Hello

Congratulations to our CEO, Sam Kelly, who was named in the B&T Best of the Best Social, Creator & Influencer Agency Leads for 2025. More here https://lnkd.in/gjqg9wKR Thanks for the coverage Tom Fogden Aimee Edwards Greg Graham David Hovenden

Sam Kelly Promoted to Hello CEO Founder Max Doyle said, "Sam has been managing the business for the last four years as a partner and managing director and is to be credited for much of our success." Read here: https://lnkd.in/g38wFakG

Trend Watch: “Well you’re ugly” A classic soundbite from Dance Moms has been revived on TikTok and is now being used as a punchline for the things we really care about 😂 From calling out bad coffee orders to defending your favourite sneakers, creators are using the audio to exaggerate the hills they’ll die on. Our top 3 creators that jumped on this trend: Sage Thomas: https://lnkd.in/e3jMfv_j   Alice Lambert: https://lnkd.in/ejhcSqFY  Kimberly Rhoades: https://lnkd.in/e7q9EZ4i  For brands, this is a chance to lean into humour and relatability. Whether it’s championing your product, playfully poking fun at competitors, or highlighting your community’s quirks, the trend thrives when you show personality.

Full-service agency Hello has announced Sam Kelly as their new CEO. The Hello group includes Hello Social, Hello Talent, Hello Create, Hello Media, Hello Events, Hello PR and full-service, strategy and creative offering, Hello.   Max Doyle, Founder, said: “This move marks the next exciting chapter for our business. Sam has been managing the business for the last 4 years as a Partner and Managing Director and is to be credited for much of our success. There isn’t a more ideal candidate to continue the rapid growth of our award winning social and influencer businesses as well as our full-service offering and push us into international markets.”  Today the agency employs more than 65 full-time staff, servicing the country's most progressive brands including Uber, Unilever, Kmart, CBA, Budget Direct, Paramount+, Kimberly-Clark, Network 10, BMW, Tyro, Asahi, Koala, Audible and more.   Sam Kelly, CEO, Hello, said: “I look forward to continuing to work with Max and the Advisory Board, including our new Chair, Steve McLeod, as well as Maddie, Julien and the rest of our leadership team. We have the right structure, team and adaptive product market-fit to continue our strong growth.” Kelly continued: “There has never been a more exciting time for Hello and our ‘Creative Intelligence’ methodology - an integrated model that puts strategy, culture, creativity, connections and measurement at the heart of everything we do. Brand strategy shouldn’t be executed through a rinse and repeat playbook or be limited by agency capabilities. Our full-service offering allows the strategy to do the talking and us to do the walking, wherever that may be. "We’ll continue to show up in our many different forms, delivering effective and measurable impact for brands looking to win in a new media world.” said Kelly.

Trend Watch: The Boy is Corrupt. Sabrina Carpenter is popping off on TikTok again! Her track “That Boy is Corrupt” has gone viral on the platform, fuelling a wave of content that calls out toxic masculinity, celebrates the men who are breaking the mould and, in true internet fashion, doubles as the perfect soundtrack for cats in full goblin mode.. A personal favourite of ours: https://lnkd.in/eFrNwvAJ  For brands, this trend opens up space to tap into cultural conversations around gender, celebrate positive behaviours, or simply lean into the humour of the moment. The versatility of the trend means it can flex across lifestyle, fashion, pets and more. Proving once again that music-led moments are where audiences show up and engage.

Congratulations to our clients at Paramount+ and team Hello on taking out "Best Use of Social" for our “Mountain of Movies” campaign at the Media Federation of Australia Awards. Sparked by a live on air confession from podcasters Toni Lodge & Ryan Jon - that Toni was never allowed to attend a movie marathon - Paramount+ reacted with a ploy in the comments, pitching Toni the opportunity to host her very own Movie Marathon, showcasing Paramount+'s leading range of free subscriber accessed movies! Toni accepted the invite, allowing her audience to vote on the screened titles and attended a live activation with hundreds of their fans in Sydney. From a single reactive moment on a podcast, we blew it up into an IRL fan event, influencer partnership, consumer promotion and viral social content. All whilst harking to Paramount+’s Mountain of Movies. Find me another agency + brand that can do that end-to-end in two weeks!!! Media Federation of Australia Louise Crompton Alicia Ng Lauren Downie Mikki Katz Sam Kelly Ben Stavert Abbie Bradwell Hannah Steele

Trend Watch: “Unfortunately I do love” is taking over our feeds. This trend is a simple but powerful way to showcase personality by leaning into the quirky, unexpected things we all secretly adore. For brands, it’s the perfect moment to humanise your voice and connect with audiences on a deeper level, whether it’s “Unfortunately I do love [Insert Your Product Here]” or “Unfortunately I do love [replying to emails from the beach.]” It’s about being relatable and funny, and showing you don’t take yourself too seriously.  Jumping on trends like this lets brands flex their personality, join the cultural conversation, and drive engagement beyond the product.

Congratulations to team Hello and our clients at Paramount+ on taking out "Best Use of Social" for our “Mountain Of Movies” campaign at the Media Federation of Australia Awards. Sparked by a live on air confession from podcasters Toni Lodge & Ryan Jon - that Toni was never allowed to attend a movie marathon - Paramount+ reacted with a ploy in the comments, pitching Toni the opportunity to host her very own Movie Marathon, showcasing Paramount+'s leading range of free movies! Toni accepted the invite, allowing her audience to vote on the screened titles and attended a live activation with hundreds of their fans in Sydney. From a single reactive moment on a podcast, we blew it up into an IRL fan event, influencer partnership, consumer promotion and viral social content. All whilst harking to Paramount+’s Mountain of Movies. Find me another agency + brand that can do that end-to-end in two weeks!!! Ben Stavert Louise Crompton Alicia Ng Lauren Downie Maddie Marovino Julien D. Abbie Bradwell Hannah Steele

Meme Explainer: What’s the deal with 67? 👀 Think of it as Gen Alpha’s version of 69 or 420, a “funny number” moment that’s blowing up across TikTok. It started with Skrilla’s track “Doot Doot”, then snowballed when creator @matvii_grinblat paired it with a viral Lamelo Ball commentary clip. From there, 67 became a cultural in-joke and Gen Alpha's are dropping it anywhere, anytime. For brands, this is a reminder that not all trends are about meaning—some are about pure play. Jumping in with light, situational humour (especially if your product has any number tie-in) is the way to stay relevant.