About
Every word counts.
From a complete rebrand to a single headline, we’re driven by this simple philosophy.
As Australia’s first dedicated brand voice agency, we’re still the leaders, and still the largest – having never wavered from our focus on connecting brands with their audiences using all 26 characters of the alphabet.
Working with us means you’ll have some of the best and most experienced in the business in your corner. Seasoned thinkers, expert writers, natural storytellers.
People who get it, get you, and get the job done.
As part of Principals, we work alongside strategic and creative leaders to make brand a force for positive change at home and around the world.
Team
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Hamish Cargill
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Kristen Cetrulo
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Lisa Wilson
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Nicholas Ryan
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Amy Cameron
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Marty Zablocki
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Niamh Slevin
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Alex Moore
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Kristan Nair
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Ben Ashley
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Simon Gross
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Jess Leech
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Priyanka Pullela
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Tom Law
Hamish Cargill
CEO, PrincipalsFrom Qantas and NAB to the University of Leicester, Hamish is here for every Australian and international brand that needs hard-hitting, considered communications advice. A strategic thinker and experienced trainer who is always on the hunt for a daring new project, it’s his job to keep our team challenged, our clients happy and our work exceptional.
Kristen Cetrulo
Studio DirectorLiving in New York City, that is. taught KC to stay cool under pressure. That’s why she’s so good at keeping timelines and budgets Always said I’d never have a job where I use Excel every day, and yet here I (happily) am. in check while making sure our writing projects are exactly where they need to be—when I get all the credit but the writers have something to do with it. 😉 they need to be there.
Lisa Wilson
Associate DirectorEnjoys the endless variety of working with different brands. It means she’s worked on projects as yin and yang as sugary lollies and kids’ toothpaste It’s tough being a tooth. (karma offsetting is a thing). Now a recovering minimalist, she has a soft spot for furry things Four legs good, eight legs bad. and believes everything in life is best taken with a pinch of salt. Especially potatoes.
Nicholas Ryan
Associate DirectorPlaying with words is all our resident Kiwi wants to do (has ever wanted to do). Openly hostile Think John McClane crawling bare foot through an air vent looking to hurt Hans Gruber for ruining his Christmas. towards corporate jargon, fluff, bollocks and ‘speak’ “As per my last email…” he’s made it his mission to season every sentence with hints of character, a dash of humanity, and a touch of frost – no matter which side of the Tasman Our not-so-flightless bird stacking up the air miles across Australia and Aotearoa. he’s on.
Amy Cameron
Senior Digital WriterFrom her farm in South Gippsland, Yes, that rooster you just heard crowing in the background of our zoom meeting was real. His name is Quaid. Amy’s perfectly placed to tackle some of our more complex digital projects. Websites, I wrote most of the Vanguard Super website but I’m particularly proud of the site’s 404 error message – it’s the little things. social content, direct mail campaigns My claim to fame is writing the Santa letters for Australia Post. – wherever words need tending, she’s ready with a fresh perspective.
Marty Zablocki
Senior Writer & Naming SpecialistA writer wears many different hats.Brand narratives? Sure. Naming? You bet. Untangling a tricky product architecture? Oooh, now we’re talking! Which sums up Marty, who’s had his head in a few across an intriguing career.Butcher, baker, candlestick maker? Not exactly. More like bartender, designer, L&D Trainer. With nearly half the alphabet in his name – including the letter ZExplaining that it’s pronounced Za-bwot-ski was a nightmare. But at least it gave me a few extra minutes to reach my desk during roll call.– it makes sense he finally landed behind a keyboard.Not the keyboard I imagined myself ‘playing’. But definitely one I’m better at.
Niamh Slevin
Associate DirectorNiamh loves to write meaningful words, even though her name The Irish alphabet plays by its own rules. It’s pronounced Neev if you can beliamh.doesn’t make any sense. Whether she’s crafting a new tone of voice I’ve shaped the voices of some of Australia’s biggest brands like University of Melbourne, VicHealth, TAC, Stockland and Grill’d. or writing ideas for campaigns, You’ll see my words every time you’re in Officeworks. her words ultimately enable clients to create a positive change for good. I’ve helped VicHealth speak louder to protect more Victorians, championed Australia’s GP’s through RACGP, and brought care and empathy back to TAC. And that’s something she can feel good about.
Alex Moore
DirectorAlex has been helping brandsBrands like NAB, Virgin Australia, LinkedIn, AustralianSuper, MasterCard, South East Water, Australia Post, Victoria Police, PEXA and Lifeblood. find their voice for over a decade. From ads to emails, nothing excites him more than a good idea, told well.A pithy headline probably a close second. And with a knack for turning strategic thinking into compelling, enduring copy, he’s been lucky enough to tell many good ideas to many people. Including the Prime Minister. Some of them, pretty well.
Kristan Nair
Studio Manager, Social Media & MarketingAfter completing Toronto Film School, Each year I try to watch 200 films I’ve never seen. My record is 209. Seems a lot. But as a horror buff it’s kind of a prerequisite.🔪 KristanCanadian Kristan with an “A”. Not to be confused with American Kristen with an “E”. 😵💫 jumped right in to work as a production coordinator. Now at XXVI, she’s using her skills to manage people,I am the puppet master. Think ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3’. But less gross. schedules and work which means happy writers and even happier clients.
Ben Ashley
Senior WriterWords are easy. Ben reckons the secret is putting them in the right order. He’s spent a diverseFrom newspapers to newsletter eDMs, on-hold messages to chatbot scripts and TVC to UGC, the pattern here is ‘out with the old, in with the new’. Improvise, adapt, overcome. career attempting just that, armed only with an unbridled love for the Oxford commaIf you don’t pause during speech you run a very real risk of oxygen deprivation. and the belief that the best kind of communication gets a realGenerally aiming for tugged heartstrings or deep belly laughter, but letting a little air out of your nose counts, too. emotional response.
Simon Gross
Senior WriterSimon loves helping brands connect with human beings. After 15 years in advertising, writing Often this just meant sitting in an empty boardroom talking to his art director about movies. campaigns for clients like Officeworks, Bupa, Lion, Mondelez, Forty Winks and Movember, he knows a thing or two about landing a message. He likes the quiet thrill of untangling complexComplex language is often used to exclude people or maintain a power difference, so we try to use language people use to speak to each other. ideas and turning them into simple, elegantIf you do an image search for elegant you’ll see a lot of ball gowns. sentences.
Jess Leech
DirectorJess is a creative writer with a secret weapon.I know how to keep my head in the clouds and feet firmly on-brief. For big clients like Macca’s and Telstra, to start-ups like Modibodi and Damselfly. She likes to think of words as little pathwaysMight explain why I write poems in my head while running. Or why one of my favourite quotes is “a story is a tightrope between two worlds” (Jeanette Winterson). to big ideas, and always blurs the lines between creativity and strategy.Like mixing vodka and emotions, I mix the conceptual and the strategic to create the perfect storm of words. With a background in verbal identity, she’s helped many brandsPutting words in the picture is my biggest passion. I’ve created voices for clients like World Vision and AGL, named things for Officeworks and Bunnings, even told stories on-pack for Carman’s and Coles. fall in love with the sound of their own voices, missions, manifestos and names.
Priyanka Pullela
Client ManagerPriyanka has spent her career working with words and people. After a decade in publishingAcademic publishing is about as thrilling as it sounds. and film After a short stint in Bollywood in front of the camera, I discovered my skills are best suited behind the camera., she’s well-versed in the art of communication My superpower? – a skill she now uses at XXVI to manage projects, schedules, and writers.
Tom Law
WriterTom Law Not related to Jude Law, unfortunately. is a copywriter who believes in writing to audiences, not at them. He believes that when done right, a brand can capture real challenges, answers real questions Although, I still haven’t figured out the meaning of life or whether I have the ability to rein in my liberal use of the em dash. while making the reader feel understood. He loves balancing storytelling with strategy Balancing my weekly meal prep with my UberEats vice is a different story, however. to elevate a brand’s voice, drive real results and build a lasting connection to audiences.