BackCreative Talk with Gina Kindred, Head of OMG Production
This month we talk with Gina Kindred, Head of OMG Production with Omnicom Media Group. Gina has a busy role running a team of talented creatives and producers at OMG New Zealand.
Gina, what is your background – tell us a bit about you?
I’m the Head of OMG Production at Omnicom Media Group New Zealand, the local branch of the global marketing and communications leader, Omnicom Group. I get to lead a talented team of creatives and producers, delivering a diverse range of content for our clients, with a focus on social media. During my time at OMG New Zealand, I’ve helped shape our in-house production capabilities into a dynamic, future-facing offering.
I hold a First Class Honours degree in Graphic Design from AUT and began my career at globally recognised film and production company The Sweet Shop NZ. I worked alongside some of New Zealand’s most talented commercial directors there which lead to directing some of the smaller scale TVC’s for clients. I then joined TVNZ Blacksand, where I led many creative campaigns for commercial clients, developing video-first content across TV, digital, and social.
I’ve built my career around a passion for creative storytelling, a deep understanding of production craft, and a commitment to nurturing talent with a focus on building integrated content solutions that connect brands with audiences in meaningful ways.
What brought you to Omnicom Media Group?
I was drawn to Omnicom Media Group by the opportunity to grow and lead a new kind of integrated production offering with a strong focus on social media and new/emerging technologies. OMG’s vision for combining creativity, media, and technology aligned perfectly with my passion for building high-performing teams and I saw a chance to work alongside some of the best talent in the industry, at a company with a culture of innovation, to help evolve how brands tell their stories in an increasingly complex media landscape. The role offered the perfect blend of creative leadership, strategic thinking, and hands-on production, exactly the kind of challenge I thrive on.
You and the team create content for many of New Zealand’s biggest brands. How do you juggle the workload?
There’s truly never a dull moment! We thrive (and survive) on smart planning, strong collaboration, and a shared commitment to excellence. My team operate lean, with clearly defined roles but a flexible mindset and deep respect for each other’s strengths. Whether it’s creative ideation, production logistics, or post execution and we lean into each other’s expertise to deliver efficiently without compromising on quality.
We adapt quickly to shifting priorities and timelines, allowing us to pivot when needed and embrace creative efficiency, iterative workflows and systems, backed by clear and open communication, and regular check-ins to stay aligned and keep things moving. I value responsiveness, trust, and a shared sense of ownership on creative projects, so we invest time into building strong relationships with our agency partners and our clients, so we’re able to work proactively, anticipate needs, and stay ahead of the curve.
Does being an omnichannel make it easier to deliver high level of creative strategy and activation across a variety of touchpoints for your clients?
Absolutely, this is a huge advantage when it comes to delivering high-level creative strategy and activation. It allows us (and the wider business) to think holistically about the customer journey and ensure that our creative ideas are not only consistent across touchpoints but also tailored to the unique strengths of each channel.
My team work closely with our media agency partners to understand how audiences engage across platforms, from broadcast and digital to social, experiential, and beyond. This integrated view helps us craft content that’s both strategically sound and creatively resonant, no matter where it lives.
This also enables us to be more agile and responsive. We can adapt creative assets quickly, optimise for performance, and ensure that every piece of content contributes to a cohesive brand experience. It’s a smarter, more connected way to work, and it’s what allows us to deliver meaningful results for our clients.
Content is at the forefront of advertising in 2025 – and your team are creating immersive stories, interactive experiences, and highly personalised narratives for your clients. Do you have to compete internally with traditional above the line to get the budget you need for content?
Great question, and one that reflects how much the landscape has shifted. In 2025, content is no longer a “nice to have”; it’s central to how brands connect with audiences. I strive to create immersive stories, interactive experiences, and highly personalised narratives that live across multiple platforms, in particular social media. That kind of work demands investment, and thankfully, there’s growing recognition of its value.
While traditional above-the-line still plays a role, we don’t see it as competition; we see it as part of a broader ecosystem. Our omnichannel approach means we’re working alongside ATL, not against it, to deliver cohesive brand experiences.
Today it is very much about purpose-driven brand storytelling – consumers expect content to reflect values like sustainability, inclusivity, and authenticity. Is this what you are seeing?
Without a doubt, purpose-driven storytelling is at the heart of content creation in 2025. Consumers expect brands to reflect values like sustainability, inclusivity, and authenticity. And they’re quick to engage with content that aligns with their beliefs, and even quicker to call out content that doesn’t! This shift isn’t just a trend, it’s a fundamental change in how audiences connect with brands.
I’ve seen this play out across an increasing number of briefs this year, where clients ask for work that goes beyond product messaging to tell relevant stories that genuinely matter to their audiences. Whether it’s highlighting community impact, championing diversity, or tapping into audience mindsets, I think effective content is increasingly focused on values and meaning.
I’ve embraced this shift by crafting immersive narratives and interactive experiences that invite audiences to participate and engage, not just consume. For me, it’s about building trust, sparking conversation, and creating emotional resonance. And when done well, purpose-driven content doesn’t just perform, it builds long-term brand equity.
Do you find a great divide when creating creative solutions for Gen X vs Gen Alpha - in terms of what they want to be viewing - what are the biggest hurdles?
Generally, Gen X tends to value depth, context, and storytelling that reflects their lived experiences. They respond well to content that’s informative, emotionally resonant, and grounded in authenticity. Gen Alpha, on the other hand, has grown up in a hyper-digital world. They expect content to be fast, interactive, visually rich, and often co-created. Their attention spans are shorter, but their expectations for innovation are higher.
I see these differences not as hurdles, but as opportunities to tailor my creative strategies. The biggest challenge is balancing these expectations within a single campaign or brand ecosystem, especially when clients want to reach multiple generations simultaneously. Phew!
To overcome this, design modular content that can flex across platforms and formats. For Gen X, we might lean into longer-form storytelling or purpose-driven narratives. For Gen Alpha, I focus on immersive experiences, gamified elements, and snackable content that invites participation. Ultimately, the approach is about understanding the mindset behind the audience, not just their age, when you get that right, the creative solutions resonate across generations.
You have max 3 seconds to hook someone’s attention on social media – how hard is it to conceptualise creative ideas with this in mind?
It’s definitely a creative challenge, but it’s also where the fun begins. When you have three seconds (or less!) to hook someone, every element of the idea must work harder: the visual, the copy, the tone, the timing. With a Creative Director background, working largely in social media, I’ve shifted my thinking from traditional storytelling arcs to instant impact. It’s about grabbing attention and earning the right to keep it.
I approach this by designing content with thumb-stopping power, thinking about what will make someone pause mid-scroll, whether it’s a bold visual, an unexpected moment, or a line that hits just right. I also build ideas with platform-native behaviours in mind, so the creative feels natural and engaging wherever it appears.
The biggest hurdle is balancing speed with substance. You want to be disruptive, but you also want to be meaningful. That’s where creative strategy comes in, understanding the audience, the context, and the brand’s voice so that even in three seconds, you’re communicating something that matters to the audience.
Are you using AI for creative – if so, how are you using it?
Yes, I’m always looking at ways to use AI in creative process, it’s becoming an increasingly powerful tool in the production toolkit. I’m exploring AI not just as a time-saver, but as a creative collaborator. From concept development to content execution optimisation, AI is helping to push boundaries and work smarter.
That said, I’m incredibly thoughtful and careful about how I use AI, it doesn’t replace creativity, it enhances it. The human insight, emotional intelligence, and storytelling craft still come from me. AI just helps to get there faster, explore more possibilities, and stay ahead of the curve.
The new AI platforms are morphing and will become the next social platforms – how much will this change the social landscape over the next year?
I think this shift is already underway and it’s accelerating fast. Over the next year, AI is set to dramatically reshape the social media landscape, not just in how content is created, but in how people interact, engage, and even build communities online. From my perspective, this shift opens up fascinating possibilities. AI-driven environments are enabling new forms of content creation that are personalised, real-time, and often participatory. As these AI platforms become more intuitive and accessible, they’re starting to attract audiences in the same way social media did in its early days and they’re beginning to mirror the behaviours we associate with social platforms: sharing, collaborating, co-creating, and even influencing.
I think it also means we need to rethink how we build stories, how we engage audiences, and how we measure success, for example we’re seeing AI agents, like chatbots and virtual assistants, are becoming the new frontline of engagement, offering personalised, 24/7 interactions that feel increasingly human.
And then there’s also the massive wave of AI-powered content creation that’s streamlining workflows, enabling faster production of highly tailored visuals, captions, and even video edits. This means the social space is becoming more intelligent, more responsive, and more personalised. But it also means brands and creators need to rethink how they show up. Authenticity, relevance, and agility will be key. The platforms themselves may start to resemble hybrid environments—part social, part AI-driven experience hubs.
For creative teams, this opens up exciting possibilities where you’re not just creating content—you’re designing experiences that adapt in real time, respond to audience signals, and deliver value across every touchpoint.
How are you finding the creative talent in New Zealand? A lot of the young creatives have fled overseas post covid on their OE, and are not quick to return.
Post-COVID, I’ve seen a noticeable talent drain, many young creatives have taken off on their OE, and they’re not rushing back. That’s left a gap in the local market, especially in junior to mid-level roles where fresh thinking and social/digital fluency are critical. It’s certainly challenging, especially when working heavily in social media content creation! So I’ve had to get creative when it comes to recruitment, tapping into non-traditional talent pools and investing in in-house mentorship to help emerging creatives grow into leadership roles faster.
What message would you convey to aspiring creatives?
Be bold, be curious, and be relentlessly authentic. The creative industry is evolving faster than ever, and there’s never been a better time to carve your own path. The tools are changing with AI, immersive tech, new platforms, but the need for great ideas and strong creative instincts remains constant. Never lose sight of the human connection, that’s at the heart of it all. The tools will keep evolving; AI, the platforms, the formats, but the heart of great work will always be human.
The best ideas come from teams that trust each other, challenge each other, and build together. Creativity is a journey, and the more you lean into it, the more impact you’ll make. I’ve been lucky to work with incredible teams during my career, and I’ve learned that the best creative work doesn’t come from ego, it comes from empathy, curiosity, and a willingness to listen.
And finally, don’t underestimate the value of resilience. This industry can be tough, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. If you stay curious, stay passionate, and stay true to your creative voice, you’ll find your place, and make a real impact.
Any last words?
Creativity is a privilege, use it with purpose. Never underestimate the impact of your ideas. Whether you're crafting a campaign, telling a story, or building a brand, remember that what you create has the power to shift culture, spark emotion and drive change. It’s not just about the work, it’s about the impact you leave behind.