Izzi McGrath
she/her
Izzi McGrath is a Creative based in Naarm/Melbourne. As part of a creative team, her work focuses on ideas that can change minds and positively influence culture.
How have you found your early career as a creative?
It’s never felt like a straight line. I completed my first agency internship during first year uni, and never looked back. I worked as a digital designer for almost 4 years before shifting into art direction at the beginning of 2020 (great timing - not). Being in lockdown for most of my time in a new role has been super challenging (as it has for everyone) but I’m proud of what I’ve managed to achieve. Who knew I would create a glittery 3D rendering of a clitoris and kickstart a conversation on consent, all from the confines of my office (AKA a makeshift desk in my bedroom with patchy internet).
How did your career develop, from uni to professional practice?
I studied Communication Design at RMIT and worked part-time as a digital designer throughout. So the shift from university and full time work was pretty smooth. However pretty soon I realised I loved coming up with the ideas, more than just executing them. I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to change roles at my workplace encouraged by my peers. Completing in Award School in the peak of 2020 lockdown was a massive additional challenge but really worthwhile and a great kickstart into my new role as an Art Director.
Izzi McGrath, Izzi’s Photography
How do you find being a woman in the industry?
Sometimes I have wondered if I was put ‘in the room’ because of gender rather than skills. That kind of thinking has troubled me in the past, but I have realised it is more constructive to see every moment as an opportunity to be heard. Most agencies when looking at hiring creatives, believe they want to hire female creatives, however, they’re not necessarily willing to make fundamental changes to internal culture and structures to create an environment where equality is genuine. My industry is clearly male dominated and somewhat of a ‘boys club’. I feel so lucky to be partnered with a kick-ass female copywriter, Mads Catanese. Being part of a team means I’m never alone, and it empowers us both to work super hard on everything we do. I believe now is a time of positive change as more women and people with different life experiences slowly overpower the white male status quo. By simply being present, I hope to help shift the experience for future creatives.
You’re also an amazing Creative. How do you find the balance between your creative practice and fulfilling the requirements of your clients?
I think it’s all about picking your battles. Sometimes you might disagree with what the client thinks or wants, and you see truly good ideas die in place of less exciting ones. It’s all part of the job. It doesn’t mean you care any less or stop trying. For Mads and I it’s about making space for our own proactive ideas (like Consent is a Conversation) and finding the balance between paid client work and passion projects. That said, I feel lucky to get to work with brave clients who do trust us and back us with out of the box ideas. That’s when magic happens.
Tell us about your individual work?
Despite that my personal illustration practice has fallen to the side in the past couple of years, I have no regrets about moving in a new direction. I do occasionally provide illustrations or typography for some of our projects which is always fun. I do miss creating and drawing, so I splurged and bought myself an iPad a couple of months ago. I’ve been aiming to spend 30mins a day just drawing outside of work. My current ongoing personal project is illustrating a full set of Tarot cards, I don’t really plan to do anything with them but it’s nice having a personal side project on the go. Given my job requires me to be ‘creative’ full time it can feel hard to justify or retain some of that energy for personal projects, but it’s been really important for my mental health to have a low stakes outlet.
Izzi McGrath, ‘Birthday portrait of my amazing friend Harriet’
Izzi + Mads, ‘Know Me Campaign’ for Wild Secrets
What has been your favourite project so far?
One of my favourite projects was our ‘Know Me’ campaign for Wild Secrets. This was sparked by discovering that only 1 in 15 people said they knew what an anatomically correct clitoris looked like. Determined to prove that Australia is uneducated about the clitoris and its role in female pleasure, we decided to put the unrecognisable shape just about everywhere: on massive prime-location billboards, on catch-up TV, on social media and all over the internet. We then launched an insta dedicated to the clitoris: the facts, the myths, its history and how to pleasure it. I got to work with a 3D artist to design and animate a massive anatomically correct Clitoris which was an unusual day at the office. Who would have thought this would something I would work on!?
Izzi + Mads, ‘Know Me’ Campaign Images
I personally loved your campaign, ‘Consent is a Conversation’? Can you tell our readers more about it?
That piece was in response to the now-infamous ‘Milkshake’ video was aimed to explain consent to a younger audience. Let’s just say it missed the mark, pretty much in every way. Mads and I were sitting in the office together, watching it together in disbelief. As people whose job it is to communicate, and do it well, this video was so frustrating. We thought we could do a better job. So, we did. We decided to stay away from ‘milky’ metaphors and get Australia to have a real and honest conversation about consent. We immediately asked our feminist icon Clementine Ford to join the team and she said yes! Within three days we had we had scripted, shot, and released our own version and the response was instantly and overwhelmingly positive: clocking almost 2 million views on Clementine’s social accounts alone, and the video was picked up by Tinder and played between swipes for all their Aussie users. The whole process went by so fast, and we could not have done it without our amazing work team who all flexed their skills and called in favours as we worked late into the night. Mads and I are hoping to create a follow up to this project in the future.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
‘Consent is a Conversation’
Tell us about Izzi + Mads, how did it start and what inspires you both?
Mads Catanese and I met as I was transitioning from digital designer to creative. Two weeks together in the office was quickly followed by nearly a year of working together only online. Art Director + Copywriter relationships are pretty unusual, so I feel so privileged to be with someone who I can be on the phone and screen with for 7 hours a day and still have a laugh with at the end of the day. We honestly believe that it’s through advertising messaging that we can best use our skills to make a positive impact on the world, changing minds and behaviours for the better. This is what drives and us. We find inspiration just being out in the world day to day, an overhead conversation, a poster at the bus stop or an incorrect coffee order. You never know what might spark the next idea. Being in lockdown had me feeling pretty muted creatively, but it’s been a good learning curve for both of us.
What is next for you?
Mads and I have moved into roles at a new agency and we’re super excited to keep makin’ and creatin’. Watch this space.
‘Turn Me On’ for Wild Secrets