Fresh from 7 years at TBWA\Melbourne, award-winning Brand Strategist, Harley Augustine, has landed at independent agency, NATION, as a key member of the Strategy team.
Having led local and international Brand and Creative Strategy teams for the last 20 years at the likes of Elmwood, FutureBrand and TBWA, Augustine is regarded as one of the sharpest strategic minds and branding experts in Australia. From Corporate and FMCG to SAAS and Retail, his extensive body of work across every category boasts brands like Booking.com, Nissan, EY, Medibank, Cadbury, Air Tahiti, Schweppes, BHP, and Seek.
The timing of Augustine’s availability was fortuitous, as NATION was already looking to further expand its strategic capabilities and explore new opportunities in markets across Australia and beyond.
Augustine said: “I’ve loved working at big global agencies throughout my career but now I’m excited to roll up my sleeves a little higher at NATION, get even closer to the work and help build something meaningful with an expert team of really talented and lovely people.”
Augustine reunites with his former long term TBWA colleague, Joe Godsell, who joined NATION nearly a year ago as the new Managing Director and Co-owner.
Godsell said: “With Harley’s credentials, he could’ve gone anywhere and that includes some of the top agencies in the world. But I’m not surprised he chose NATION, it’s a natural fit in terms of shared work ethic, passion and values.”
Augustine added: “Joe and I have had an instinctive, ego-free and natural working rhythm since the day we met nearly ten years ago, and so the thought of bringing that back to life in a fresh and dynamic new setting like NATION is incredibly exciting for both of us.”
Augustine is based in Melbourne and will be supported by the strong Strategy team in Adelaide, headed up by CEO, Greg Knagge, in addition to Strategists Ben Nitschke and Phil Detoya, each with successful career backgrounds as market researchers.
This move continues the agency’s expansion into other states, with Harley joining long-term NATION designer, Sarah Cain, in the Victorian market.
Now with team members based in Victoria, the ACT and South Australia, the agency has a pervasive national presence as it continues to service national brands like Peet, Stratco and Beyond Bank.
Knagge said: “We are already working with clients across the country and have been for many years. It’s as easy for us to jump on a plane as much as a Teams call but it will always be about building collaborative, trusted relationships with our clients – that’s the key.”
Augustine added: “I’ve always believed that the best work comes from strong relationships, shared ambition and trust. That’s what drew me to this thrilling next chapter and to the people behind it. Independent agencies are on fire these days and NATION is a great example of handpicked, quality people doing quality work with quality clients. I’m all in!”
