The Stable’s series of powerhouse women in adland-Aus for International Women’s Day continues. These women are not all CCOs or CEOs although some are leaders. The Stable, and the people who nominated them, want to applaud the grit, guts and gumption that exist in women at every level. We hope our powerhouse women will inspire everyone to see people, not their gender, in their colleagues, clients, friends and partners.
Until the pervasive stereotypes, gender pay gap, unequal parenting…the idea that women are less than…disappear. Until a person’s sex doesn’t affect their choices or their standing, let’s make sure that International Women’s Day continues to its job.
This edition features Justine Leong, general manager, whiteGREY, nominated by Chad Mackenzie, chief creative officer, whiteGREY. He commented, “Not many people ever get to see how much influence Justine really has on the agency. But that’s how she likes it. But those who know, know that behind the scenes a powerhouse creative business mind is ensuring the work, the people, the client relationships, the new business proposals, and the numbers are all in check. A relentless passion to make all aspects of the agency better and let those around her shine – pretty much the definition of a powerhouse leader. We’re very lucky to have her.”
Here is a snapshot of why Justine Leong is a powerhouse woman:
The Stable: Why the creative industry?
Justine Leong: Creativity in a commercial world.
I’ve always been drawn to the world of creativity. I adored film to the point that I studied it at university. After a few years in the world of long-form production and a stint at the BBC, I wanted to try my hand at advertising. There was something both alluring and perplexing about trying to fit creativity into a box defined by budgets, timelines and mandatories. The ultimate challenge but also the reality of the material world we live in.
TS: What were your first impressions of the industry when you joined? How have they changed?
JL: People make the industry.
In my first 6 months of being in the industry I met people that believed in me and became lifelong friends. On the other end of the spectrum, I met people who I wouldn’t care to know in a lifetime, saying things like “why are you in this room” and “you won’t last a month here.” We are fortunate to have such diversity of thought in our industry, where creativity fuels what we do every day. Be decent, because the industry doesn’t make or break us – we make the industry.
TS: What’s the gutsiest thing you have done in your career? What affect has it had on you?
JL: Staying the course.
It’s often easier to choose ‘greener’ grass, than to stay put and see things through.
My tenure at whiteGREY feels like a lifetime in our industry, but it’s allowed me to have real impact. I know exactly where my fingerprints have been on extraordinary work, on individual’s development, and on the progress of the agency. There was a pivotal moment in 2017, when The White and Grey merged to become whiteGREY. I asked myself is it time to jump ship or be part of a rebuild? With the promise of refreshed leadership and a clear strategy, I doubled down on being part of the rebuild. Seeing whiteGREY go from strength to strength and even becoming AFR’s Most Innovative Media and Marketing / Small Company in 2023 has been a rewarding journey – and rare to be able to truly claim being part of transformational change.
TS: What is it about your job at whiteGREY that gets you up in the morning?
JL: My 3-year-old doesn’t give me the choice to stay in bed. And it is she who now motivates me to show up at work and demonstrate what the best version of myself is.
That’s not necessarily being at the top of the game, but it’s being vulnerable and empathetic. It’s attempting to do it all and sometimes not being able to. It’s doing things for myself as much as for the agency or my family. It’s getting to be around creative and brilliant minds and ideas of all shapes, colours and sizes. It’s being surrounded by people that support you and the next day you support them. It’s being grateful to be at a place that allows me to be all these things and more.
TS: What skills and learning throughout your career do you rely on most as a leader?
JL: Instinct is everything. Go with your gut. Every time.
TS: What are you most proud of so far?
JL: It’s going to sound clichéd but it’s the team at whiteGREY that I am so incredibly proud of. The diverse thinkers and practitioners that show up relentlessly and passionately every day to make extraordinary work for our clients. We have fostered an environment where everyone who has a seat at the table has a point of view – respectfully. The result is work that doesn’t necessarily fit the status quo, and I believe no other agency could come up with because of the shape of who we are.
Two pieces of work I’m so proud of at whiteGREY – something new and something old (but enduring).
When creativity and technology collide – Crave_ware for Red Rooster.
Inspired by Red Rooster’s purpose to ‘satisfy Australian’s chicken cravings’, and the brand’s fun personality, Crave_ware is AI automated software that listens to cravings (tummy rumbles), matches the intensity to items on the menu and orders on your behalf. An inventive way to create engagement when battling competitors with deeper pockets. And you could say, bypassing the normal decision-making process by letting your stomach do the ordering for you.
A brand behaviour so true to its purpose – The Volvo Living Seawall.
The Living Seawall gives purpose back to manmade structure that otherwise harm the environment. It reflects Volvo’s omtanke philosophy of trying to rethink, reinvent, redesign for the better of people and the world we live in. This project is the perfect expression of Volvo’s commitment to its values of change and trust. Through key partnerships Volvo can champion the creation of something ground-breaking and positive for the environment.
