This week, Group Managing Director Chris Nelson took to the stage at the Australia Indonesia Business Council National Conference 2026 at Frasers, Kings Park, presenting Juicebox as a standout case study in what the WA and Indonesia business relationship can look like at its best. Five years on from the acquisition of Bali-based Island Media, it’s a story worth telling from the beginning.
It was 2020. WA’s borders were closed and Perth’s still-active economy was struggling to balance demand with a captive talent pool. Juicebox had a full pipeline ahead but was running short on the capacity to deliver it. Australian tech talent were gravitating toward internal roles at emerging technology companies, and few were choosing agency life.
At that moment, Juicebox Co-Founder Chris Nelson reached out to long-term friends Tom and Tarryn West, who had been running Island Media in Bali for nearly a decade.
The timing was significant on both sides. Bali’s economy had come to an abrupt halt with the collapse of tourism, a decline Tom would later describe as likened only to the aftermath of the Bali bombings.
Juicebox and Island Media began with a single project, a deliberate first step to align on ways of working and shared standards. What started as an exploratory collaboration quickly found its rhythm, and within twelve months had grown into a fully integrated delivery partnership that remains one of the studio’s most reliable and enduring.
As the pandemic subsided and the Indonesian economy began to recover, it became a critical moment for the partnership.
Juicebox made the decision to acquire Island Media, retaining the working relationship with the intention of growing the brand in Indonesia. Less than twelve months later, Island had become Juicebox Bali, home to more than 50 staff.
Since then, Australian and Indonesian team members have regularly visited both offices, experiencing the cultural nuances firsthand. What’s apparent across both sides of the Indian Ocean is a continued desire to grow, innovate, and collaborate for the best possible client outcomes. There is no us and them. Every role exists on either side.
With a presence established in Bali, Jakarta became the natural next step. Speaking commitments at events including the Digital Transformation Conference, and attendance at networks including the Australia Indonesia Business Council and British Chamber of Commerce, led to meaningful relationships and new client work, including the Bali International contract, Balinale (Bali’s international film festival), Mirah (a Web Awards finalist), and global brands including MurphyCobb. Fast forward to 2026 and Juicebox operates in multidisciplinary pods with an eclectic mix of talent.
Explore work across Australia and Southeast Asia.
