Toby Talbot Exits Ogilvy as AUNZ CCO

Ogilvy ANZ chief creative officer, Toby Talbot, is leaving the agency after more than three and a half years in the role.

Toby joined Ogilvy in January 2022 to take on the inaugural role of trans-Tasman CCO, overseeing creative teams across the business and creative output in both NZ and Australia. Prior to his appointment at Ogilvy, Toby was CCO at DDB-owned Catorce, based in Barcelona.

During his tenure, Toby spearheaded a number of transformative initiatives, including the launch of Return On Creativity (ROC) -- a bold, Ogilvy-exclusive framework developed in partnership with chief strategy officer Fran Clayton. Designed to elevate the value of creativity beyond traditional ROI metrics, ROC reflects Toby's commitment to proving that great creative work drives real business impact, while deepening collaboration with clients.

Reed Collins, Ogilvy APAC's chief creative officer, credits Toby with leading a creative resurgence in ANZ. Under Toby's guidance, Ogilvy's offices delivered impactful campaigns like Matildas' ‘Til It’s Done', 'Meet Me at the Coke Sign', 'The Spot', and 'Kentucky Fly'. These projects are known for their bold, culturally relevant integration of social, earned, and brand strategies.

“I want to personally thank Toby for all he’s accomplished in his time at Ogilvy," Reed said.

"He’s been a true advocate of borderless creativity across the network, a magnet for the next generation of talent and creative leadership. And the work really does speak for itself. He leaves us in an incredibly strong creative position, and I'm confident about our future.”

Toby said, “I believe advertising is a team sport. The opportunity to galvanise Ogilvy’s creative output across the whole business was what brought me back to ANZ to take on this role. It’s been an incredible journey. It’s been all consuming, but the way Ogilvy now uses creative thinking to go way beyond the transactional approaches of old, I’m really proud of where we are today.

“Now feels like the right time for me to step away. I want a new challenge. If I reflect on the work I love to do, it’s ideas that drive commercial outcomes. Or behaviour change. Or some kind of major reappraisal. These are transferrable skills and I intend to put what I’ve learned to use."

Toby leaves Ogilvy at the end of this week and leaves a deep creative leadership bench in Max McKeon, Ant Simmons, Nina East, and Bridget Jung, who will continue to build on the agency's creative foundation that he fostered.