November, 2025.- In this Roastbrief interview, Jeremy Hogg, National Executive Creative Director at M+C Saatchi Group ANZ, reflects on joining the agency at a defining moment — one of renewal, momentum, and creative ambition. Having led award-winning work at Howatson+Company and CHEP Network, Hogg brings with him a philosophy grounded in curiosity, collaboration, and cultural impact.
“M+C Saatchi’s future is what’s exciting,” he says. “Everyone here is focused on what’s next, not what’s been.” For Hogg, the agency’s strength lies in its ability to integrate disciplines seamlessly, breaking down barriers between creativity, strategy, data, and technology. The result is an environment where ideas become more modern, relevant, and emotionally resonant.
He defines creative excellence not as an aesthetic pursuit but as the ability to solve problems with relevance and imagination. “Dull work is invisible,” he notes, “no matter the media budget.” His leadership approach emphasizes human connection, trust, and the belief that culture is the true canvas of modern advertising.
As he unites teams across Australia and New Zealand, Hogg’s vision for M+C Saatchi is both ambitious and grounded: to create ideas that people care about — ideas that matter.
1. You’ve joined M+C Saatchi Group at a time of momentum and creative growth. What attracted you most to this opportunity, and what do you see as the agency’s biggest creative potential right now?
You’ve hit the nail on the head with the word “momentum”. M+C Saatchi has been around for a long time, and the industry is filled with people who have positive stories of its past. But the future is what’s exciting. Everyone here is far more interested in what will be, rather than what was.
There’s a lot happening in terms of new people coming in, and recently, the agency has undergone a few key changes that means there’s fewer barriers to working together, both physically and otherwise. Which means that the shape of ideas we can create can be far more modern, with different disciplines working together to solve our client’s problems.
The other thing that is really appealing is the scale and importance of the brands we work with. They’re highly visible and a part of people’s daily lives, so there can be significant cultural impact through the work we create.
2. Your experience spans some of Australia’s most awarded agencies, including Howatson+Company and CHEP Network. How have those experiences shaped your approach to leading creative teams today?
I’ve been very fortunate to work alongside a lot of smart people who have been generous with their knowledge and expertise. Perhaps the most important thing I’ve learnt is seeing how creativity can exist across brand, data, tech, social, PR, media, and design. There are so many different ways to have impact and be interesting.
3. M+C Saatchi has long been known for its culturally resonant work. How do you plan to balance creative excellence with effectiveness and relevance in such a fast-evolving media landscape?
I think achieving effectiveness and relevance is creative excellence. The best work solves problems, and does it in a way that gives ideas more weight than the media budget might allow. And you can only do that by making sure the work is interesting and culturally relevant. Dull work is going to be invisible no matter the media.
4. As National ECD, collaboration across Australia and New Zealand will be key. What’s your philosophy for uniting diverse teams under one creative vision across markets?
Working across multiple offices and with different groups of people has become increasingly normal the past few years.
It’s important to have a shared agency belief and ambition, so we’re all moving in the same direction. But you have to be comfortable that each location will have its own micro-culture as well, whether that’s a result of the location itself or the individuals who inhabit that space every day. I fully expect Sydney, Melbourne and New Zealand to retain their own essence.
On a more practical level, communication is important. Not just about the job at hand, but being able to chat openly about little things, big things, footy scores, the stuff going on in people’s lives. Caring for each other is part of building trust and a sense of shared responsibility for what we create together.
Then you’ve just got to hope and pray that the tech works.
5. You’ve created campaigns that have been both celebrated and commercially impactful. What do you think defines truly “great work” in 2025 — and how has that definition evolved for you over time?
Great work will always be great work. Ideas that get noticed and make people care about something.
I think I used to care more about where an idea lived, but now I’m just concerned that the idea impacts the audience. That, and making sure the execution has a bit of craft to it so the audience knows it matters.
6. Emma Robbins described you as “a little bit Lando Norris, a little bit Jessica Watson.” What does that blend of energy and exploration mean to you, and how does it reflect your leadership and creative style?
I’m pretty sure that comment came about because I’m great at driving cars and boats. But in terms of how it relates to my creative approach and leadership, it probably speaks to my level of comfort with making decisions quickly, and at times being comfortable not knowing all the final answers, but trusting that we’re moving in the right direction. Although I do think I’m slightly more Lando than Jessica — there’s no way I could do this job alone. Being part of a great team is the only way to win.
