here at Emotive? What's been your great impact on the agency's growth?

I have been working with Simon from the start of my time at the agency. We repositioned the agency three years ago when I joined and completely redid the brand strategy, restructured the place, built a design department, built a brand planning department, got art directors in, and started doing more production with some other partners around town. We did lots of fundamental work to build a creative agency that can execute in any way, not just long-form film, for any client, big or small.

What would you say your biggest challenge is day-to-day?

I think my biggest challenge is always getting the most out of people, whether that's clients or internally. This year is the one I'm most excited about because we have built all the foundations and structures, and we can throw them all out now and do what we want. But the other big challenge is taking the shackles off and making everyone feel confident and empowered to challenge, break the rules, and be a bit less responsible, but for the right reasons.

And to end on, what's one no-bullshit work principle that you stand by?

Probably the most important rule is not to kid yourself or lie to yourself. Being genuinely honest with yourself about how good stuff is, is the hardest thing to do. It's what separates really good agencies from the rest. Can you sell it? Can you get an award? You can spin results and things, but generally, you look at the work, and you ask yourself, "Is that really good enough?"

grayscale photo of woman wearing necklace and top

Kat Topp

Creative director

Was a career in the creative field always your plan?

I didn't even know that being a creative was a job! I studied writing at university, but my journey to becoming a creative was quite wonky. I was a website editor for an accountancy firm. One day, I met a creative agency, and I was like, "Who are these cool, creative people? I want to be part of that!" I became an agency producer until I met an ECD in London who gave me a shot as a writer. Twelve years later, she's still a friend.

What inspires you about being here at Emotive?

I live in a tiny townhouse in Marrickville, and being able to walk 15 minutes from the office and sit on a rock at Coogee Beach and look at the ocean is a source of inspiration. As a creative, you need time with people but you also need time alone, and I like that sense of expansiveness and horizon, which helps me go deeper into my work.

Have you ever experienced a creative "eureka moment" out there on the rocks, in your creative flow state?

I’d say coming up with the concept for the Optus Dreamboat for Sydney WorldPride was inspired by the ocean. With ‘Gather, Dream, Amplify’ as this year’s theme, the idea of a boat that’s all about voyaging together towards equality and inclusion was a fun, creative (and very camp) metaphor for the brand.

Lastly, what's one piece of advice that you've learned during your time at Emotive and that has stuck with you?

I've been inspired by people here who set boundaries with their life and work since advertising can take your soul. I have terrible boundaries, so I'm trying to learn from them!

Rhian Mason

Head of creative amplification

I'm curious about how you got started in your specific line of work. What drew you to it?

For me, I've always been interested in pop culture, in celebrity culture, and using the way that we think about media to tell us something about ourselves. Starting in the influencer world many years ago and being in media for a long time I was always trying to crack the system a little bit by being as creative as possible and trying to make ads that people would really like instead of them feeling like they're being disrupted by paid advertising – that’s my passion.

To land in a place like Emotive, where it's all about trying to make people feel differently and capturing attention in a tricky media world where attention is hard to grasp, it feels like it's the perfect place to hone in on that passion and make it come to life.

How have you seen the media landscape shift in the past two years since emerging from lockdown?

I think it's made clients tuned into needing to be much more proactive. It's not a second thought anymore. It's not just, "Oh, and by the way, have we got a vertical version?" There has been a tightening around advertising spend, and that means you now need be as efficient as possible in. People's consumption habits have changed post-COVID, and we have to bring that into the forefront.

In a perfect world, what is one thing you wish clients of today would be quicker to adopt?

I think it's a case of audiences being so fragmented today that we can no longer make one piece of creative or enable an idea to exist in one way, it has to exist in multiple different ways, across multiple different facets to reach all the different audiences that we need to speak to.

So instead of just creating one idea and replicating it, we think about how an idea can live in multiple channels, in all these different ways to be flexible with a suite of content, that allows for longevity beyond the spark of an idea. It's evolving an idea to live where it will perform best. I think the rise of recent social platforms, like TikTok accelerated over COVID. The landscape has shifted in terms of where we spend our time and ideas need to have that versatility to live in all those places.

Samantha Jones

Designer

What inspired you down this career path? Have you always considered yourself a creative person?

I think so. I was always a creative kid and loved creative stuff, but when I finished high school, I thought I had to do something more serious. It wasn't until my early 20s that I actually pursued design, but I've always loved creative stuff. I just didn't think it was feasible as a job. They don't really teach you about that in school, you know, it's always doctor or lawyer.

What attracted you to Emotive, specifically? What excites you most about working here?

The culture and the office. When I first started, it felt like a big family home. Everyone was really lovely, and the office was right by the water. I imagined the advertising world to be very corporate, but it didn't feel like that at Emotive, which I liked.

Now being able to walk across the road and see the ocean is incredible. It really helps me if I'm having a creative block or just need a little bit of a break. Being around nature is just good for creativity. You feel more excited about the world than you would after a long, busy commute into the city.

Do you have a creative's routine to get "in the zone" when you're working?

A little bit. I'll definitely put on some music, light a candle, and create a soothing environment around me. I feel more creative and productive when everything around me is nice and calming.

Emotive's catch cry is to "change the way people think about brands." Is there a project that you've been on that you think really captures that statement?

The Modibodi "Postpartum Embodied" campaign that we recently did with Getty Images was incredible. Working with them was one of the reasons why I wanted to come and work at Emotive. Stuff that has more of a social impact is the most exciting work and really makes the biggest difference.

My final question, with a team as experienced as Emotive's, I'm wondering how you approach sharing your creative ideas?

The team is quite senior, but I do feel like I can be heard. Emotive has a really casual culture, and no one here is super unapproachable or takes themselves too seriously. We have a big fancy boardroom, but we also have areas where we can go for a walk outside and chat informally about the work. That kind of relaxed atmosphere and having that balance is really helpful. It feels like you can talk to anyone.