In this series, we ask Imagination talent all about the experiences that have made them who they are. This month we spoke to Vanessa Tucker, Creative Director from our Sydney studio.
A bit about me…
I love anything and everything to do with the ocean! If I could live in the sea, I absolutely would. This obsession with water has given me a passion for sailing and scuba diving, and since moving to Australia a couple of years ago, I’ve also taken up open-ocean swimming and freediving.
As a child, I always carried my coloured pencils and sketch pad wherever I went. It became my way of entertaining people. I’d draw them, the room, or my visual interpretation of their silly comments. This, combined with my love of interior design and ideas, plus a deep passion for psychology, led me to pursue a career in the advertising and marketing industry. I had discovered a path where I could spend my life understanding how people think and what motivates them to act, feel, love – and ultimately make purchases.
To me, creativity lies in inventing new solutions for humanity’s problems, whether it’s poverty, climate change, recession, or simply boredom.
That’s what I find myself drawn to: seeking ways to make life, and people, feel better. Always hunting for inspiration, absorbing everything like a sponge, and spotting problems to solve.
The creative experience that has influenced me the most…
This is a personal story about the moment that inspired me to get into events.
The task was to inform South Africa that Southern Sun Hotels would be hosting Bafana Bafana (South Africa’s national football team) during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. My clients wanted a TV ad, but we said absolutely not – the country deserved a celebration, the biggest kick-off event it had ever seen.
The concept was inspired by the South African national anthem, United We Shall Stand. We called on South Africans in Johannesburg’s CBD to unite behind their team by forming the world’s longest human train of supporters. Two days before the World Cup whistle was blown, we launched the parade. We expected a crowd of 20,000, but over 300,000 people showed up during Friday lunch hour to get behind their team. The event went viral, and people across the country began creating their own versions in cities nationwide.
One news reporter said, “It was only the release of Nelson Mandela from prison that saw this level of people uniting across the country in this way.”
That moment showed me that events can have a greater purpose – they can inspire hope, unity, and patriotism. I’ll never forget the goosebumps I felt that day.
My industry hero is…
Ali Hanan, founder of Creative Equals.
Her career began as a digital creative and innovation director at agencies including R/GA, AKQA, and Ogilvy, where she helped shape campaigns for Nike, Guinness, British Airways, and IKEA. At the time, only 3% of women held creative leadership roles, and she saw firsthand how advertising determines who is “seen” and who is excluded.
That experience drove her to establish Creative Equals – to create a level playing field where representation is standard, not optional, and where brands can unlock growth by reflecting our diverse, multi-faceted audiences.
Today, she is recognised as a leader in inclusive marketing, speaking at Cannes Lions, Effie UK, Contagious, Campaign, and the UN. With her strong belief that marketing has the power to change society by driving social and economic inclusion and impact, as well as delivering ROI, she founded RISE, a leading annual summit that provides marketers with essential skills, insights, and tools to build inclusive, sustainable brands.
The piece of work I’m most proud of…
I’ve always believed in adidas’ motto that sport has the power to change lives. For me, it isn’t just a line printed on the side of a box to look inspirational – it’s something that runs through everything they do. No project leaves adidas without staying true to that promise.
I experienced this first-hand during COVID, when I led a partnership with adidas and the UEFA Champions League.
The tournament was originally set to be held in St Petersburg, Russia, and the official match ball had been designed around the city. But when the conflict between Ukraine and Russia broke out, everything changed. Suddenly, one of the biggest football tournaments was at odds with adidas’ core values.
The tournament was moved to Paris, and we quickly redesigned the ball into a pure white version we called the “Peace Ball.” At the final, it was auctioned off to raise money to support Ukrainian refugees. To me, that moment showed the true strength of a brand that doesn’t just watch the world go by but responds with conviction and compassion.
COVID also caused many grassroots clubs to miss out on the funding they would normally have received from their local communities. It was estimated that 60% of grassroots clubs were at risk of shutting down. That alone would have been devastating for the sport. But when you consider what grassroots clubs mean to their communities, it’s about so much more than just playing – it’s about keeping communities alive. These clubs are places to escape, to connect, to belong.
In the lead-up to the final game, I worked with Jürgen Klopp, former Liverpool coach, to create a documentary about grassroots football clubs that help refugees integrate into society through football. The goal was to highlight the fact that sport truly has the power to change lives. Our campaign successfully funded more than 100 European clubs on the verge of closure, helping hundreds of refugees find solace and connection through community.
Sport is not merely about performance on the pitch; it brings people together and fosters unity. That’s why athletes become beacons of hope, inspiring fans to dream big and believe in the possibility of achieving anything, no matter how great. Working directly with these athletes inspires me to imagine the impossible. They push me to elevate my game and ensure that the work I deliver is worthy of them and their stories.
The piece of work that makes me cringe…
Normaderm is Vichy’s acne skincare range. When targeting a young female audience, you need to do something cheeky to stand out.
Flipping the acne treatment category on its head was both necessary and successful. My solution? A tongue-in-cheek social campaign featuring our hunky “On-the-Spot Hero” coming to the rescue of hundreds of thousands of women. In a series of 11 videos, he tackled everyday emergencies with a provocative twist while reminding viewers that Vichy Normaderm is the ultimate solution for their spot emergencies. Fans voted on the daily emergencies he would solve via social media, ensuring constant engagement and talkability around a topic that was usually avoided.
The campaign was successful and fun to make, but it makes me cringe now. It didn’t serve a greater purpose beyond entertaining young women. Using the stereotype of a hunky man inside a “break glass in case of emergency” box isn’t something I’m proud of. If I had a son, he’d probably raise an eyebrow at me for coming up with the idea and rightly so.
The experience I wish I had created…
The world’s first brand stunt to go viral online. Winning a Titanium Lion and a Cyber Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival and putting Droga5 on the map.
In 2006, Marc Ecko and his Ecko Unltd. (street gear brand) orchestrated a famous stunt where a video showed masked street artists tagging what appeared to be the US President’s Air Force One.
The “STILL FREE” tag was spray-painted on the engine of a rented Boeing 747, meticulously disguised to resemble Air Force One. This leaked video sparked widespread debate and caused the U.S. Air Force to investigate the security breach before Ecko revealed the hoax.
The stunt was a deliberate effort to reinforce Ecko Unltd.’s connection to street culture and graffiti, enhancing its “street cred”.
Ecko aimed to create a significant pop culture moment, and the stunt succeeded by igniting global discussion about art, vandalism, and freedom of expression.
Advice to my 18-year-old self…
To always listen to that voice inside that says, “Do the things that make you feel alive. Take all the chances you can while you’re young, and turn those sparks of dreams into raging fires.”
I cared deeply about making those dreams come true, maybe a little too much. Now I’d tell myself: “Don’t sweat the small stuff, and don’t work so hard.”
What’s next?
Funnily enough, sport has been a key theme in this article. I believe the 2032 Olympics will be a defining moment for Australia to shine. Nothing brings a country together like sport. We saw it with the Matildas during the 2023 World Cup in Australia, and now we have the opportunity to experience that same enthusiasm and unity again. I’m excited for Imagination to create incredible brand experiences at the Olympics for both our current and future clients!
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