A new creative agency has launched out of one of Australia’s most established youth culture and live events ecosystems, as its founders argue brands are increasingly struggling to build credibility with younger audiences through reach alone.
Two of Australia’s long-time festival and culture operators spoke to B&T this week about the launch of Layers, a Bondi-based agency formed out of the Finely Tuned network, the team behind Lost Paradise and a portfolio of large-scale live events.
Layers is led by Finely Tuned founder Simon Beckingham alongside co-founders Simon Hayward, former managing director at Rizer and Groundswell, and Andrew Boon, former marketing lead at Anjunadeep and Sweat It Out. Between them, the trio has worked with brands including Louis Vuitton, Veuve Clicquot, Nike, Google and Netflix.
The agency has been established as the Finely Tuned team formalises its cultural and brand work beyond its owned festivals and expands into standalone client partnerships.
The move follows a year in which the wider ecosystem delivered more than 175,000 paid attendees across its events, with more than 70,000 tickets sold in January alone across Lost Paradise, The Works and LS Block Party. The group is tracking towards more than 200,000 annual attendees.
The founders say that scale underpins Layers’ model, with audiences that are self-selecting, ticketed and actively choosing to participate.
“We operate in environments where people have paid to be there so the standard is higher,” Beckingham told B&T. “If a brand shows up in the wrong way you feel it immediately. You can’t force that down their throats.”
The agency’s proposition focuses on building cultural environments for brands rather than traditional sponsorships, with an emphasis on sustained engagement over campaign-level visibility.
Andrew Boon, who leads marketing and strategy at Layers, said attention alone is no longer enough.
“Platforms serve a purpose, you can reach a lot of people very cheaply,” he told B&T. “But that doesn’t mean a brand is actually connected to them. The real question is whether anyone remembers it or changes how they feel about you afterwards.”
Layers has evolved from within Finely Tuned, the independent live entertainment business behind Lost Paradise and a broader events network operating for more than two decades.
Hydralyte
One example came through Hydralyte’s activation at Lost Paradise’s four-day New Year festival on the NSW Central Coast.
Facing increased competition in the hydration category, the brand worked with Layers to build a “Hydration Station” positioned as a recovery and social space rather than a conventional branded zone.
The space featured misting tunnels, shaded lounges, DJ programming and water station integrations across the site, placing Hydralyte directly within the lived experience of festival conditions.
The result, according to the agency, went beyond sampling to behavioural association.
“The Hydration Station became a destination in its own right,” Boon said. “It was a place people actively wanted to go because it improved their day. That’s very different to just putting a logo on something.”
Feedback from festival audiences described it as one of the most valuable additions to the experience, with Hydralyte now exploring how to scale the concept nationally.
Toyota
Toyota’s activation took a different approach, using anticipation and storytelling to embed the brand into the festival narrative.
In the lead-up to Lost Paradise, branded Hilux vehicles were featured in construction content showing the festival site being built, tapping into audience curiosity around the event’s setup.
The content was distributed socially in the days before the festival, supported by subtle integrations across Sydney and on-site appearances during the event.
Rather than a traditional sponsorship presence, Toyota was positioned as part of the build-up story.
“We realised people don’t just want to see brands at events,” Boon told B&T. “They want brands to contribute to the story of the event itself.”
The campaign is being developed as a long-term platform, with Toyota and Layers exploring how sustained cultural presence can influence future purchase consideration among younger audiences.
Red Bull
Red Bull, a long-term partner of Lost Paradise, is another example cited by Layers as a shift in how brands operate in culture.
At this year’s festival, the brand was integrated into “My Mum’s Disco” — a high-energy stage concept featuring drag performers, audience participation and nostalgic music programming.
Rather than dominant branding, Red Bull was positioned as a facilitator within the experience, including a subtly branded bar and selective product integration.
The impact, according to Layers, was commercially significant, with Red Bull outselling all other beverages at the event and recording its highest per-capita sales of any festival in Australia that year.
The activation was later shared by Red Bull Australia with global teams as a best-practice example.
“It worked because it wasn’t about shouting the brand name,” Beckingham said. “It was about creating a moment people actually wanted to be part of.”
What does credibility look like?
For Layers, credibility in youth culture is shifting towards environments that create memory, meaning and behavioural impact rather than campaigns designed purely for reach.
The agency says many brands still conflate visibility with relevance, relying on influencer and platform-led activity that delivers impressions without necessarily building lasting association.
“In culture, people are very good at recognising when they’re being sold to,” Boon said. “If you don’t respect their time, they’ll switch off immediately.”
He said the difference lies in participation rather than interruption.
“You can reach a lot of people very cheaply,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean a brand is actually connected to them. The real question is whether anyone remembers it or changes how they feel about you afterwards.”
Beckingham said credibility is built through consistency and contribution rather than exposure.
“It’s more than just turning up,” he said. “It’s actually doing something meaningful and giving someone an emotional experience that adds value to their day. If you can do that time and time again, that’s where trust builds.”
He added that audiences are increasingly adept at reading intent.
“People are very savvy,” he said. “They know what’s advertising and what’s not.”
Beyond the festival scene
While its roots remain in festivals and live events, Layers is now expanding into standalone cultural platforms for brands outside its owned ecosystem.
This includes touring experiences, branded environments and community-led programs built using insights drawn from its festival network.
The shift marks an expansion from owned audiences to broader brand partnerships, as demand grows for deeper and more measurable cultural engagement.
“Most agencies are built around campaigns,” Beckingham said.
“We’re built around communities that already exist and already care. That changes everything.”
