Ten Years On From The First 30 Under 30: Chris Howatson

In 2010, B&T published a special 30 Under 30 issue of the magazine, an Australian first revealing the 30 brightest marketing communications professionals under the age of 30.
Individuals could put themselves forward or be nominated by someone they worked with, and we were overwhelmed by the 150 initial entries we received – a mere fraction of the 400-plus we receive these days.
After a competitive shortlisting process, a panel of judges had the difficult task of whittling it down to the final 30 who made the cut and were announced as our first ever 30 Under 30 winners.
Ten of these individuals were already principals of businesses (mostly agencies). There were eight suits, five strategists, four creatives and three client-side marketers.
Unbelievably, a decade has passed and to mark the 10-year anniversary of B&T‘s 30 Under 30 Awards, we decided to track down our original winners and share where they are now.
We’ll travel to New York, San Francisco, Massachusetts, London, Singapore and across Australia. The talented 20-something year olds have become highly successful CEOs, MDs, group heads, investors, founders, creative directors, heads of marketing and, perhaps most importantly, parents.
First up, we didn’t need to travel too far, as we came across a familiar face in the shape of CHE Proximity boss Chris Howatson.
chris howatson
Then: group account director, Clemenger BBDO Melbourne
Now: chief executive, CHE Proximity
‘Howie’ was credentialed from an early age when he won the AFA’s YoungBlood of the Year award for excellence in advertising at the tender age of 19.
Former client Domenic Capomolla, CEO of Simply Energy, said at the time, “Chris won over the Simply Energy senior management team with exactly the traits that the best leaders seem to possess: humility, the power to listen (rather than talk) and the ability to inspire, rather than demand.
“Chris gained insights into our business to effect change by using good, old-fashioned due diligence, rather than rely on the marketing arrogance we have found to be typically the domain of many agencies.”
What did it mean to you at the ripe age of 25 that you were chosen as one of our 30 Under 30 winners?
I was thrilled. It was a wonderful feeling to be included. But what I was most grateful of was my agency, Clemenger BBDO Melbourne, who had put me forward. Peter Biggs was the CEO at the time and was incredible at recognising people and providing opportunity.
How do you think being nominated as one of B&T’s 30 Under 30 in 2010 affected your career, if at all?
I wasn’t involved in writing my entry, hence why it was such a delightful surprise. What this moment taught me, however, was the importance of narrative – being able to connect many dots into a compelling and motivating story. And secondly, the value of recognising others – how the simple act of calling out someone for their efforts is the most motivating of all incentives.
What’s been the biggest change to your life since then?
I’ve learnt so much; the challenges of leadership, balancing your energy across the ups and downs of advertising, how to manage and persuade the spectrum of personalities. But perhaps the biggest thing I’ve learnt is outside of work, and that is how to be a dad.
What words of wisdom would you have shared with your 25-year-old self back then knowing what you do now?
Get a haircut!
What are you most proud of?
CHE Proximity. Building and leading a team of intelligent, creative and hard-working people, each of whom come to work for exactly the same reason each day – to create ideas that not only sell our client’s ‘stuff’, but set a benchmark for what the next generation of advertising looks like.
What do you see as the biggest challenges that face young people in advertising, marketing and media these days?
The complexity of our business is truly greater than it has ever been. For some people who are adapting to that, it’s overwhelmingly frightening, and has resulted in a lot of negative industry chat. Our standing. Our efficacy. Our future.
When people get scared, it also leads to protectionist behaviour and a closing in rather than an opening out. There are sections of our industry who are using their scale to prevent or discredit others doing what they do.
The challenge for young people is to block out this noise and just focus on what the opportunity is. Ignore anyone who gets in the way; trust and believe in your team and achieve what you set out to.
Conversely, what’s the biggest opportunity for those under 30 now?
They and all of us, regardless of age, are on the cusp of the next era of progress.
Think back over the course of human history at the moments of epic technological change. The invention of the car. The television. The home computer. The on-demand supply chain. How each of these innovations changed not just the industries they were part of, but those adjacent to them.
It might seem a stretch when thinking of these defining examples to what we’re facing today, but this is what’s happening around us right now. And while our jobs in advertising will always be to sell, the way we go about selling is obviously changing at a similar rapid rate.
We are the generation that gets to define this next curve of progress, and create the work that will inspire the generations to come, just as we have been inspired by Bernback, Wunderman, Ogilvy, Clemenger, Patterson, Greenberg, Wieden and Droga, to name a small few.
What can the industry do better to attract and retain young talent?
Our industry just needs to find its confidence again. I believe a big part of that is a more expansive definition of creativity that legitimately expands our role beyond comms, and into whole of brand experience.
I very much agree with Nick Law’s view that modern creativity is both narrative and systematic thinking. The faster we treat both forms of creativity as equals, the faster we’ll attract the geniuses who will create the work that attract the next wave of geniuses.
Entries for B&T‘s 30 Under 30 Awards for 2019 are now open. For all the details, click here. Tickets are also available for B&T Bootcamp, a day of speed mentoring and masterclasses aimed at up and comers in the industry.
Please login with linkedin to comment
30 under 30 awards 30 Under 30 Awards 2019 CHE Proximity chris howatsonLatest News

Pinterest Pins Down Laura Gaffney For Director Of Business Marketing APAC & EMEA Role
Pinterest has appointed Laura Gaffney (pictured) as its new director of business marketing for EMEA and APAC. Based in Dublin, Gaffney will report to Stacy Malone, Pinterest’s VP of global business marketing. Gaffney will lead Pinterest’s business marketing initiatives in these regions with the goal of raising the visibility and comprehension of Pinterest to support […]

Vision Australia’s Carols By Candlelight Sparkles With QMS
Leading digital outdoor company QMS is proud to announce its support for the 86th Vision Australia Carols by Candlelight presented by AAMI, which will be held at Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Christmas Eve. This year marks the second consecutive year QMS has supported the beloved Australian tradition, which has a longstanding history of […]

Melbourne Holocaust Museum Unveils New Brand Identity Via CHEP Network
The Melbourne Holocaust Museum has unveiled its new brand identity, designed in partnership with CHEP Network. The museum, formerly the Jewish Holocaust Centre, was renamed and redeveloped in April and is now open to the public, with a vision to ignite visitors’ sense of humanity, kindness and bravery through the voices of survivors. Inspired by […]

“As An Artist, You Get Opinions From All Sides” – Cast Of Paper Dolls On The Realities Of The Manufactured Girl Band
Many of those growing up in the 90s and 2000s will be familiar with the phenomenon which was the manufactured boy or girl band. Plucked from obscurity, individual artists would be assembled into a band by dollar-eyed music executives (or TV talent show execs) keen to make a quick buck. It was a time when […]

Outback Steakhouse Launches Bone-Chilling Christmas Ad
Outback Steakhouse — the Aussie-themed American eatery with a handful of Antipodean outposts — has launched a truly terrifying Christmas ad. Starring “Koala on the Walla” riffing on the “Elf on the shelf” meme, the near 90-second spot features a slightly overly shrill children’s choir and a voiceover from the Koala in an almost passable […]

TikTok Launches “Year On TikTok 2023” End Of Year Wrap
2023 was the year we learned a new life hack (or two!), laughed out loud, and couldn’t stop thinking about the Roman Empire. Our global community of over 1 billion people, including 8.5 million Australians and 350,000 Australian businesses, continues to come together to connect on TikTok, positively influencing culture and impacting lives. From foolproof […]

DoubleVerify Report On Retail Media Networks Exposes Key Trends & Opportunities for Advertisers in 2024
DoubleVerify (DV) has released its state of retail media report, “The Rise of Retail Media: What to Expect in 2024,” surveying over 400 advertisers and agency executives about retail media networks (RMNs) in the UK, US, France, and Germany. The report explores the rapidly expanding retail media market, which includes RMNs provided by retailers or […]

Innocean & Australian Marine Conservation Society Partner With Australian Artists To Launch “Fantastical Sharks & Rays” Exhibition
Hot off the heels of winning an ARIA for its “Voice of the Sea” campaign, Innocean Australia has again teamed up with the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) to create an exhibition highlighting the silent extinction facing lesser-known Australian sharks and rays. These endangered species are so unique and live so deep beneath the ocean […]

AI, Curated Fandom & Contextual Commerce: The Key Issues For Consumers In 2024
Trends and issues, including AI, the inexorable rise of Baby Boomers, curated fandom, contextual commerce and cost of living concerns, are set to dominate the hearts and minds of consumers next year, according to The Media Store’s Consumer Trends 2024. The report, released today, outlines the top trends set to interest, impact and inspire consumers […]

Emergency Management Victoria & Think HQ Partner To Increase Emergency Preparedness
Playschool’s Justine Clarke and Bluey’s Melanie Zanetti have fronted a new integrated campaign for Emergency Management Victoria ahead of the high-risk weather season. Summer in Australia is synonymous with festivals, BBQs, road trips and camping. However, it is also a time of increasingly extreme weather and natural disasters. With experts predicting an increased risk of […]

Sunday TV Ratings: Tommy Little Makes X-Rated Joke On The Hundred With Andy Lee Christmas Special
If there was ever a time to give up on life & revert solely to the couch, it has to be the coming six weeks of summer.

The Clock Is Ticking On Cannes In Cairns Super Early Bird Tickets
As we know, the early bird gets the worm. That said, had the worm stayed in bed, he wouldn't have become breakfast.

B&T’s Campaign Of The Month November 2023 – Innocean’s Powerful White Ribbon Work
The B&T brains trust has got together to award November's ad of the month. And trust us, there ain't a heap of brains.

X Adds 10 Million Users In A Week & Reinstates Conspiracy Theorist Account
In possibly further confirmation that there's no such thing as bad press comes news of Twitter's audience booty.

Samsonite Proves Its “Seriously Tough” In New Campaign From TRP
Why does B&T feel that Schapelle Corby would be the perfect brand ambassador for Samsonite travel luggage.

Industry Endorses New Nielsen Solution To Total TV & Cross-Platform Measurement Delivery
Are TV numbers your thing? Then mark this a must-read. However, B&T's not excluding radio or outdoor people either.

“Not Often I See One Of These In The Wild” – Adam Ferrier Praises Amazon’s Christmassy OOH
Here's a fun bus stop activation from the guys at Amazon. B&T can confirm that Jeff didn't catch said bus.

Greenpeace Mauls Unilever’s Dove Over Terrifying Use Of Plastics
Global soap brand asked to clean up its act. Yes, that's about the best play on words you're going to get today.

Reports: Police DID Receive Allegations Against Alan Jones
You can now add Alan Jones to both Bruce Lehrmann & Ben Roberts-Smith for dreadful stories that just won't go away.

UNE Launches School Leaver Campaign Via Engine Group
Is 2024 the year of the "brilliant new you"? This uni ad could resonate, as could a pack of Schwarzkopf hair dye.

Morgan Stanley: Retail Media Will Steal $1.1b From Aussie Media Owners
Work in traditional media? Had a really shit 2023? Feel the knife twist a little more with this latest ad spend data.

Yes, It’s Ronan Keating! Yes, It’s A Funny Christmas Beer Ad!
Yes, we're breaking B&T's editorial charter today as we overrule "rule four, chapter 13 - never let Ronan Keating sing."

Eagle Eye’s Jonathan Reeve On How Retail Marketers Can Use Technology To Transform Christmas
Hoping to squeeze that extra dollar out of your Christmas customer? Put the wring into the cha-ching with this news.

Gumtree Appoints G Squared To Drive Search
Gumtree appoints G Squared to drive search. And that's despite the "no hawkers or canvassers" sign on the front door.

“Maybe Stop Having More Kids With People You Just Met” – Tammy Hembrow Roasted By Followers After Announcing Engagement
Think the daily news cycle is slowing down pre-Christmas? Confirm it with this D-grade celeb rubbish.

New Business Wins For We Scout
Indie comms agency We Scout announces new business wins. Well, you'd hardly announce new business losses, would you?

Dentsu Forecasts 2024 Global Ad Spend To Grow By 4.6%
Latest dentsu report looks promising for global ad spends overall. It's looking far less promising for Alan Jones.

JOLT Partners With Polestar On New Campaign Debunking “Range Anxiety”
EV charging station JOLT unveils "range anxiety" campaign. Yet, nothing on EV owners boring everyone to death.

Zenith Wins Superloop’s Media
The Zenith Christmas party set to be a wholly more bawdy, jolly soirée after agency nabs end-of-year win.

Acast Total Payout To Podcasters Surpasses $30M
Yes, AI's been grabbing all the headlines over the past 12 months, but read on as podcasting says "hold my beer".

Doritos Champions Infamous Orange Dust In New Campaign Via VaynerMedia, TRIO & Mango Communications
There's three absolute givens at any B&T bash - the Jatz, the Dorito and the fruity lexia.

Alan Jones Threatens To Sue Nine Papers Over Indecent Assault Allegations
Why does B&T get the feeling that Alan might actually enjoy a stint in an all-male prison?

Adobe: Calming Rhythms, Nostalgia & Wonder & Joy Set To Dominate Creativity
Be first to read the Adobe Creative Trends 2024 Report here. And there's sparse news for fans of the knickerbocker.

Archibald Williams Wins NBA Digital, Activation & Fan Engagement Accounts For APAC
Independent brand and digital agency, Archibald Williams (AW) has been appointed to lead the NBA account across the APAC region. The NBA is one of the most prestigious sporting leagues in the world and basketball is one of the fastest-growing sports in Australia. Effective immediately, AW said it was “excited” to work across all digital, […]

Tennis Bad Boy Nick Kyrgios To Create New Athlete Content On OnlyFans
Tennis brat takes time off from embarrassing the nation to reveal new social media initiative.

Before Adland: The Media Store’s Sam Cousin’s Journey From Parisienne Nanny To Chief Strategy Officer
B&T's shining a light on industry folk prior to adland. Preference given to anyone purporting actual UFO abduction.