Creative Minds: Julia Stretch draws creative inspiration from queer joy and sequins, too

Name: Julia Stretch

Origin: Melbourne, Australia

Places lived/worked: Melbourne, Australia

Pronouns: She/her

CV:

• Communication and content manager, Remedy Drinks (2025-present)
• Senior Creative (Social, Culture & Influence), Ogilvy, Melbourne (2024-2025)
• Senior Social Creative, Ogilvy, Melbourne (2018-2024)
• Social Media Manager, Ogilvy, Melbourne (2016-2018)
• Freelance Content Producer, World of Wonder, Los Angeles (2020-2020)
• Social Media Manager, APD, Melbourne (2015-2016)
• Digital Analyst, APD, Melbourne (2014-2015)

1. How did you end up being a creative?

I finished my master's degree in marketing and decided that while I liked understanding strategy, what I really wanted to do was bring my creative personality into my work. When I started in the industry I was able to ride the rising social media demand from a small digital agency into Ogilvy and I've made my way into the creative department from there.

2. What's your favourite piece of work in your portfolio?

The work I’m most proud of began in the lead up to the 2017 Australian Marriage Equality Plebiscite. In a campaign with AAMI Insurance we launched The Road To Broken Hill following our two hero drag queen ambassadors on a road trip into the desert as a call for Australia to pledge their support for equality. 

This was the first time I was able to work on a campaign relating so closely to my identity as a queer woman. In the lead up to the plebiscite it felt immensely personal to me to make sure this campaign was done right, not only for the client, but for my community.

3. What's your favourite piece of work created by someone else?

I am particularly inspired when brands can thread that needle when creating ads for Pride. My favourite example of this was the first of its kind. When, in the 90s, Subaru discovered that lesbians were four times more likely to buy their cars, they tailored their ads to show that they respected and understood that audience enough to make references that only they would pick up on.

In the context of the time that IKEA’s first ad featuring a gay couple had received bomb threats, Subaru’s decision to speak directly to Lesbians in their own language was groundbreaking.

5. What kind of student were you?

I was a voracious learner, but maybe not the best student! I thrive on other people’s energies. I still love to learn, but I never know what it is that will pique my interest next. I’m learning how to do the cryptic crossword right now and I’m getting pretty good at it!

6. What's the craziest thing you've ever done?

For a girl who regularly gets on stage to belt out musical theatre songs to gay bars full of people, this feels a bit like a trick question. Sequinned endeavours aside, I would say travelling solo around Europe and accidentally ending up on stage singing at the Vienna Jazz Festival is the most unexpected turn of events.

7. Who’s on your dream dinner guest list (alive or dead)?

• Chappell Roan (I am an OG fan. Her song Pink Pony Club was the final push that inspired me to start drag)
• Alex Horne (Creator of Taskmaster, a true creative weirdo, and one of my greatest inspirations)
• Etta James (For an in-person singing lesson considering I owe my voice to singing along to her records)
• Tim Curry (To quiz on which of the original Clue (1985) endings he feels is the true one)
• Natasha Lyonne (To watch her talk and to bemoan the advent of AI with)
• My beautiful partner (Who I always want to sit with at any table but who is an introvert who would kill me if I put her name on the internet)

8. What career did you think you'd have when you were a kid?

When I was younger all I would do is watch music videos all day. I think my love of music videos, the way they tell stories in these short but emotive ways, packing so much story into a limited format really set me up for success in my career making social content.

9. What advice would you give to 10-year-old you, if you could?

My advice would be to not be so ashamed of the space you take up. I was nicknamed the great dane when I was younger because I was so tall, all arms and legs, and I’d bound up and almost knock people over. While I grew to be embarrassed at that, I now look on the space I take up with fondness and pride.

10. What would you do on your perfect day?

My perfect day is one where I’m making something. I’m at my absolute happiest on a set or a stage or in front of photoshop or premiere, creating with my friends. Even if that means getting up at the crack of dawn and standing outside in the freezing cold trying to get a spot between rain showers to film 10 sweet seconds of sunshine, or we’re on hour 13 of a shoot and everyone’s exhausted, I’m handing out lollies and I’m thrilled.

11. Tell us about an artist (any medium) that we've never probably heard of. 

It is my great honour and privilege to introduce you to the glamourous queen of disco, the diva herself, Tanzer. She’s an artist, creative director, DJ, and has the voice of the angels in gay heaven. I’m lucky enough to call her a friend, but I was a fan first, and even worked my connections to get myself invited the set of her music video for Deep Fried Disco.