Lee Leggett is Worried Agencies Will Keep Pitting Themselves Against Each Other

Lee Leggett is fearing three things: “that we continue to talk about the demise of our industry, that we continue to pit ourselves against each other, [and] that we continue the debate about whether creativity or technology will win.”

CHEP Network’s CEO has urged the industry to instead focus on elevating the importance of creativity and the strategic value of agencies, celebrating and attracting talent, and “supporting each other when we win and when we lose.”

“2025 is going to be another ever-changing year,” she added in an interview with LBB. 

“The global and local landscape is shifting and technology will continue to change how we work. But it just reinforces to me the value of human-led creativity and imagination. A brilliant idea that is lovingly carried, nurtured, and protected through the agency is what we need to hold dear.”

Lee joined CHEP in February 2023, so 2024 was her first full year in the job. The agency went into 2024 the reigning Effective Agency of the Year for its work for Curing Homesickness, Nutricia, and Samsung. It won some business to offset the loss of Telstra in 2023, adding Bupa, Tourism NT, University of Sydney, and Spirit of Tasmania to its client roster. 

And it made plenty of work across a whole host of clients: reviving Zoom-Zoom and launching a hybrid SUV for Mazda, playing with humour for 7-Eleven, and inventing an animated creature called Blip for Hospitals United for Sick Kids. Then there was work for Officeworks, AMP Super, an integrated campaign for new client Spirit of Tasmania, and a game for Samsung.

“I’ve tried hard to take the wins and lessons away from the past 12 months,” Lee said. 

“This is a brilliant industry that makes real impact on brands, culture, and business. So if you accept that change is a constant, then on reflection I’ve been hugely impressed by my clients and my colleagues who demonstrated resilience and energy. 

“And of course, I’ve also loved seeing brilliant work be produced in our market and beyond. It’s a helpful reminder on the tough days of why we do what we do.” 

Personally, she did her best to “balance all the things that my life demands.”

“With the support of Mr L [Jaimes Leggett, founder of Today the Brave], brilliant friends who work in the industry as well as my neighbourhood mums, I just about scraped through.”

There weren’t many veggie sticks in her kids’ lunchboxes, “but hey, we did okay.” Maybe she can succeed in “getting more carrots into my teenagers” this year.

“It’s an Uber Eats delivery for me tonight, though,” she quipped. “Bravo to the Special Crew for the amazing Cher ad. See, it’s not that hard.”