Recently returning from representing Australia at Cannes Lions Festival, Tayla Orr shares her insights on the learnings from the event she’ll be applying to her role, and what it’s like working on cross-platform campaigns for Nine’s internal creative agency, Powered.
A career built on cross-platform creativity
Tayla’s role is at the heart of the dynamic advertising industry, where creativity and strategy converge. As a Client Solutions Executive, she works on complex briefs, blending the power of TV, audio, and publishing to create holistic, impactful and tailored solutions for clients.
Joining Nine in 2023, Tayla quickly made her mark, advancing from Regional Sales Coordinator to her current role. She now works alongside some of Australia’s most prominent brands, providing innovative creative solutions across multiple platforms.
The spirit of collaboration is at the core of the Powered team. As Nine’s internal creative agency, the team works closely with sales and other divisions, leveraging the best of Nine’s offerings to create integrated, tailored solutions for clients. Tayla’s work on a major campaign for Married At First Sight (MAFS) is a perfect example, where her team leveraged everything from TV and publishing to podcasts to deliver a truly powerful campaign.
Representing Nine on the global stage
Held over a week against the idyllic backdrop of Cannes, the Lions Festival celebrates global creativity. Thought leaders and innovators across the advertising and communications industry gather to share insights and highlight groundbreaking work. For Tayla, attending the festival was a long-held ambition. “I’ve always wanted to work in the advertising world. And for those in this industry, Cannes Festival is the epicentre for creativity,” she shares.
Tayla and her manager, Head of Client Solutions for Victoria, Lizzy Nan Tie, decided to enter the national competition, with just five days to respond to a creative brief. They saw it as a great learning opportunity, regardless of the outcome.
After winning the national competition in the media category, Tayla and Lizzie were selected to represent Australia as Young Lions, securing their tickets to the week of workshops and sessions. Representing Nine and Australia on the global stage, this also meant the duo had 24 hours to tackle a creative brief once on the ground in Cannes, showcasing their ability to innovate under pressure.
Inspiration from influential speakers
Beyond the competition, the festival provided a platform for learning from global leaders and discovering the latest industry trends, from the rise of AI to the art of simplicity.
The experience reinforced a key lesson for Tayla: the power of simplicity. In an age of shrinking attention spans, she learned that being simple and clever is a powerful art form. “We’ve got so many layers and elements we can include in responses to creative briefs in my role. A huge learning during Cannes was how do we master the art of simplicity. I’m now working with my managers to incorporate that learning into the work we do.”
One of the highlights for Tayla was listening to keynote speakers presenting on personal branding. “We got to see Jimmy Fallon and Reese Witherspoon, and they talked about their own personal brand and how they advertise themselves, which is a way I had never looked at advertising and was a big eye-opener for me.”
The power of a supportive team
Tayla shares that the support from her team was unwavering. Her managers not only promoted the opportunity but also provided constant encouragement and even attended the festival. “Having their support was great for my personal development and helped me achieve a personal goal,” Tayla says. “They were behind us every step of the way. But they also saw so much value in what we could bring back from an experience like this.”
Reflecting on the support of the broader Nine team, Tayla says it was non-stop throughout the entire process. “From when we first started pulling together our ideas, to the leadup to our travels, the entire Nine team promoted what we were doing and cheered us on from across the country.”
Tayla’s experience is a powerful example of how Nine supports employees in reaching their full potential. By providing opportunities for personal and professional development, we ensure that our teams remain at the forefront of the media landscape, ready to tackle the challenges of today and shape the future of our industry.
