Robyn Bergmann has over 25 years’ experience in the advertising industry. She began her career as a young Art Director at South Africa’s top agency at the time, Hunt Lascaris TBWA, and trained with some of the country’s greatest advertising talents. Robyn has won many creative and effectiveness awards including One Show, Clios, D&AD, London International, and Cannes Lions. This includes South Africa’s first Cannes gold in film in 11 years for Topsy 'Selinah’. In 2011 this piece of work was chosen as one of the top 10 ‘ads worth spreading’ at TED talks. ‘Selinah’ was also listed as one of the top ten ads of the decade in 2020 by Little Black Book.
Before moving across the world to join VML Melbourne in 2018, Robyn spent 14 years working at Ogilvy Johannesburg as an integrated Creative Director across brands like Audi, Dove, Cadbury, Kimberley Clark and KFC. Gaining experience in brand and communication, strategy, retail, digital and behaviour change marketing.
During her time at VML Melbourne, the agency has tripled in size with the winning of the prestigious Defence Force Recruiting account in 2019, and VML has been ranked 6th Australian Agency of the Decade by Cannes Lions and 3rd Australian Agency of the Decade by Campaign Brief. For the last 5 years VML Australia has placed in the list of the Top 5 Australian agencies in Campaign Brief’s ‘The Work’; including being crowned both Australian Agency of the Year and APAC Agency of the Year in 2023.
Robyn has judged at many advertising and design award shows including The One Show in 2024, Spikes Asia, AWARD award and the Loeries in South Africa. In 2021 she was appointed the Co-Vice President of the MADC - the Melbourne Advertising, Design and Creativity Club – inspiring world-class creativity in the city of Melbourne and beyond. Her passion for growing the next generation of creatives has led her to mentoring and judging portfolios at the prestigious Australian AWARD school.
As a founding member of The Aunties, a support program that protects and champions women in creative industries, Robyn continues to fight for diversity and inclusion in the industry she loves so much. Robyn lives for creativity, craft and collaborating with talented people to make work that moves people and affects positive change in our world.
When she’s not making ads, Robyn enjoys hiking or cycling through the Australian countryside with her young family. She has also developed a fine appreciation of Melbourne coffee.
Achievements:
2025 - Gerety Awards Jury
2024 - VML is no. 1 in Campaign Brief The Work for the second year in a row
2024 - Joined the Aunties on a panel at RMIT University, Wicked Problems with Fiona Finn
2024 - Launched 'Support Talk' with The Aunties
2024 - One Show Jury - Cultural Driver category
2024—AWARD School Integrated Lecturer, Australia
2023 - LIA Global agency of the year - VML AUNZ
2023 -VML is APAC Agency of the year - Campaign Brief The Work
2023 - VML is no. 1 agency in Australia - Campaign Brief The Work
2023 - Creative Pool Jury
2023 - Presenter at Mumbrella Audioland Conference, Sydney
2022—B&T Women In Media Winner - The Aunties Mentor
2022—B&T Women In Media Highly Commended - The Aunties Champion of Change
2022 - AWARD Awards Jury - Design category
2022 - AWARD School Jury, Australia
2021—Google Rare Leadership Delegate (APAC)
2021 - Founding member of The Aunties
2021 to now - Vice President of The MADC - Melbourne Design & Advertising Club
2020 - AWARD School Jury, Australia
2019 - Spikes Asia Jury - Brand Experience & Activation category
2025 - Gerety Awards Jury
2024 - VML is no. 1 in Campaign Brief The Work for the second year in a row
2024 - Joined the Aunties on a panel at RMIT University, Wicked Problems with Fiona Finn
2024 - Launched 'Support Talk' with The Aunties
2024 - One Show Jury - Cultural Driver category
2024—AWARD School Integrated Lecturer, Australia
2023 - LIA Global agency of the year - VML AUNZ
2023 -VML is APAC Agency of the year - Campaign Brief The Work
2023 - VML is no. 1 agency in Australia - Campaign Brief The Work
2023 - Creative Pool Jury
2023 - Presenter at Mumbrella Audioland Conference, Sydney
2022—B&T Women In Media Winner - The Aunties Mentor
2022—B&T Women In Media Highly Commended - The Aunties Champion of Change
2022 - AWARD Awards Jury - Design category
2022 - AWARD School Jury, Australia
2021—Google Rare Leadership Delegate (APAC)
2021 - Founding member of The Aunties
2021 to now - Vice President of The MADC - Melbourne Design & Advertising Club
2020 - AWARD School Jury, Australia
2019 - Spikes Asia Jury - Brand Experience & Activation category
Some kind words:
“Her positive attitude, warm personality and can-do demeanour is both galvanising and infectious.” - Adam Brami - Client Partnerships Director, Proximity New Zealand.
“I was honoured to have experienced a Creative Leader that cared as much about the effectiveness of a campaign as she did the final creative product.” - Jane Jacob - Consumer and Shopper Connections Manager Africa, Sparkling Beverages.
“…she has a particular talent for storytelling and eliciting powerful human emotions with her work.” - Stefan Siedentopf – Regional Head of Strategy, Ogilvy.
“Her inclusive creative director style meant that she was seen as a partner by clients rather than a supplier. This approach has also resulted in creatives growing tremendously under her.” – Molefi Thulo, ECD Ogilvy Johannesburg.
The Aunties- founded by Phoebe Sloane and the women of the MADC.
The Melbourne Advertising and Design Club (MADC)
The 2024 MADC Creative Showcase.
Bringing the ad industry together at the Forum in Melbourne, to celebrate amazing work.
Bringing the ad industry together at the Forum in Melbourne, to celebrate amazing work.
The MADC would also like to thank its industry supporters for their generosity.
‘Deference for Difference’ credits:
“Possessed Dancing Rock”: Collider Studios
“Conjoined lambs and bootscoot”: Mitch Kennedy, The Producers
“Play Wonderwall penguin”: Soma Studios
“Ned Kelly to Frank Cozzo”: Julian Frost, Unlisted
“Sleep tight my princess”: Chris Tovo & Jason Byrne, Guilty Content
“Science even tells us”: SteelBridge Studio
“Kissing in styles”: Kyra Bartley, FINCH with Heckler
“Shot through a microscope”: Huei Yin Wong, Artist
“Frenchy crab hands”: Chris Budgeon, Photoplay Photography
“Twisted hallway dancer”: Jessie & Adam, DIVISION
“Reverse high dive & Slomo smoko”: PHC Films, Good Oil
“Sleepy octopus man”: Funkuncle
“How ya goin lizard”: Lucy Knox, Scoundrel
“Close your eyes children”: Lumberfly, Airbag
“Full spectrum of different people”: Dirty Puppet
“Hovering choir mouths”: Josh Dawson, Truce Films
“Cake Eater”: Max Barden, The Sweetshop
“Operatic curtain man”: Hayden Somerville, MOFA
“End Frame & Campaign Design”: Alex Roby
“End Frame Animation”: Jacob Street, Fin Design + Effects
“Offline and Online Edit”: Ollie Knocker
“Sound Design”: Max Ross-Glyde & Sam Hopgood, Bang Bang Studios
“Possessed Dancing Rock”: Collider Studios
“Conjoined lambs and bootscoot”: Mitch Kennedy, The Producers
“Play Wonderwall penguin”: Soma Studios
“Ned Kelly to Frank Cozzo”: Julian Frost, Unlisted
“Sleep tight my princess”: Chris Tovo & Jason Byrne, Guilty Content
“Science even tells us”: SteelBridge Studio
“Kissing in styles”: Kyra Bartley, FINCH with Heckler
“Shot through a microscope”: Huei Yin Wong, Artist
“Frenchy crab hands”: Chris Budgeon, Photoplay Photography
“Twisted hallway dancer”: Jessie & Adam, DIVISION
“Reverse high dive & Slomo smoko”: PHC Films, Good Oil
“Sleepy octopus man”: Funkuncle
“How ya goin lizard”: Lucy Knox, Scoundrel
“Close your eyes children”: Lumberfly, Airbag
“Full spectrum of different people”: Dirty Puppet
“Hovering choir mouths”: Josh Dawson, Truce Films
“Cake Eater”: Max Barden, The Sweetshop
“Operatic curtain man”: Hayden Somerville, MOFA
“End Frame & Campaign Design”: Alex Roby
“End Frame Animation”: Jacob Street, Fin Design + Effects
“Offline and Online Edit”: Ollie Knocker
“Sound Design”: Max Ross-Glyde & Sam Hopgood, Bang Bang Studios