RESET for GROWTH launched with a powerful opening session from one of Australia’s most trusted finance experts, Effie Zahos. With clarity, candour and a touch of humour, Effie unpacked the current consumer mindset — and yes, it’s still feeling the pinch.

Today’s consumers are more purposeful than ever: spending strategically, hunting for value, and tightening their wallets. But amid the caution, Effie offered practical insights, actionable hacks, and a timely reminder that opportunity still exists for brands that can truly connect. As she quoted Winston Churchill, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

It was an energising and insightful start to RESET for GROWTH. Special thanks to VML and Alison Tilling for hosting an engaging Q&A and sponsoring an outstanding session.

Watch our behind-the-scenes chat with Effie and explore some of the biggest takeaways from the day in the other speaker sections.

Guzman y Gomez (GYG) co-CEO and founder Steven Marks exploded onto the AANA RESET stage with the energy of a man who lives and breathes his brand. Marks delivered a high-octane keynote that felt less like a business case study and more like a manifesto for the future of fast food.

“I had this crazy idea to reintroduce fast food to Australia,” he told the crowd. “GYG is here to reinvent fast food and change the way the masses eat.”

From losing $10,000 a week and handing out free burritos in Newtown, to scaling more than 245 locations globally, Marks’ story is built on uncompromising values, obsessive detail, and a refusal to follow the rules. Every element—from the lime-inspired logo to preservative-free tortillas and a kitchen run on custom tech—is part of a bigger mission to make fast food real, ethical, and joyful.

“If you want to be the best, you can’t follow. You have to create,” he said. And create he has—building not just a business, but a movement.
He’s equally unconventional in marketing. Rather than rely on traditional agencies, GYG has built an in-house team of 40, with a number of full-time content creators. “Marketing comes from the soul of the brand,” he said. And as he made very clear, no one understand that soul of GYG like this in-house team does.

Ultimately, Marks believes GYG isn’t just selling burritos—it’s leading a movement. “Fast food became bad food. But it doesn’t have to be,” he said. “This generation wants realness, transparency, and food that makes you feel good”.

At RESET for Growth for the first time, the AANA introduced the AI Evolution – a series of talks on best practice AI. We heard from AI Futurist and Professor Dr. Catherine Ball who delivered a jaw-dropping session where she broke down what we all must know and understand about AI today.

Emphasising that AI should be seen as augmented intelligence rather than a replacement for human creativity, she urged marketers to use AI as a tool to support strategy, and decision-making, and create efficiencies – and not to feel at threat that their roles will be taken over.

Dr. Ball stressed the importance of trust and authenticity when leveraging AI, warning that AI can erode consumer trust if not used thoughtfully. She posed a critical question:

“Do you want people to think you’re doing it the fake way or the cheap way?”

Drawing a striking analogy, Dr. Ball compared the unchecked rise of AI to encountering “dead bodies frozen on the slopes of Everest” — cautioning against blind trust and overhyping AI’s potential. She asserted that AI’s value lies in automation, not in replacing the human touch, and reminded the audience to “be human” as the push for authenticity grows stronger.

Her message was clear: as AI continues to evolve, it must complement human ingenuity rather than replace it, preserving creativity and emotional connection at the heart of brand experiences.

At RESET for GROWTH, Anthony Dean, Marketing Director of Mars Pet Nutrition ANZ, offered a powerful look behind the scenes of the Cannes Lions-winning Pedigree ‘Adoptable’ campaign — a world-first AI-led initiative to help end dog homelessness.

Driven by a decade-long brand purpose and fuelled by innovation, the campaign used AI to create real-time, geo-targeted ads showcasing shelter dogs in the best light — especially those who had spent the longest time waiting for a home. “Purpose powers innovation,” Dean shared. “This program was never about tech for tech’s sake. Pedigree’s purpose guides every decision — and when purpose leads, innovation follows.”

With 50% of featured dogs adopted in the first two weeks, and 100% of media dedicated to purpose, this campaign proved that when brands fuse heart, technology and context, they don’t just break through — they drive real-world change.

Watch the RESET Rewound video to hear the one thing that Anthony wants people to remember from his presentation.

At RESET for GROWTH 2025, Joe Brumm, creator of the beloved children’s show Bluey, captivated the audience with the story behind the show’s phenomenal rise. From humble beginnings as a line drawing to becoming the most-streamed show in the US in 2024, Bluey’s journey is nothing short of remarkable.

Brumm shared insights into the show’s expansion including; merchandise, books, and memorable marketing collaborations. One standout moment was the Bunnings “Hammerbarn” episode, which then led to a collaboration – Brumm initially feared might lead to legal trouble. Instead, Bunnings embraced the idea, eventually partnering with Bluey to rebrand seven stores across Australia as “Hammerbarn” in 2024. Bunnings got on board by creating garden knomes which are now a collectors item. Reflecting on the experience, Brumm said:

“The collaboration never fails to spin me out. They changed their name to mine!”

The partnership with Disney was pivotal in Bluey’s global success, offering promotional support that streaming platforms couldn’t match. With the launch of Disney+, Bluey found a wider audience, benefiting from individual episode streaming rather than bundled formats.

Looking ahead, Brumm revealed that the upcoming Bluey movie will take a fresh approach with 3D animation, marking a significant visual shift from the 2D series. Though plot details remain under wraps, Brumm expressed excitement, saying, “It’s like I’m falling in love with the brand all over again.”

Bluey continues to be a cultural phenomenon, celebrated for its heartfelt storytelling and smart brand collaborations.

We saved somene really special for last—our final speaker of the day was someone many of you will already know and admire…Sherilyn Shackell, Founder and Global CEO of The Marketing Academy!

As the driving force behind this unique non-profit, Sherilyn has dedicated herself to helping marketing, media, and advertising leaders unlock their full potential and accelerate their personal and professional growth.

Since launching The Marketing Academy in 2010, she’s helped shape the careers of over 300 global CMOs, delivering world-class programs across the globe. And if that wasn’t enough, she also founded The Marketing Academy Foundation—supporting young people from tough backgrounds into marketing careers—and serves as a board advisor to some seriously inspiring organisations.

In her keynote presentation Shackell’s rallied marketers to step up and own their role as future CEOs. She reminded us that CMOs are uniquely positioned to drive business growth through their deep understanding of customer, brand and strategy.

Backed by McKinsey data, she argued that when CEOs and CMOs work in lockstep, companies outperform — yet 75% of marketers still rank that relationship as a top concern. It’s time to change that.

Watch our behind-the-scenes highlights and explore some of the biggest takeaways from the day in the other speaker sections.