Ed Jamison, head of marketing – craft and hospitality at Lion, has departed the beverage giant after 12 years, confirming he will take a short break “before writing the next chapter.”
Jamison joined the company in June 2012 as brand manager of Tooheys and was appointed head of marketing in January 2023.
Jamison told Mediaweek the decision “was a combination of numbers –12 years at an amazing company, a 3 month old, a 3 year old, and hitting 40!”
“I absolutely loved my time at Lion, I learnt a lot, made life long friends and will most likely return at some point in the future if the planets align,” he said.
“I’m enjoying a bit of time off reconnecting with all the amazing people i’ve working with over the past 15 years outside of work (and not on a Teams meeting!) – friends from Diageo, Traffik, Lion, those in the alcohol industry and all the incredible agencies i’ve worked with over the years.”
Jamison announced his departure on LinkedIn last week:
“It’s been humbling and a genuine honour to have had the chance to shape some of the most revered brands in the country – from Australian icons in XXXX, Tooheys and Hahn, and global powerhouses of Corona, Pacifico and White Claw, to the most loved craft brands in Stone & Wood, James Squire and Little Creatures, and their incredible hospitality venues,” he wrote.
“I’ve had the privilege of working on countless brand campaigns, innovation launches, music and sporting sponsorships, research projects, packaging refreshes, media strategies, brand launches and re-launches, and all of the success, failure and learning that comes from over 12 years in marketing, brand building and leadership.
“Lion and these incredible brands have also afforded me the opportunity to travel Australia and the world, and most importantly, to work with and learn from some of the most accomplished and experienced marketing minds in the world.”
Jamison thanked the teams he worked with throughout his tenure, as well as his career mentors, including former Lion brands director Jon Bradshaw and former head of capability Andy Disley, who gave him his first stint at Lion.
“While I plan the next adventure I’m going to enjoy some time at home in the Northern Rivers with my family,” he concluded.
Lion declined to comment on Jamison’s departure.
In 2021, Lion appointed independent creative agency Thinkerbell as its sole creative agency. At the time, Thinkerbell had been part of the beverage brand’s creative agency roster for two years.
The brand has produced a string of recent work, most notably encouraging the nation to kick carbs, not beer with the launch of its zero-carb beer, Hahn Ultra Zero Carb, in a campaign fronted by Aussie kicker Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin.
This year, the agency also reimagined the Guinness tagline, Lovely Day For A Guinness, for wintertime in the southern hemisphere, launching a mid-autumn campaign for XXXX Summer Bright Lager, reminding consumers the brew is for any season.
To celebrate International Star Wars Day on 4 May, the agency and brand also launched a digital OOH activation for Lion’s Hahn Brewery: Hahn Solo.
In February, JCDecaux awarded Lion and media agency UM the inaugural Programmatic Campaign of the Year award for the digital OOH Guinness Brewery of Meteorology campaign.
See also: Buddy Franklin ‘kicks carbs not beer’ in Thinkerbell’s latest for Hahn
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Top image: Ed Jamison