Poem appoints former M+C Saatchi Group CEO APAC Justin Graham as Strategic Growth Advisor
Poem, the independent, culture-led creative communications agency, has appointed former M+C Saatchi Group CEO APAC Justin Graham as a Strategic Growth Advisor to help brands navigate an era where traditional marketing platforms and silos are increasingly failing to reach and engage audiences.
Graham’s career spans some of the world’s most respected creative agencies including BBDO New York where he served as Global Strategy Lead on Gillette and P&G Male Brands. In 2010, he joined Droga5 in Sydney, rising from Executive Planning Director to Chief Strategy Officer. He then joined M+C Saatchi Australia in 2014 as Partner and Chief Strategy Officer before being appointed Group CEO, a role he held for three years prior to being elevated to CEO APAC of M+C Saatchi Group before his departure in 2025.
As people wrestle with their own feeds and traditional media continues to be challenged, brands are facing a legitimate “attention crisis”. Poem’s “culture-led, earn-first” approach empowers brands with a more impactful way to drive salience and improve brand reputation by earning attention rather than simply paying for it.
Graham will work closely with Poem’s leadership team to refine the agency’s commercial roadmap and scale its unique offering. In his new role, Graham will leverage his extensive industry experience and contacts to educate the industry and introduce Poem’s channel-agnostic model to new brands.
Says Rob Lowe, Co-Founder of Poem: “Poem has always been the ‘David’ in a world of ‘Goliaths.’ We’ve proven that cultural potency and earned attention can build brand reputation and help drive more cost-efficient business results. Justin understands that the media landscape has shifted and that brands are now competing for a finite amount of attention. He also understands the challenges marketing leaders face in driving business outcomes through this period of change. We aim to give marketing leads the tools and know-how to unify their internal teams and create culturally relevant and effective advertising that doesn’t look like advertising.”
Says Graham: “Poem’s ability to find the sweet spot between audience, brand, and culture is exactly what’s needed to solve the engagement gap that traditional silos have created. I’m excited to support Rob and the team as they continue their impressive growth with iconic brands, producing globally-recognised, culturally relevant ideas.”
Poem’s evolved model has delivered landmark results for ambitious brands, proving that earning attention is the most effective way to drive measurable business action in today’s fragmented landscape.
Recent campaigns include:
• Uber One & Maccas ‘Exclusive Membership’ — Movie history’s most exclusive club member, Chris McDonald, spruiking the least exclusive club ever, lifting sales 53% YoY.
• Nespresso ‘Happy Hour’ — A sober sunrise rave that got iced coffee into Gen Z’s hands and lifted sales 99%.
• Monkey Shoulder ‘Acquired Taste’ — An acquired-taste dinner that reframed the spirit for a crowd that smells try-hard a mile off.
• Tourism Australia ‘The Ashes Bromance’ — Cricket’s fiercest rivalry turned Bondi bromance, with Broad and Warner drawing 9.35M views from just six posts.
• SBS ‘The Watchers Rights Association’ — An earned attention-led through-the-line campaign aimed at activating sports fans during the World Cup.
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