DDB Group Sydney’s 2014 graduate program provides great opportunity for lucky seven

DDB Group Sydney has welcomed seven new grads to the family following the agency’s hugely successful 2014 grad campaign callout that asked potential candidates to Make it Famous.

The Make it Famous campaign, launched in August 2013, posed potential graduates with the challenge of making famous an everyday item such as a rock or pen. The program received over 150 entries this year making it one of the most applied for grad programs in Australia.

This year’s successful candidates come from a diverse range of backgrounds including commerce, arts, acting, law and communications, who each now start the next phase in their careers as full-time employees of the DDB Group.

The 2014 grad line-up includes:

·       Rebecca Whitehead – Danish School of Media and Journalism 

·       Patricia Talob – UNSW

·       Stephanie Cusack – UNSW

·       James Pope – Sydney University

·       Taylor York – UTS

·       Ashleigh Thomsen – Griffith University

·       Tom Peters – AWARDS School

Says Tom Peters, grad student: “I really want to have a full 360 view of the industry and become an ideas man. I feel this will dramatically improve my role as a ‘suit’ and maybe one day be the next Bernbach? One can dream. Although I am not a university graduate, I feel this is my drive to work harder! I am very lucky to be here at DDB, it still hasn’t sunk in yet, but I am really excited for the challenges ahead.”

Says Ashleigh Thomsen who majored in Journalism and Film studies at Griffith University, Queensland: “During my grad year at DDB, I really hope to establish the best possible foundations for my career, gaining insight and experience from different walks of advertising life… and to have as much fun as possible.”

2014’s grads will be working across a range of the agency’s accounts including Westpac, Telstra and McDonald’s as well as within the various departments of the Group including TV production, Tribal and Mango.

The unique grad program is a great platform for a successful career in communications, offering opportunities throughout the DDB Group. It has become renowned for the talent it develops and harnesses including DDB Sydney’s ECD Dylan Harrison and CEO of DDB Group Australia, Chris Brown to name a few. Brown went from Grad to CEO in just 15 years.

Says Brown: “We are really proud of our graduate programme which has been running for over 10 years in Australia. We have had some amazing talent join us as grads over the years, people who have gone on to do outstanding things at DDB and elsewhere within our industry. This year’s graduates continue the trend – smart, passionate people looking to make a difference in the agency and the industry at large.

“Although the values of the programme haven’t changed – our desire to create a nurturing and inspiring environment for the grads to learn and grow – it is amazing to see how the nature of the programme has evolved, reflecting the diversity and multi-channel world we now live in.”

Pictured L-R: James Pope, Stephanie Cusack, Rebecca Whitehead, Taylor York, Tom Peters and Ashleigh Thomesen. (Patricia Talob absent).