45. Community campaigns, coral reefs, and kairos time with Simone Waugh

Ever wondered how advertising can drive real social change? On this episode 45 of the B-Side, I catch up with Simone Waugh, the Managing Director at Publicis Worldwide Australia. Simone is an industry powerhouse, all about using advertising to make a positive impact through the power of creativity. She's worked across a range of sectors including tourism, healthcare, education, and sports. She even led the communications for the winning Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games bid with the Queensland Government.

We jam on her campaigns like "Lag Kills," tackling youth drink driving by highlighting the dangers of lag in video games, and "Red Flags," a campaign aimed at educating the community about coercive control to combat domestic violence. Simone shares her passion for amplifying First Nations voices and her role as the executive sponsor for Publicis' ANZ’s emBRACE employee resource group. She also dives into ScUber, the world’s first submarine rideshare program, designed to raise awareness about Australia’s reef ecosystem and protect coral reefs.

We unpack what it takes to build effective community campaigns and explore a range of other concepts like Simone’s concept of "Kairos time" – and Simone shares memorable moments from her career, the challenges she’s faced, and her vision for the future of advertising and social impact.

Simone's insights are both inspiring and practical. This was a fascinating conversation, if you want to learn more about how advertising can drive meaningful change and how you can contribute to social impact through your own work. Give it a listen. Cheers.

You can find Simone on LinkedIn
Or get in touch with her at Publicis Worldwide Australia