It’s time to change the way we work and the work we make.
About Silver Lining
Our Mission |
To tackle social problems and improve communities,
for people and the planet.
Our Vision |
To use creativity to make the world a more harmonious place
We take a different approach
a) Unique Agency Model
We’re not built like a traditional agency.
Silver Lining is led by two full-time team members, Jonny and Ash, who work across strategy and client service. We then scale around your needs by tapping into a trusted network of creative specialists (most have been with us since the beginning).
This model means:
a) You get access to the best-fit talent for each brief, no compromise.
b) You only pay for what you need, not for overhead costs or unnecessary retainers.
We have the ability to scale up or keep it tight, becoming a natural extension of your team, while ensuring that your client service remains consistent with a single central point of contact.
b) Run as a not-for-profit
Silver Lining is Australia’s first creative agency run like a not-for-profit.
By removing profit from the equation, we stay focused on what truly matters: doing what’s right for our clients, not what drives the highest margin.
Unlike traditional agencies, we’re not here to upsell or inflate scopes. We’re here to create meaningful, effective work with purpose, integrity, and impact at the centre.
c) Ethical and sustainable
Silver Lining has been B Corp Certified since February 2023. At Silver Lining Agency, we prioritise agility by utilising local and diverse creative and production resources. Our strict anti-offshoring policy ensures that we employ only sustainable and ethical suppliers, reflecting our commitment to fostering positive social impact and supporting the creative ecosystem in which we operate. See our impact here.
Silver Lining is housed within The Commons, a B Corp company located at 54 Wellington Street, featuring a 6-star Green Design and a 5-star NatHERS rating. Silver Lining won Mumbrella’s Award for Sustainable Practices and has been nominated for four Creativepool Annual Awards, including ‘Best Agency to Work For’.
Client Partners
Jonny Clow
Managing Director &
Founding Partner
With over 20 years of experience, Jonny has worked with some of the world's biggest brands, in various roles across the UK, USA, and now Australia.
Jonny founded BD Network in Melbourne in 2010, which went on to become Australia’s Best Emerging Agency and was named Australia's Most Awarded Small Agency. Jonny has been a key part of numerous award-winning campaigns at Cannes, Effies, Spikes, and New York Festivals, from his time in Australia at BD Network, Edge, and Y&R.
While Managing Director, VERSA was named Campaign Asia's Australian Digital Agency of the Year 2019, 7th Great Place to Work under 100 people 2019, AFR's 6th Most Innovative Marketing Company 2019, and the only Australian company to be recognised in Fast Company's Top 50 Workplaces for Innovators 2019.
Jonny co-founded Silver Lining in 2021. Silver Lining became a certified B Corp in February 2023 and was awarded Mumbrella’s Award for Sustainable Practices in 2024.
Photo credit | Charlie Ashfield
Ash Smithies
Account Director
After 11 years of agency and client-side experience in Sydney, Shanghai and Melbourne, Ash has developed exceptional Marketing and Communication skills. Ash has worked across well-known brands such as Cosmopolitan Magazine, Lee Denim, The North Face, Dyson, and Topshop. Over the last five years, Ash has been pulled towards projects that feel meaningful and has been working on brands that are contributing to the world in a positive way.
More recently, Ash has delved deeper into the mental health care space where she facilitated school workshops for teenage girls on topics such as confidence, mindfulness and mental health.
Ash joined Silver Lining in 2022.
Photo credit | Charlie Ashfield
What our clients say
-
![Bank Australia logo]()
“We are so fortunate to have partnered with Silver Lining. Their model is really different and entirely refreshing. But most of all, they are super nice, clever, amazing people that we honestly love working with.”
Nicole Hunter | Head of Marketing -
![Conservation Volunteers Australia logo featuring a stylized person within a circle alongside the organization's name.]()
From the get-go, working with Silver Lining was a breeze. Silver Lining added real insights regarding how to appeal and reach our objectives – a creative campaign that could help fund our work and ensure we can continue for the next 40 years and fulfil our mission - a million more actions for nature by 2030. We are excited to see the results."
Ellie Corley | Strategic Partnerships Director
-
![Logo for Suicide Prevention Australia featuring a stylized abstract representation of the Australian continent in blue, green, and yellow, with the text 'Suicide Prevention Australia' beneath it.]()
"Working with Silver Lining brings an edge and creativity to our work that is unmatched. They have an empathy, sensitivity and understanding of the subject matter, while finding ways to bring images and words to life in a way that touches the audience. Not only is their work of high quality, they are wonderful people to be around."
Clare Kinsella | Director, Communication and Media -
![Colorful overlapping circles forming a flower-like shape with the text 'Mental Health Australia' below.]()
I’ve found the entire process working with Silver Lining super smooth and enjoyable. Ash, our Project Lead was responsive, super organised and solutions focussed. The team kept all the campaign elements on track and kept us accountable! No mean feat with several staffing changes at our end throughout the campaign. They presented a fresh creative and beautiful colour palette. The campaign’s achieved impressive results and we’re delighted with the outcomes.
Nikki Hogan | Director, External Relations
-
![Vision Australia Logo]()
"Not only is Silver Lining have a genuine belief and enthusiasm that creativity can make the world a better place. Their purpose driven model ensures you only get the right specialist talent you need without any compromise on the creative product."
Jamila Savoy | Head of Communications and Brand
-
![Doing it Tough logo]()
"Silver Lining Agency has played an important role in assisting the Doing It Tough project team in reaching men who are looking for support. They are always quick to understand the brief, share unique creative ideas, and bring campaigns to life efficiently. Jonny and Ash feel more like an extension of our team, rather than an external agency. We are strongly aligned in our purpose which is reflected in their not-for-profit model and B-corp certification."
Georgina Beasley | Communications Manager at Suicide Prevention Australia
-
![Benetas logo]()
"We greatly appreciate the passion, creativity, and innovative thinking Silver Lining brought to our recent home care campaign. Their commitment to using creativity to foster a more harmonious world, combined with their focus on partnering exclusively with not-for-profit organisations, resonated well with our brand values. Collaborating with Jonny and the team was an absolute pleasure."
Torie Hooper | Marketing and Brand Manager
-
![Fossil Ad Ban logo with the word 'Ad' in red, tilted and boxed, between the words 'Fossil' and 'Ban' on a white background.]()
"Silver Lining slayed the brief, being simultaneously creative, simple, impactful and fun. Their end-to-end campaign strategy and implementation was flawless, effortless and a total joy. I was mostly impressed with not just their creativity but also their attention to detail and continual commitment to doing the best job possible. Five stars."
Belinda Noble | Founder and CEO of Comms Declare
