Nine weeks, 10 agencies, endless inspiration.
Western Australia’s next generation of advertising talent has wrapped up ACA’s JumpStart graduate program, a nine-week immersion into the state’s top creative, media, and marketing agencies.
Designed to show students what really goes on behind agency doors, JumpStart gives final-year students and recent grads a firsthand look at careers across strategy, creative, account management, production, and media — connecting them directly with the people doing the work.
“JumpStart has launched the careers of so many future stars,” said Melissa Vella, ACA WA State Manager. “It’s about showing students how exciting a career in advertising can be and connecting them directly with the people shaping its future.”
From the classroom to the boardroom
This year’s program kicked off at Trilogy Advertising & Marketing with a crash course in agency life complete with live pitches, prizes, and, naturally, pizza.
By Week 2, the cohort was deep in account management and strategy. At Moonsail, the Youngbloods collective hosted a hands-on session led by Rebecca Di Pardo and Alex Noyes, while over at 303 MullenLowe, Matt Oakley unpacked what strategy really means: defining problems, uncovering insights, and crafting briefs that inspire ideas.
Week 3 focused on creativity and culture, with Nani Creative’s Kevin Wilson, Leigh Wood, and Nahum Hendricks highlighting the importance of embedding cultural awareness into creative work, followed by an ideation workshop at KWP+Partners Fremantle.
At Rare and Bonfire, students explored the evolving intersection of creativity, commerce, and data, learning how the best agencies turn insight into impact. They then went behind the scenes at VML to see production in action, and toured Seven West Media for an inside look at its integrated newsroom, digital, and broadcast operations.
Finishing strong
The final stretch saw a Media Masterclass with Initiative, and a Pitching Workshop at Gatecrasher, where students learned how to sell big ideas before putting those lessons to the test with a final live pitch to the WA Police Force.
Award winners included:
Ning Choi – Best Individual Pitch Presenter
Ines Hutchinson – JumpStart Consistent Achiever Award
Winning Team (KWP+Partners Fremantle): Seth Rajapakse, Michael Khaw, Courtney Banks, Zoe Langtry & Charlotte Lyne.
ACA extended its thanks to participating member agencies and mentors for helping WA’s next generation of talent gain real-world experience, confidence, and clarity about their future in advertising.
“Each year, the energy, curiosity, and openness of the students remind us why investing in young talent matters,” added Vella. “They leave with a new appreciation for creativity, collaboration, and the kind of work that makes this industry tick.”
