Q&A with Gen Hoey, Global CD, LEGO: Creativity, leadership and life beyond agency walls
With a global career of nearly 20 years developing culture shaping campaigns, products, platforms and experiences for some of the world’s most iconic brands including Nike, Converse, Booking.com, Corona, BMW Mini and H&M, Genevieve Hoey swapped the fast-paced world of adland for a new challenge, shaping the future of play at The LEGO Group. Now based in Denmark as Global Creative Director, Hoey chats with FBI Talent Co. CEO Michael Kean about the shift from agency to brand, why Australian advertising needs to loosen up and offers advice for creatives looking to make their mark overseas.
Michael Kean: You’ve recently joined the LEGO Group team (in the Denmark HQ) in your first client side role. What have been the biggest differences to agency life so far and what are you most excited about re: working for such an iconic global brand?
Genevieve Hoey: The biggest differences for me are the lead times on projects. Agency life is fast, every project is a screamer, wrapping anywhere between 12 and 20 weeks from the initial briefing. As a manufacturing company, here we’re working at minimum 18 months in advance, but often years into the future. So cooling the jets for the creative marathon, not a sprint that I’m used to, has been a solid learning curve. I’m most excited about being able to help bring to market some hilarious and game changing products for the most iconic kids brand in the world. Kids need active creative play more than ever to combat the stream of the scroll and its easy dopamine hits. I’m excited to be part of a creative company that puts the joy and needs of kids first and has been doing so coming up to 100 years.
You first left the Australian market back in 2011, spending the following 11 years in Amsterdam and New York at world-class agencies (W+K Amsterdam and R/GA New York respectively; what was your motivation for coming back to Australia in 2022 (joining the 72andSunny Australia team)?
If it wasn’t for the pandemic, we might not have come home! And I think my story matches a lot of other expats. We spent the first year of the pandemic locked down in a small apartment in New York. I was working around the clock, the kids were not really able to go outside much. It was a terrifying time of life. After a year, we suddenly saw a window in Jan 2022 where we could grab seats to jump on a plane home – and we took it. For me, quality of life for my family was the motivation, and it turned out to be a fantastic decision for us all. I loved my time at 72andSunny and it was hard to leave. But, when LEGO calls…..
In the 2 years you were back here in Australia, how would you best sum up the key differences to the larger international markets as a creative/creative leader?
We’re more responsible than ever, researching too many creative campaigns. We’re feeling more corporate like America, when we should be doing more irreverent work like NZ. There’s definitely a couple of breakthrough shops who are going against the grain, but they are rare. My advice is find yourself a good brand marketer who wants to have a bit of fun and break the mould, and do bloody brilliant work for them. They’re scarce as hens teeth, but they’re out there.
With a young family in tow, do you see yourself coming back to Australia anytime in the future?
You bet. We love Australia. We just love adventure as well. We’ll be back at some stage, just not immediately 😉
Gender equality in Australia for creative leaders is a big and ever-present issue; I’d love to hear your perspective on this issue and any thoughts around what the industry could be doing better?
We seem to have more diversity in the calibre of creative talent in the mid-section. Gender, identity, ethnicity, ability. But as ever, when you look at CD and above, there’s barely a handful of female talent. And the reason for this hasn’t changed – advertising is not family friendly. And until it is, women won’t stay in the industry or return after having kids. There’s a lot of lip service, but I haven’t seen solid policy reform around this. The people at the top usually work too hard and set an unhealthy example as well, and this trickles down to become the company culture. But then, they wave around a D&I policy that rings a little hollow against their own behaviours. Until there are radical changes in moderating the C-Suite behaviours, advertising will have this dearth of senior female creative leaders. But it’s also young people actively seeking healthier, better paid work cultures who are leaving adland as well. Overall advertising still needs to modernize, shape up and truly care about its people, by elevating leaders and practices that care for people.
Regardless of geography, do you think you’d have the appetite to set up your own business at some stage? And if so, what type of business would that be?
I have a million ideas for this all the time. I love working with all kinds of creative people, so something where I can unite all my favourite makers in one project would be great. When I settle on one, I’ll let you all know.
What is the best advice you could give to Australian creative talent looking to move overseas in this climate?
Do it. Get sharp on your work and what you offer. Get sharp on your ‘why’. Fortune favours the prepared. Australians have so much lateral thinking and ingenuity to offer. We’re team players, we’re leaders, we’re fair and kind and we care about the work. And we know how to work. I think Australians are huge assets to any creative industry, sometimes we’re a bit too laconic about it. Lean in, think about what job you want after this job (as a wise woman once told me), and make a plan. And be courageous. No-one gets out of here alive, so you might as well have some adventures to show for it!!