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The advertising industry has been “running scared” for too long, according to Simon Lee, the newly-appointed chief creative officer and partner at Enigma.

Speaking to ��������, Simon highlighted the constant tension between “the numbers” and “the work,” urging agencies to loosen up and rediscover their creative confidence.

“I feel like our industry has been running scared for the last few years,” he said.

“It’s understandable given the context that we’ve been operating in, but it’s ultimately not useful – and it’s definitely not much fun.

“I’d like to see us regain our collective chutzpah, loosen up and behave more like who we are – an industry of lucky folks who get to do what we love for a living.”

Simon, who previously led The Hallway to seven Agency of the Year titles and Australia/New Zealand’s only Design Lion at Cannes in 2024, knows the challenges of balancing creativity with commercial realities.

“All creative agencies operate with a constant tension between ‘the numbers’ and ‘the work,’” he said.

“As an owner of an indie in particular – whether you have ‘creative’ in your title or not – there’s nowhere to hide from the numbers.

“They’re in your face, and in your head when you’re trying to crack briefs and win pitches.”

​Simon’s appointment as Enigma’s first-ever chief creative officer and partner comes at a pivotal time for the 30-year-old independent agency.

With a team of 80 across Sydney, Newcastle, and Brisbane, Enigma is positioning itself as a challenger in the Australian advertising landscape. The agency’s regional roots and integrated media and creative capabilities offer a unique opportunity to blend commercial success with creative ambition, Simon argued.

“I see a great opportunity for Enigma to offer clients a highly compelling alternative to the ‘usual suspects’ that are currently on most of the big pitch lists.

“We’re building a team in Sydney that will rival the best in the business, but the agency’s origins are proudly Novocastrian.

“My intent for clients is that when you buy Enigma, you’re buying ‘Real Australian Thinking’ that’s the sum of the agency’s Sydney and Newcastle parts.”

As the agency’s creative leader, Simon is aiming to embed creativity as the “number one commercial imperative,” ensuring that bold, original thinking drives the agency’s growth.

“The most important thing I’ve learned is how to respond to commercial pressure with creative joy,” he said.

“To create an environment which enables great creative people to tap dance merrily outside the boxes of the ‘spreadsheets of doom’ that tetanise far too many organisations and confine them to creative mediocrity.”

His call for a return to boldness comes as the industry grapples with rapid technological change and economic uncertainty. The rise of AI, in particular, has sparked both excitement and fear among creatives, but Simon sees it as an opportunity for agencies to double down on the humanity of creativity.

“It’s a fascinating time for the creative industries as AI tantalises and challenges us with an ongoing rendition of ‘anything you can do, I can do better,’” he said.

“I hope to see us rise to the challenge with beautifully human original thinking that we augment into execution with the increasingly extraordinary tools that we have at our disposal.

“It’s time to loosen up, take risks and remember why we got into this business in the first place.

“We’re an industry of lucky folks who get to do what we love for a living. Let’s start acting like it.”