How creativity transformed Australia’s No.1 Telecom’s brand - Brent Smart

Brent Smart is one of the most respected marketers in the world. After spending more than 20 years in advertising, he made the rare move from agency life to become CMO of NRMA Insurance. Brent's most recent role as CMO of Telstra, Australia's largest telecommunications company, he helped transform the brand through bold, distinctive and highly effective marketing. In this episode, Brent shares the principles behind his approach to creativity, from selling big ideas inside large organisations and drawing on academic marketing frameworks to building a culture where great work can thrive. We discuss the campaigns that defined his career, including Telstra's viral "Better on a Better Network" campaign, why humour and surprise remain powerful competitive advantages, and the unique agency model that helped Telstra consistently produce standout work. Timestamps 00:00 - Start 01:03 - Why Brent left Telstra 02:31 - Why Brent moved in house after 20 years agency side 05:41 - How to sell a creative idea into a big organisation 11:01 - The academic frameworks to create great marketing 12:16 - Why you should look at your brands heritage 14:02 - The most successful campaign Brent did for NRMA 17:33 - How Brent won a Grand Effie 21:13 - How Brent transformed Telstra’s brand marketing 26:08 - The Telstra Walk - the viral campaign 32:39 - Using humour to cut through 35:00 - The power of surprise and consistency 37:41 - The unique agency model that helped Telstra create cuthrough work 40:02 - Why craft is so important in 2026 42:44 - How to build a creative culture 47:11 - How to be a great CMO --- Thank you to our sponsors System1 and HubSpot Download System1's creator effectiveness report here: https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbook Find about more about HubSpot's AEO product here: https://www.hubspot.com/products/aeo