Lenna Boland

10 answers to 10 questions.

The Caples Awards has been prying into the minds of many of the 2024 judges to find out what they think about their careers, their work and awards generally. This week, Group Creative Director Lenna Boland of Ogilvy Australia.

Lenna was a primary school teacher in Tasmania, she poured pints in a pub in Bath, she even did time as the PA to a top legal eagle in London, Lenna's route into advertising has been circuitous to say the least but, as she says herself, all those experiences have helped her to "keep it real" in the ads she writes.

"My best advice for anyone new to the business comes, as always, from my mum, who said, 'Sometimes it may be a bit whiffy but gold is always to be found on the bus.'"

Caples: You’re a busy creative director. Do you have a side hustle? What do you do as a counterbalance to the pressures of your workplace?

L: A nice dollop of cultural immersion keeps it real. It could be a film, play, art gallery, if not a spicy margarita with mates usually does the trick.

Caples: If you hadn’t ended up in advertising, what would you be doing instead?

L: Gosh I’m not sure. I feel some kind of writing would call. Or, potentially perhaps go back to my first working role of teaching in some respect

Caples: What one piece of personal work are you most proud of?

L: I loved how the saga of AAMI’s Rhonda and Ketut swept a nation. A passionate and unlikely love story to sell insurance. Why not? ?When the people speak you got to ride that wave and have fun doing it. Anything that taps into the culture is pretty awesome in my creative book.

?Caples: Any work your agency/team produced you’re particularly proud of?

L: AAMI Rest Towns shows how a simple road safety idea can have a big impact, especially when you can be smart about the different channels and tech you can use to engage people.

?Caples: What recent work have you seen from another agency (or agencies) you'd really like to see entered into The Caples? And why?

?L: Skinny Milk’s “Phone It In” from Colenso, is refreshingly simple but also brave, and incredibly entertaining. Brilliant writing to boot.

From a craft, entertainment factor love Magnum’s ‘Stick to the Original’ film. It’s developed from the very true insight of combatting the plethora of copycat chocolate-coated ice-creams that now exist in the market.? It also ticks all the FMCG boxes, which are bloody hard to tick. Cracking ad complete with the obligatory chocolate crack.

Caples: Are awards important?

?L: They are important to the industry, and to get traction for your ideas and profile in the wider marketing and client community. But in the end, it’s also a subjective decision, so just be proud about producing the best work you can do. Awards are a nice cherry on top of adland’s multi-flavoured gelato. ?

?Caples: What does it mean to you to be a juror of The Caples Awards in 2024?

L: Super fun and a privilege. It’s great to see what’s out there and feel a part of the creative community.

Caples: Can you identify any trends which you and your fellow judges should be looking out for at The Caples this year?

L: On trends, AI seems the most prevalent, embracing it, and using it to our best advantage will be key. It will be interesting to see how the ad-world can evolve around it. Great storytelling, however, is something that is central to creating great pieces of communication. Something that moves the audience to laugh, cry, yell, or act, no matter the channel, is always on-trend in my book.

?Caples: If you could have five creative luminaries sitting around your kitchen table, having a drink and a chat, who would they be? What do you think you’d talk about?

L: I’d love a chat with directors from both ad-land and cinema. People like Kim Gehrig, Juan Cabral, Emerald Fennell. From a writer’s perspective, it’d be great to have a bev with Phoebe Waller Bridge, Jesse Armstrong and Mike White, and then why not throw in Jennifer Coolidge.

?Caples: Impossible question. But what is your one all-time favourite piece of advertising, the idea you most wish you’d done yourself?

?L: Mmmm so many. I think “Guinness Surfer” not only for the utter audaciousness but the fact that despite its visually heightened approach it was still true to the overall platform. Good things come to those who wait, friends.

Caples: Thank you, Lenna.