Howatson+Company’s Head Of Production Holly Alexander On Using Creativity For Social Change

Howatson+Company’s Head Of Production Holly Alexander On Using Creativity For Social Change

Howatson + Company’s head of production Holly Alexander is the brains behind some of this year’s most thought-provoking campaigns including 10pm Mattress and Exhibit A-i – a campaign that used technology to highlight the injustice of offshore detention centres. Ahead of the 2023 B&T Women In Media Awards, she talks about her career in production as well as the importance of social responsibility.

1) The Exhibit AI touches on themes that most Australians will find incredibly confronting, do you think it is important for our industry to bring these themes to light?

I do think it’s important. I also believe it’s our responsibility. Our industry has direct access to Australians’ lives. What we do exists on their screens, living rooms, and public places. We’re best poised to change perceptions and make an impact. In a way, more than politicians. If we have the opportunity to deliver critically important messages like the one Exhibit Ai was focused on, we must make the most of it.

2) A lot of brands may steer away from themes that are political or upsetting, so you think brands should be more involved in human social issues?

Not every brand has the right to talk about social issues. It’s clear when a brand is jumping on a bandwagon to boost its likeability or sales. However, if done authentically, in a way that can make an impact, then I’m all for brands making the world a more humane place.

3) How do you create content that engages the viewer on more serious issues?

It is important to not just write or create from our privileged agency POV. When we are working on sensitive social issues it’s critical to engage the right stakeholders, and the appropriate community groups. For example, with our Belong projects we work closely with accessibility consultants, on a recent Guardian project where we were talking about Indigenous rights it was critical that we engaged an Indigenous consultant, for Exhibit Ai the refugees themselves were actively engaged at every stage.

Then it is important to know if the message will connect – be that by shocking, moving or entertaining the viewer. If we don’t move the dial with the people watching or engaging with the content, we’ve failed. And wasted money that, often, could have gone to helping the cause or charity in a more meaningful way.

10pm Mattress

10pm Mattress Campaign

4) What does your own creative process look like from conception to final product?

Its always been really important for me as a producer to work in lock step with the creatives.

I sit with the ECDs and my producers are fully integrated with the creative teams so we are working with them on briefs early and often.

We start to talk about partners as early as the ideation phase because often that can help inform the way we imagine an idea into being. Who would approach this brief in an unexpected way? Who would take this to another level? How might that shape our thinking?

Then once we move into production on a project, it’s about making sure all the little decisions that are made in isolation don’t detract from the craft or the idea.

5) The 10pm mattress advert was one that really stuck in my head, what was the inspiration behind that?

10:PM is a start-up company selling eco-friendly, affordable mattresses. They came to us with a brief to launch their brand in a noticeable way. Lacking the budgets of their well-established competitors, we knew we had to create work that punched above its weight.

The inspiration for the Bed-verts idea came right outside our office in Surry Hills. Next door to it is an alleyway where mattresses are regularly and illegally dumped. One day we had the realisation that these blank mattresses are just blank billboards. And they’re completely free. Moreover, there are millions of them scattered right around the country. Then we thought, what if we could treat them like real billboards and craft beautiful long copy to stop pedestrians in their tracks? Everything took off from there.

6) Do you ever feel like being a woman has played a role (positive or negative) in your career and creative process?

It’s really important that I preface this by saying this is my own personal experience, not something I assume to be true for all women.

Being a woman has not been the thing that has defined or held back my career. However, I would say when I became a mother, I noticed the biggest shift in my outlook and attitude – for the better.

I became more empathetic to the world around me and to other people’s experiences. I also found myself growing in confidence. But over time, I also become less tolerant of wasting time – time at work is time away from my family.

If we are going to have a conversation about how to get things done, whether its budget-related or how to solve a production problem, let’s cut to the chase.

7) What advice would you give to women in the industry who want to be in creative roles?

I suppose this is easier said than done but don’t listen to the bullshit. The parties, the lunches, the showbiz side of our industry can get exhausting so reserve your energy for the work.

Stay hungry and hunt for the best briefs. Don’t be afraid to ask for the opportunity to work on something – best case you get to work on it, worst case you get told no and you find something else.

And if you get downhearted with the naysayers, mean comments or tough clients, just remember, most people in our industry are genuinely nice humans who want to do good work and live happy lives.

Generally, people aren’t out to get anyone else but if it ever feels otherwise, it’s always helped to just focus on what you can control: the work.

If you would like to attend this year’s B&T Women In Media Awards you can buy your ticket HERE.

 




Please login with linkedin to comment

B&T women in media 2023 Howatson+Co Howatson+Company

Latest News

Marc Collister: AI & Automation Set To Revolutionise Creativity In 2024
  • Opinion

Marc Collister: AI & Automation Set To Revolutionise Creativity In 2024

Marc Collister (pictured) of P2 Content Creators spills the beans on his 2024 predictions drawing from two decades of experience in the advertising, film and television industry. I’m certain it will come as no surprise that in 2024, we can expect our industry to move at breakneck speed again. With even more rapid shifts in […]

Opinion

by B&T Magazine

B&T Magazine
Reddit Recap Reveals That Aussies Went Nuts For The Tillies, Eurovision And, Erm, Finance
  • Technology

Reddit Recap Reveals That Aussies Went Nuts For The Tillies, Eurovision And, Erm, Finance

Reddit’s annual Recap report has revealed the issues and moments that captured Australia’s collective mind over 2023 with, naturally, the Matildas featuring high on the list. The inaugural Australia-hosted Women’s World Cup saw Aussies glued to the footy (or, indeed soccer) with one enterprising user capturing the moment that Cortnee Vine scored the winner against […]

Zeno Group Australia Bolsters Client Offerings With An Expanded Creative Services Portfolio & New Senior Leader
  • Marketing

Zeno Group Australia Bolsters Client Offerings With An Expanded Creative Services Portfolio & New Senior Leader

Zeno Australia has announced expanded creative design capabilities and the appointment of Jim Michell (lead image) to its senior leadership team. The new moves support strong growth in the region. Zeno Australia’s clients, including Abano Healthcare, Motorola and Yorkshire Tea, can now tap into a suite of creative design services to augment the agency’s work […]

Spikes Asia Announces Its 2024 Jury Line-Up
  • Marketing

Spikes Asia Announces Its 2024 Jury Line-Up

Spikes Asia, APAC’s most prestigious and sought-after Award for creativity and marketing effectiveness, has revealed its 2024 Jury line-up today. The 93 industry experts from across 18 markets represent APAC’s leading talent from a diverse range of disciplines. 2024 sees the highest representation from brands, including Budweiser, Procter & Gamble, Unilever and, for the first […]

Assembled Media Inks TikTok Creator Campaign for BIC
  • Campaigns

Assembled Media Inks TikTok Creator Campaign for BIC

Assembled Media, is drawing upon the creative power of TikTok Creator Marketplace to help generate unique, impactful content for iconic stationery brand, BIC. The social activation campaign titled ‘A Pen for Every Side of You’ promotes the flexibility of BIC’s 4 Colours pen and is active nationwide on the BIC Stationery TikTok account. The campaign […]

Big data and analytics visualization technology with scientist analyzing information structure on screen with machine learning to extract predictions for business, finance, internet of things
  • Media

IAB Launches Fourth Module In Its Marketing Measurement Innovation Series

IAB Australia has launched ‘Evolution in Market Mix Modelling’, the fourth module in its Marketing Measurement Innovation Series, which has been developed by IAB Australia’s Ad Effectiveness Council. The module explores what is driving the increased use of MMM and how the technique is evolving with advances in computing power and machine learning to provide […]

Aerial view of a coal fired power station with large cooling towers emitting co2 into the atmosphere. With its lights already turned on the power station is illuminated in moody twilight.
  • Media

Scope3 Expands Carbon Measurement Capabilities To Include DOOH Advertising

Scope3, the collaborative sustainability platform leading the decarbonisation of media and advertising,  announced the addition of digital out-of-home (DOOH) to its emissions measurement. With DOOH ad spending predicted to grow from $17B in 2023 to nearly $24B by 2028, measuring this channel brings us one step closer to understanding the total impact of digital advertising […]

January 14, 2023 - New York, New York, USA: 2023 NRF Big Show press conference with Composition 2024 NRF Singapore.    Photo by Ian Wagreich / © Ian Wagreich Photography
  • Marketing

Now Open For Registration – NRF 2024: Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific

NRF 2024: Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific, is now open for online registrations for the main conference. Jointly organized by the National Retail Federation and Comexposium, Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific will take place from 11 – 13 June, 2024 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore and is expected to draw thousands […]

DBC2 Appoints Jason Fisher To Newly Created Role Of CEO
  • Marketing

DBC2 Appoints Jason Fisher To Newly Created Role Of CEO

Following a period of significant client growth, leading auto marketing agency, DBC2 has appointed Jason Fisher (lead image) to the newly created role of CEO. The appointment is part of DBC2’s long term growth strategy ahead of the agency announcing a brand refresh and expanded proposition in early-2024. As a new shareholder of the business, […]

Three New Hires At Amplify
  • Marketing

Three New Hires At Amplify

Extra pressure on Amplify's Nescafé Blend 43 catering tin today with the arrival of three new recruits.

Boomtown’s Final Masterclass Of 2023 Attended By Almost 100 Media Reps
  • Media

Boomtown’s Final Masterclass Of 2023 Attended By Almost 100 Media Reps

Don’t treat regional media as a charity, but a real growth opportunity: That’s the message from Boomtown’s final masterclass of 2023, attended by almost 100 media industry representatives from across the nation. The masterclass was part of a series of educational sessions, delivered by Boomtown, the media collective championing advertising in regional Australia. The sessions […]