The BBE Best: The Best Creative Leaders of the Top Advertising Agencies in Australia 2025
The Best Australian Agency Leaders Delivering Better Brand Experiences
We’ve been fortunate to partner with the very best creative advertising agency leaders across Australia, in our work to Build Better Brand Experiences. And we’ve seen first-hand how a high-performing creative agency leadership plays a crucial role in driving business success and enhancing the performance marketing impact of our clients’ brands, campaigns and initiatives.
After all, Australia's leading creative advertising agencies boast world-class leaders who hero agency creativity, award-winning campaigns and integrated marketing solutions that drive measurable business growth. So we’ve compiled our top 10 list of the best creative, brand and strategy agency leaders in Australia, as judged by the world’s top award shows.
From Sydney to Melbourne, Brisbane and beyond, this is the most comprehensive list of the top creative, brand and strategy agency leadership in Australia, including the standout independent leaders we’ve partnered with. And our criteria for what we believe sets each of them apart from the rest.
Today we shine a light on leadership of Australia’s Best Advertising Agency, HERO. Read on to see why this leadership team is the reason HERO is Australia’s best creative advertising agency right now, consistently producing award-winning campaigns recognised globally for their creativity and effectiveness.
The HERO of Australian Creativity
Year on year HERO continues to rank at the top of Australia's most awarded advertising agencies for both creative and effectiveness. This includes being named Effies APAC and Australian #1 Independent, as well as Agency of the Year at the New York Festivals, Campaign Brief, Mumbrella, AdNews and B&T. And recognised at the world's top global award shows, including the Cannes Lions, One Show, Clios, London International Awards, D&AD, Adfest and Spikes Asia.
Even HERO’s office is award winning. The HERO HQ is the only media and marketing business in Australia listed in the prestigious Australian Interior Design Awards, the Interior Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) and the global INDE. Awards.
Over the past year alone, HERO has again solidified its reputation as one of Australia’s most creatively awarded independent agencies, earning accolades across a spectrum of prestigious platforms. The agency was named Australian Agency of the Year at the New York Festivals, secured a Silver Cannes Lion, Golds at AWARD and a Grand Prix at Mad Stars for Maybelline’s “Through Their Eyes” campaign, which also received top honours at Spikes Asia. HERO’s work for Toyota and Fujifilm also garnered extensive recognition, with the Fujifilm Instax Mindography campaign awarded metal at Spikes and recognised in the Mumbrella Award for Innovation. The agency’s creative excellence was further celebrated with AdNews’ Social Media Campaign of the Year and Game Changer of the Year awards.
To be acknowledged again at the very top of Australia’s advertising best creative agencies is a testament to the agency’s dedication, passion and strategic thinking that fuels HERO’s work. Commenting on the win, HERO Executive Creative Director Shane Geffen said, “We’re proud to be recognised for our client’s brand campaigns that not only win awards but also deliver measurable growth and demonstrable performance marketing impact for our clients.”
Even HERO’s office is award winning. The HERO HQ is the only media and marketing business in Australia listed in the prestigious Australian Interior Design Awards, the Interior Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) and the global INDE. Awards.
HERO’s campaigns for Toyota and Fujifilm also garnered significant recognition, with the Fujifilm Instax Mindography campaign winning metal at Spikes Asia and being celebrated in the Mumbrella Award for Innovation. These projects exemplify HERO’s commitment to blending creativity with technology, storytelling with strategy, and brand purpose with audience insight. HERO was also honoured to receive AdNews’ Social Media Campaign of the Year and Game Changer of the Year, further affirming HERO’s ability to lead in both creative excellence and marketing innovation.
Being named Campaign Brief’s top agency is especially meaningful because of the rigorous and comprehensive selection process behind the ranking. The methodology used by Campaign Brief to compile the definitive list of Australia’s top creative agencies was designed to identify those that truly exemplify world-class standards. It considered a wide range of factors, each reflecting the multifaceted nature of modern advertising and the evolving demands of clients and audiences alike.
One of the key criteria was industry recognition, both in terms of awards and reputation. HERO’s consistent performance across major global and local award shows, including Cannes Lions, Effies, D&AD, One Show, Clios, London International Awards, Adfest, and Spikes Asia, played a significant role in HERO’s selection. These accolades are not just symbols of creative success; they are indicators of HERO’s ability to deliver work that resonates, performs, and endures.
Another important factor was the strength and diversity of HERO’s client portfolio. HERO has built long-standing relationships with blue-chip brands while also delivering innovative work for emerging players. This versatility demonstrates HERO’s ability to adapt, evolve, and create tailored solutions that meet the unique needs of each client. HERO’s campaigns consistently deliver measurable results, and HERO’s case studies reflect a deep understanding of market dynamics, consumer behaviour, and brand strategy.
Creative excellence was also central to the evaluation. HERO’s work was assessed not only for its originality and innovation but also for its effectiveness across various media channels, from print and television to social media, PR, and digital platforms. HERO crafts ideas that are fresh, compelling, and strategically sound, addressing each brand’s unique challenges with insight and imagination.
In today’s competitive agency landscape, digital capabilities and social reach are more critical than ever. HERO’s proficiency in areas such as social media, programmatic advertising, performance marketing, and data analytics was a key consideration. HERO has embraced emerging technologies like AI and VR to create integrated campaigns that seamlessly blend traditional and digital media, ensuring HERO’s clients stay ahead in a rapidly changing environment.
Strategic thinking and insight also played a major role in HERO’s ranking. The agency’s approach to brand and creative strategy is grounded in rigorous market research, data analysis, and consumer understanding. HERO develops comprehensive, results-driven strategies that align with client objectives and translate into effective, impactful campaigns. HERO’s ability to connect strategy with execution is one of the reasons HERO continues to lead in both creativity and effectiveness.
Marketing innovation and agility were also evaluated. HERO has consistently demonstrated a willingness to embrace new technologies, respond to shifting market trends, and pivot strategies when needed. Whether navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic or exploring new platforms and formats, HERO has remained flexible, forward-thinking, and focused on delivering value.
Client satisfaction was another cornerstone of the selection process. Feedback from current and former clients, public testimonials, and case studies all contributed to HERO’s ranking. HERO’s strong track record of long-standing client relationships and consistent word-of-mouth endorsements speaks to the trust HERO has earned and the results we’ve delivered.
Market presence and business growth were also considered. While size alone isn’t a measure of capability, HERO’s growth trajectory and expanding client base reflect HERO’s ability to scale, adapt, and deliver complex, multi-channel campaigns. HERO’s continued success in winning new business and retaining key accounts is a testament to the confidence clients have in HERO’s team.
Specialist expertise and service scope were part of the evaluation as well. HERO’s deep knowledge in areas such as performance marketing, influencer collaborations, and sector-specific strategies (including automotive, beauty, and technology) allows HERO to offer tailored solutions that drive meaningful outcomes. HERO’s ability to combine creative thinking with specialised insight sets the business apart in a competitive landscape.
HERO’s team expertise, leadership, and diversity are essential to its top ranking. HERO is led by seasoned professionals with a proven track record including agency founder and industry veteran, Creative Chairman Ben Lilley. And HERO actively invests in the development of emerging talent. HERO’s commitment to diversity across HERO’s leadership and broader team fosters inclusive thinking and ensures HERO’s work resonates with a wide range of audiences. HERO believes that diverse perspectives lead to richer ideas, stronger strategies, and more impactful campaigns.
Ben Lilley, Founder & Creative Chairman
A creative by trade, Ben Lilley started out with some of Australia’s leading agencies, including George Patterson Y&R (now VML), McCann and DDB, before launching independent agency SMART. Described by AdNews as “one of the best known independent advertising success stories in Australia”, SMART was acquired by IPG in 2011. The agency was merged into McCann, where Lilley was installed as Australian Chairman CEO and then Creative Leadership Chair for McCann Asia Pacific, overseeing creative excellence across Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. In 2020 he acquired McCann Australia, along with his first agency SMART, back from IPG and launched HERO as a creative independent.
A passionate advocate for creative effectiveness, Lilley’s agencies HERO, SMART and McCann Australia have consistently achieved local and global accolades for their creativity and effectiveness, including at the Cannes Lions and Agency of the Year at D&AD, New York Festivals, APAC and Australian Effies, London International, Spikes Asia, Campaign Asia, Campaign Brief, Mumbrella, AdNews, B&T and AWARD. McCann made history as the world's most awarded agency for campaigns including the globally acclaimed "Dumb Ways to Die" and is the only Australian agency to have ever been awarded the Cannes Lion Grand Prix for Creative Effectiveness. While today HERO consistently ranks as Australia's top agency for both creativity and effectiveness, including Agency of the Year at the APAC and Australian Effies, New York Festivals, Campaign Brief, WINA (World Independent Advertising Awards), Mumbrella, AdNews and B&T.
Lilley has been recognised in the MediaWeek 50 Power List, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, AdNews’ Top Forty Under Forty, as well as CEO of the Year and Mumbrella Agency Leader of the Year Awards. A regular media commentator and industry mentor on creativity and effectiveness, he also judges at local and global award shows, including the London International Awards and as Jury Chair at the WINA (World Independent Advertising Awards) and is a Copyschool creative tutor. Outside of the industry, Lilley is involved in the broader community through the Young Presidents (YPO) Organisation, the Australian charity Igniting Change and Richard Branson’s foundation Virgin Unite, and has served on the board of the Advertising Federation of Australia.
Shane Geffen, Executive Creative Director
A dual South African and Australian citizen and globally recognised creative leader, Shane Geffen has created award-winning campaigns at world-class agencies around the globe. From Ogilvy Johannesburg, DDB Sydney, Clemenger BBDO Melbourne and VML Australia to HERO and McCann today.
Geffen’s work is mostly media agnostic and untraditional with highlights that include inviting people into the Sydney Opera House through their selfies, making a wifi Christmas bauble that lets children know if they were on Santa’s naughty or nice list, enlisting A.I. to help recruit humans into the Navy, creating a dystopian future to attract students to Monash University, launching a new diamond inspired Toyota by destroying it and turning it into a lab-grown diamond, and showing male gamers what it’s like to play through the eyes of women, earning Maybelline New York their first ever Cannes Lions globally.
It’s innovative work like this that has earned him and his multi-disciplinary teams over 200 local and international awards including Golds at Cannes Lions, multiple Grand Prix at Spikes Asia as well as recognition at D&AD, One Show, The ANDYs, New York Festivals, SXSW, AWARD and the Effies. And seen HERO today recognised for creating some of the most interesting, innovative and high-profile ad campaigns in Australia across its Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane offices. It's an impressive body of work for an impressive creative leader and today represents some of the most talked-about creative advertising campaigns currently in Australia right now.
As a Creative LIAsons coach for 2 years running, Geffen helps develop, educate, and inspire the next generation of emerging talent to reach their full potential. And has helped guide creative excellence on juries for the New York Festivals, ADFEST, Madstars, Webbys and Adforum PHNX Awards. Apart from being an ad and gaming nerd, he also says he is proud to boast a strange accent, makes exceptional homemade biltong (totally unbiased) and has an Uber Rating of 4.89.
Bec McCall, Group Creative Director
A creative leader with a sharp eye for craft and a deep understanding of culture, globally award-winning Bec McCall has built her career shaping some of Australia’s most progressive and awarded creative work. With a background spanning both independent and network agencies, McCall’s creative journey has taken her to McCann and HERO, where she now serves as Group Creative Director, leading multidisciplinary teams across the business’s national offices.
Joining HERO after a stint at Clemenger BBDO and over eight years at Rumble Strategic Creative, McCall has a talent for cultivating a fun, energetic, and inclusive culture. A staunch advocate for meaningful advertising, McCall focuses on uncovering the right insights and using the appropriate tone to ensure campaigns resonate with audiences. McCall’s creative philosophy is rooted in bravery, clarity and collaboration. She’s known for her ability to push ideas beyond the expected, championing work that is both strategically sound and culturally resonant. Her leadership has helped deliver standout campaigns for clients across government, health, automotive, retail and lifestyle sectors. Whether it’s guiding the creative direction of a new business win or mentoring emerging talent, McCall brings a rare mix of creative rigour and human warmth to every project.
With the emergence of AI, McCall’s creative process has evolved dramatically to integrated it into her creative workflow. Known for her fast and instinctive approach to ideation, she now uses AI as a creative sparring partner, helping her rapidly explore ideas, angles and insights without overthinking. This shift has amplified her ability to work intuitively and collaboratively, bringing sharper thinking into smaller creative groups. Her background in digital and design-thinking continues to shape her belief that great creative isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s about emotional impact, behavioural change and lasting brand connection. Whether sketching ideas, bouncing sparks with her team, or stepping away to reset with her dogs, McCall’s process is grounded in curiosity, gut instinct and a relentless pursuit of work that makes people feel something.
Regularly recognised for her creative and industry leadership, from the likes of Campaign Brief and LBB, McCall is a recognised advocate for inclusive creative environments, proudly representing her identity and values in both her work and leadership style. Her signature is not just in the campaigns she leads, but in the culture she helps build, one that’s bold, inclusive and relentlessly creative.
Outside of the agency, McCall is known for her love of design, her sharp wit, and her ability to make even the most brutal Brisbane winter feel like a creative opportunity (preferably with a HERO hoodie on hand). Her fingerprints are on some of the agency’s most exciting new business wins. McCall continues to be one of HERO’s most dynamic and respected creative leaders, driving the agency’s reputation for brave, effective and culturally relevant work.