People Are Literally Paying to Avoid Your Ads 🚫

Most Chief Creative Officers have impressive portfolios showcasing design work, groundbreaking campaigns, and artistic credentials. Lauren Austin discovered a different path entirely: you can build an extraordinary creative career without being the one actually making the creative work. She focuses on creative thinking and strategy, leading brand experiences at MKG where "action over ads" isn't just a tagline - it's how they operate. Her journey proves there's more than one way to succeed in a creative industry.

Lauren's perspective on why traditional advertising keeps failing might make some CMOs uncomfortable. She's noticed a significant gap between where marketing budgets go and where consumer attention actually lives. Her work includes turning TV shows into immersive real-world experiences and championing a trend she says brands desperately need to embrace. The conversation reveals someone who's figured out how to give people what they actually want from brands - and it's definitely not more ads interrupting their day.

Lauren Austin: Why Brands Need to Get Weirder 👾

MKG Chief Creative Officer: Self-described creative person with no actual creative skills who found a path in creative thinking without creative making, leading brand experiences at an agency specializing in action over ads 🎨
Anti-Advertising Advocate: Argues nobody wants to be advertised to (not just Gen Z) because we're constantly inundated and surrounded by advertising - consumers want entertainment and exchange instead 📺
Brand Weirdness Champion: Biggest macro trend she's tracking is brands willing to get a little bit weirder rather than chasing specific aesthetic or tactical trends 🎭
Industry Conversation Changer: On a mission to change industry conversation by proving the power of brand experiences over traditional advertising channels that "people are literally paying to avoid" 📊
White Lotus Experience Creator: Produced HBO Max project that brought White Lotus to life for super fans, press, and influencers - stepping inside the resort without the murders 🪷