Lyka moves media account from AlchemyOne to Fourteen10

Lyka has appointed independent media agency Fourteen10 to lead its media strategy, planning and buying, ending a four-year relationship with AlchemyOne as the pet wellness business prepares its next phase of growth.

The appointment is one of the first major agency moves under chief marketing officer Cam Luby, who joined Lyka this year after leaving his role as head of marketing at Optus.

Fourteen10 will take over the account from 1 December following a pitch led by Tumbleturn Marketing Advisory.

The relatively young Sydney independent was launched in October 2024 by Duncan Allan, Cameron Roberts and Tom O’Connor, with a model built around bringing brand and performance media together for high-growth businesses. Its client roster has included Stake, Wagetap, Mosh and Carma.

That approach appears to have struck a chord with Luby as Lyka looks to push further into above-the-line media.

“We didn’t want an agency relationship built around the old brand-versus-performance team debate,” Luby said.

“We need a partner who reads growth as one system and works with our team and leverages our data to help us make sharper calls about where to invest next. That’s exactly what Fourteen10 brought to the table.”

Lyka said it now feeds more than 100,000 dogs across Australia. The business, founded by Anna Podolsky and veterinarian Dr Matthew Muir in 2018, has increasingly pushed beyond its direct-to-consumer roots through television and outdoor advertising as it looks to build the fresh dog food category.

Fourteen10 director Cameron Roberts said Lyka's positioning as a health business was a major attraction for the agency.

“Lyka has built an amazing business. What stood out to us through the whole process was that they see themselves as a health company that cares so much about animals it has put its attention on the biggest lever on their wellbeing, which is their diet,” Roberts said.

“We're energised by the mission, and our focus will be showing more Australians why it matters.”

Luby also acknowledged outgoing agency AlchemyOne, which has worked with Lyka for the past four years.

“We want to thank AlchemyOne for everything they’ve brought to Lyka’s growth story,” Luby said. “They’ve been a big part of getting us to where we are today.”