Nani Creative celebrates fifth birthday with a thank you to collaborators and supporters

Following a successful 2024 as Campaign Brief Challenger Agency of the Year, Nani celebrated its fifth birthday with a thank you to collaborators and supporters on a sunny Friday evening at the Brisbane Hotel.

“We love the work that we do in the spaces of design and creative strategy, and we truly live the collaboration model – with artists and cultural consultants, as well as our talented agency partners and trusted industry friends. A little celebration was our way of saying thank you, and we couldn’t do it without you,” said Nani’s Design Director and Co-founder, Leigh Wood.

Nani opened its doors in February 2020 – because what better time to start an agency than on the precipice of COVID? Pandemic or not, there was a growing demand within the industry for authentic Aboriginal creative; work that can meet commercial objectives while maintaining the integrity of First Nations stories. Five years on and they are growing their representational goals, creating work that weaves diverse, multicultural lives and perspectives into Australia’s ad and comms landscape.

Nani’s sights are firmly set on increasing inclusion, representation and accessibility in advertising and marketing. The diverse lived experience of Nani’s staff – spanning a myriad of cultures, abilities, genders, races, ages, sexualities, and neurotypes – elevates their collective commitment to diverse and inclusive creative work, in support of an equitable world where all voices are heard.

Kevin Wilson, Nani’s Creative Director, said: “There are so many talented creatives who come to the table with an individual perspective. And this industry needs more of those people, and more of those stories told through commercial design. It’s our goal to help make it happen.”

A big part of Nani’s purpose remains in making space for more First Nations talent to take a seat at the table, and make their mark on creative industries.

“We need to step back a few paces and focus on supporting pathways and lay some solid foundations around employment and the lack of skilled mob in the industry. It’s also not going to change overnight, and we need to be patient, which is often not the answer most want to hear,” added Wilson.