Aussies Rebecca Morriss + Phoebe Sloane Named Winners In Global Next Creative Leaders 2025
The One Club for Creativity, in partnership with Campaign Brief as the exclusive Australian media partner, has today announced that Rebecca Morriss (above left), creative director at DDB Group Melbourne and Phoebe Sloane (above right), creative director at Bullfrog in Melbourne are among the 36 winners from 17 countries in this year’s Next Creative Leaders, a free global competition recognising women and non-binary creatives on the rise.
Morriss has worked passionately to create tangible change for women in the Australian advertising industry, delivering groundbreaking work and initiatives for DDB Melbourne, and providing promotional opportunities for the broader sector. Morriss’ leadership has been pivotal to the agency’s success in recent years, spearheading some of DDB’s most iconic work, including Jarden’s Creative Index, Coles’ Great Lengths for Quality campaign and Porsche’s Taycan Arcade, while also significantly growing the creative department. In 2024, she launched Hungry Women – an agency-wide initiative designed to support female-identifying talent by building visibility, mentorship and community. Over the past 12 months, Morriss has hosted regular mentorship lunches, bringing together more than 35 women across DDB’s creative, strategy, production and client service departments. The initiative has become a core part of DDB’s DE&I strategy, tackling key challenges like the lack of women in leadership roles and limited peer networks.
Says Morriss: “I’m incredibly honoured to be recognised as a Next Creative Leader. It’s a recognition that deeply aligns with why I started Hungry Women; to make space for women who want more: more leadership, more connection, more visibility, and more women at the top. The biggest challenge for me has been carving a path into leadership without a roadmap that looked like me. In 14 years, I’ve worked under one female CD. That absence can be deafening, and you start to question whether there’s really a place for you at the table.
“That’s shaped me in two ways. First, it’s given me resilience, I’ve learned to back myself even when I felt invisible. Second, it’s fuelled my drive to change the system. Founding Hungry Women and Women Who Will, mentoring through The Aunties, and teaching AWARD School – those aren’t just side projects. They’re survival tactics turned into leadership principles. To me, that’s leadership – seeing a gap and filling it, not for yourself, but for the ones coming next.”
Sloane founded and named The Aunties, Australia’s largest support network for women and gender diverse people in creative industries. Her work and leadership have garnered international recognition with Ad Age and Cannes Young Lions Creative Academy. She is also a member of RMIT Industry Advisory Committee.
The Aunties has grown into a sizeable 4,500 strong community, paired 500+ mentors and mentees, created an Australian-first mentor training resource, Support Talk, and recently launched Auntie Intel, an anonymous data tool to monitor how women are feeling in the industry month to month.
Celebrating its 10th year, Next Creative Leaders was created in partnership with The 3% Movement as the industry’s only free portfolio competition that identifies, celebrates, and provides a global platform to talented women, non-binary, and trans creatives who are making their mark on the world with both their work and unique point of view on creative leadership that’s changing the industry for the better.
NCL 2025 entries were judged by an esteemed jury of 59 top creatives from 23 countries.
A special virtual NCL winners celebration will be held on November 6, and include a celebration of all winners and discussion with winners over the years. More details and registration for the online event can be found here.
“For more than two decades, The One Club has provided programming that helps improve the industry’s diversity and gender equality,” said Kevin Swanepoel, CEO, The One Club. “Next Creative Leaders is one of our fast-growing programs because it identifies, elevates and gives voice to creatives around the world who are making a real difference, opening doors and inspiring the next generation.”
Eligible participants for NCL were those who are stepping into leadership roles, including copywriters, art directors, designers, ACDs, content creators, and recently promoted creative and design directors with less than one year in the role, and creative teams who are doing game-changing work. To make NCL as accessible as possible, there is no fee to enter.
They were judged on four-to-six pieces of creative work and information about how they — and their work — are pushing the industry forward and making a positive contribution in terms of diversity, mentoring, and advocacy.
Each NCL winner receives a one-year complimentary individual membership with The One Club, with opportunities to serve on juries for one of The One Club’s awards programs, and receive a complimentary ticket to a One Club professional development conference ($1,000+ value), panels, and mentorship events.
Winners also have their work showcased on The One Club website and social channels, covered by media partners, and have potential opportunities to speak at NCL events.
Visit the Next Creative Leaders 2025 website for more information.