Are Media, the publisher of some of Australia’s best-known magazine brands, has formally confirmed it is for sale.
The decision comes five years after private equity firm Mercury Capital acquired the business, then known as Bauer Media Australia, in mid-2020.
Sale process to be led by KPMG
In a statement provided to Mediaweek, an Are Media spokesperson said: “Further to recent speculation, and on the back of a number of market enquiries and approaches, we can confirm that a decision has been made to commence a sale process for Are Media, Australia’s leading omnichannel content company for women. KPMG Corporate Finance has been engaged to run a formal sale process.”
Mercury Capital, led by venture capitalist Clark Perkins, acquired the local arm of Bauer Media for an estimated $40–50 million in 2020.
That deal came just eight years after Bauer had paid $525 million for ACP Magazines, once the crown jewel of Australia’s consumer publishing sector.
BAU for staff and clients
In an email to staff sent Tuesday afternoon and sighted by Mediaweek, Are Media CEO Jane Huxley addressed the development describing the decision as a strategic and confident step forward.
“After careful consideration, Mercury and our Board have decided it’s time to begin the process of finding a new owner for the Are Media Group. This decision comes from a place of strength and optimism,” Huxley wrote. “We’ve built incredibly strong foundations, and now it’s time to take the next step.”
She reassured staff that the day-to-day operations of the business would not be impacted in the near term:
“Nothing changes day to day. Our teams, priorities, your roles, and goals stay the same. We’ll keep delivering great content, driving results, and doing what we do best. We are committed to delivering 2025 and will be planning for 2026 the same way we always have.”
She added, “We’re excited about what’s next. With the right new owner, we believe Are Media can grow even stronger and continue to lead women’s media in Australia and New Zealand.”
Huxley told staff that KPMG will lead the sale process over the coming months and that updates will be provided as the situation develops. For now, she emphasised continuity: “Our focus remains on delivering great work for our clients, our customers and each other.”
Are Media CEO Jane Huxley
Staff left shocked
A source told Mediaweek that reaction to the sale has been met with disbelief, with one employee saying they felt “just shock, really,” adding that while the company has weathered several major changes in recent years, the sale still landed heavily.
“Some of us panicked, others were just confused,” they said. “Obviously some of us lived through this before and these things mean job losses and lots of cost-cutting so that’s the main concern here, but that hasn’t been mentioned so far – that’s all anyone’s really talking about. It’s a bad time to be looking for a new job, for sure.”
Despite the uncertainty, the same staff member said there was cautious hope that the sale process wouldn’t disrupt day-to-day operations. “Nothing feels different today, so hopefully everything will be business as usual and the sale won’t affect us.”
Digital ambitions and Dotdash Meredith partnership
The sale process comes just months after Are Media announced a strategic partnership with US publishing group Dotdash Meredith, which Huxley described to Mediaweek as a “transformational moment” for the business. DDM’s portfolio includes PEOPLE, Better Homes & Gardens, Allrecipes, and Investopedia.
The deal, which sees Are Media act as the exclusive commercial partner for DDM’s digital content in Australia, is designed to significantly expand its online reach and advertiser offering. Are Media says the partnership has effectively doubled its digital footprint to 10.4 million monthly users*, with a print readership of 6 million**.
“Scale, scale, scale,” Huxley told Mediaweek at the time. “What this partnership does for Are Media is give us unprecedented scale in the verticals and audiences that we care about the most.”
Source: *Ipsos iris Online Audience Measurement Service, Mar 2024 to Feb 2025, P14+, combined Are Media
and Dotdash Meredith average audience 10.4 million.
**Roy Morgan Single Source December 2024
Talk about an offer neither party could refuse.
NOVA Entertainment has announced it’s joining forces with Mentored Studios, the podcast company founded by Australian entrepreneur Mark Bouris AM.
The agreement will bring five Mentored titles into the Nova Podcast Network, including Straight Talk, Project 100, and long-running series The Mentor.
Building the brand
As part of the agreement, Nova will work to expand the audience and commercial reach of Mentored Studios’ existing titles, some of which have already developed strong followings.
NOVA Entertainment’s Chief Growth Officer Adam Johnson said, “We’re proud to welcome Mentored to the Nova Podcast Network. Mark is a powerhouse in the Australian business landscape, and we’re committed to scaling the reach and commercial impact of all the Mentored shows as part of our premium podcast offering.”
Mentored Studios was created by Bouris to support small business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals seeking practical guidance and insight.
“We’re thrilled to partner with NOVA,” Bouris said. “We’ve built Mentored to be a trusted voice across all things business, finance and health, and we’re looking forward to building on that momentum. This is a strategic move that allows us to remain focused on high-impact content while looking at new commercial opportunities.”
The titles will benefit from Nova’s existing infrastructure, ad sales capabilities, and audience development strategy.
Wieden+Kennedy Sydney and McDonald’s Australia have unveiled their first work together celebrating Macca’s breakfast menu.
Brekkie Comes First centres on a subsection of fans who view the restaurants as a tried-and-true breakfast company for hashbrowns and McMuffins.
The fully integrated campaign features a :30 film brings back ‘80s ballad It Must Have Been Love by Roxette.
The film, Delicious Heartache, directed by Revolver’s Taso Alexander showcases a heartfelt montage of fans who missed Macca’s breakfast and is contrasted by the satisfaction of those who were lucky enough to make it in time.
Maccas is also welcoming McGriddles to Australia with a campaign that highlights the global fan favourite breakfast sandwich with a spot titled ‘Most Important Meal’ and showcasing how Macca’s is the only place where fans can get a burger with pancakes as buns.
The work features witty OOH to promote this message and showcases its range of breakfast items like “Nothing Good Ever Happens After 4 am…Oh Wait”, “McGriddles Are Here, Tell Greg” and “Don’t Sleep On It”.
In social, the campaign extends on the ‘80s ballad theme with love song dedications to Macca’s brekkie icons and also includes a suite of hopecore memes that tap into that blissful moment one does make the brekkie window.
The work can be seen across TV, online video, social, OOH, radio, as well as through sponsorships, in-store and on the MyMacca’s app.
“For plenty of people, the best bit of Macca’s is brekkie. To them, breakfast really does come first. And it sucks to miss it,” Roy Leibowitz and Chris Wilson, Group Creative Directors, W+K Sydney, said.
Matt Owen, Managing Director, W+K Sydney, said: “It was great to take a global insight and put our own Aussie twist on it. Tonally, this feels like the right sort of space for us to play in.”
Credits:
Clients: Macca’s
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy Sydney
Director: Taso Alexander
Production Company – Film: Revolver
Post Production: The Editors
Sound: Rumble
Music Supervision: Trailer Media
Media Agency: OMD
In-store Agency: Akcelo
Digital Agency: Digitas
PR Agency: Mango Communications
Just two weeks after Warner Bros Discovery’s streaming service Max launched in Australia on 31 March, it announced a rebrand to HBO Max. The move didn’t surprise industry watchers, following some speculation about the possible rebrand. But it was unusual to see a rebrand like this so soon after a territory launch.
On Wednesday night local time, the rebrand took effect with Max updating its apps and website to reflect the HBO Max branding. Changing a brand like this is a massive undertaking with updates required to every asset used by the business, from platforms to campaigns to stationary and more. It also requires updates to social media handles. Within a few hours of the rebrand first started rolling out, third-party platforms like YouTube reflected the new branding.
Social platform X, better known as Twitter, won’t allow HBO Max change its handle. It is stuck for the moment with the @StreamOnMax handle.
In addition to apps updating on the Apple and Google app stores, the website URL max.com now redirects to hbomax.com.
The rebrand has been timed to switch over ahead of the Emmy nominations announcement next week on 15 July.
When the rebranding was announced, Chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content Casey Bloys explained the decision: “With the course we are on and strong momentum we are enjoying, we believe HBO Max far better represents our current consumer proposition.
“And it clearly states our implicit promise to deliver content that is recognized as unique and, to steal a line we always said at HBO, worth paying for.”
The HBO Max brand was first introduced on 27 May 2020 under then-owners AT&T. The US telco later spun off the WarnerMedia assets to merge them with Discovery Inc forming the new Warner Bros Discovery. The brand was then deemed limiting, with a desire to supercharge the platform with a library combining Discovery’s reality and lifestyle content with the premium drama offering from HBO. This led to the introduction of the simplified Max brand on 23 May 2023, which is now being retired just over two years later.
The rebrand is taking place globally, with updates issued in all territories where Max is streaming. Customers will not be required to download new apps, with the new brand visible in the next app update. Some users may find that they need to log back in following the app update.
Mitchell Greenway, Managing Director APAC at OpenX, has been appointed Chair of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Australia’s Executive Technology Council (ETC), replacing Nicole Prior, former Head of Media and Adtech Solutions APAC at Microsoft Advertising.
Greenway also joins the IAB Australia board as the ETC’s representative. His appointment comes after more than 15 years in digital media, with prior roles spanning Bauer Media Group, Yahoo7, Val Morgan and Cirrus Media Australia.
At OpenX, Greenway leads regional strategy and programmatic innovation for the omnichannel supply-side platform, focusing on growth across Asia-Pacific. A long-standing member of the IAB, he has contributed to key initiatives around digital advertising’s sustainability and evolution.
The Executive Technology Council advises on innovation and best practice across the digital advertising ecosystem, with a strong focus on the value chain, education, and industry development. A key initiative of the ETC is overseeing the IAB Mentorship Program, and most recently, the group helped develop industry definitions and guidelines for ‘Made for Advertising’ (MFA) websites.
Current ETC members span a broad cross-section of the media and tech landscape, including representatives from Google, Nine, Seven, Microsoft Advertising, Publicis Groupe, The Trade Desk, News Corp Australia, Cartology, Carsales, Yahoo, GumGum, PubMatic and others.
Gai Le Roy, CEO of IAB Australia, said: “Mitchell brings a raft of experience and insights to his new role as Chair of the IAB Australia Executive Technology Council. His understanding of the adtech, agency, and publisher experience will be invaluable as the Council advances its plans to support the industry.”
Greenway added: “It’s an honour to take on the role of Chair of the Executive Technology Council. The ETC has long played a pivotal role in elevating technical standards, fostering cross-industry collaboration, and supporting sustainable growth across the digital advertising ecosystem.”
“In a time of rapid transformation across CTV, privacy frameworks, AI, and measurement, the ETC’s role is more vital than ever.”
What if healing wasn’t a destination, but a daily practice?
In this powerful episode, Wayne Brown—founder of Cureative—shares his journey from a traumatic childhood in Southeast London to deep personal healing. He opens up about growing up with violence and emotional neglect, facing early mental health struggles, and experiencing profound loss in young adulthood.
Forced to confront his pain during what he calls “the breakdown,” Wayne made the bold choice to leave London and travel. His healing accelerated in Australia, where Buddhism, therapy, and self-reflection helped him rebuild his life from within.
Wayne describes healing as an active, ongoing process—one that requires emotional discipline and a willingness to face discomfort. His story is a reminder that transformation doesn’t come from avoiding pain, but by moving through it.
Now leading a global business, Wayne lives with intention and peace – but stays honest about the work it took to get there. It’s a testament to the power of reflection, support, and courage – and a reminder that no matter where you start, transformation is possible.
My three favourite quotes from Wayne’s story are:
“Through great pain, enormous pleasure.”
“You either live the trauma or you learn from it.”
“Life just happened to me.”
You can listen to the whole chat here:
Whether you’re facing your own challenges or simply seeking inspiration, this episode is a must-listen.
The world doesn’t need more stories of success; it needs honest conversations about hard challenges, vulnerability, and proof that trials can ultimately become triumphs.
That’s why the Uncomfortable Growth® Uncut podcast was born. It’s a reminder that struggle and success are intrinsically linked, that growth is rarely easy, and that the moments we feel most uncomfortable are where our greatest breakthroughs lie
Google’s integration of AI-generated summaries, known as AI Overviews, is reshaping the search landscape, with new data revealing they now appear in 39 per cent of Google queries.
The analysis, conducted by Website Planet, examined 100 search terms across 20 categories. While AI Overviews featured in 39 searches, another 33 returned carousel-style results, and 28 remained with traditional listings, suggesting Google is still refining when and how to surface AI-generated responses.
Winners, losers and traffic volatility
Organic traffic outcomes were mixed, with commercial websites benefiting most. Sites such as cerave.com and brand24.com saw increases of up to 333 per cent, and none in this category recorded declines.
Informational sites, however, saw the widest swings. While guides.vpcc.edu gained 1,933 per cent in visits, nerdfitness.com dropped by 76 per cent, the steepest fall in the study. Overall, informational sites posted a 241 per cent average gain, skewed by a few standout increases.
Institutional sites like who.int and sba.gov also fared well, with the former recording a 716 per cent traffic jump. On average, these domains saw more stable growth of 154 per cent post-AI Overview rollout.
Zero-click search trends deepen
The growing presence of AI Overviews is fuelling a rise in “zero-click” searches, where users find what they need on the results page itself. According to First Page Sage and Ahrefs, AI summaries now appear in 31 per cent of SERPs, with top organic result click-through rates (CTR) dropping by as much as 34.5 per cent on informational queries.
Further analysis by Amsive found CTR declines of up to 27 per cent for non-top-three keyword rankings, with branded terms less affected. In fact, branded keywords triggering AI Overviews saw an 18.7 per cent CTR boost, indicating stronger user intent still drives clicks in these cases.
Google’s search revenue jumps
Despite the mixed impact on publishers, Google itself has benefited. Search revenue rose 10 per cent year-on-year to $50.7 billion, aided by higher ad demand and increased average CPCs across 87 per cent of industries, according to WordStream’s 2025 benchmarks.
Google’s AI push has also contributed to shorter sessions but more frequent visits, as noted by Similarweb’s cross-market analysis. This creates more ad opportunities despite a possible reduction in time spent per session.
Strategic advice for SEO in 2025
With Google increasingly acting as both gatekeeper and content provider, SEO strategies must evolve. Website Planet recommends:
• Publishing in-depth, semantically structured content that answers related questions
• Using schema markup to improve AI Overview inclusion chances
• Focusing on authority, expertise, and backlinks to remain competitive
• Leveraging AI tools while maintaining human-led editorial value
• Adapting for voice and visual search formats
As AI Overviews become core to how users engage with Google Search, the implications for publishers, marketers, and SEOs are profound. Those quick to adapt may see significant gains, but the window to do so is narrowing.
HBO Max has greenlit a new comedy series, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, a spinoff of the long-running hit The Big Bang Theory.
The series is being developed by Chuck Lorre, Zak Penn and Bill Prady, the Emmy-nominated creative team behind the original show. It will be produced by Chuck Lorre Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.
Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO and HBO Max Content, said: “We’re excited to be continuing the legacy of The Big Bang Theory. This new chapter wouldn’t be possible without the vision and storytelling brilliance of Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, as well as Zak Penn, who has brought fresh insight and a distinctive voice to an already exceptional creative team.”
Chuck Lorre said the series is a deliberate departure: “I wanted to do something radical that would take me out of my comfort zone. Something the characters on The Big Bang Theory would have loved, hated, and argued about.”
Zak Penn added: “I was on a vision quest in the most remote parts of the Amazon rainforest when a carrier pigeon arrived with a note from Chuck asking if I wanted to help make a show that the characters from The Big Bang Theory would watch. I couldn’t resist that idea.”
Bill Prady said: “Writing this show with Chuck and Zak has been damn fun. Putting characters we loved into a complex science fiction story… while maintaining the comedic elements is incredibly satisfying.”
Premise and cast
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe follows comic book store owner Stuart Bloom, who inadvertently triggers a multiverse catastrophe after breaking a device created by Sheldon and Leonard. He must restore reality with help from his girlfriend Denise, geologist friend Bert, and quantum physicist Barry Kripke. Along the way, they meet alternate-universe versions of characters from The Big Band Theory. As the title suggests, things don’t go to plan.
The series stars Kevin Sussman as Stuart, Lauren Lapkus as Denise, Brian Posehn as Bert, and John Ross Bowie as Barry Kripke.
Legacy and expectations
The Big Bang Theory originally aired from 2007 to 2019, running for 12 seasons. The franchise has already seen success with prequel series Young Sheldon, which concluded earlier this year.
Channing Dungey, Chairman and CEO, Warner Bros. Television Group and WBD US Networks, said: “Chuck and Bill have given us one of the most enduring comedies of our time with The Big Bang Theory. This next iteration promises to capture the essence of what fans loved about the original series.”
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe will stream exclusively on HBO Max. A release date is yet to be announced.
Top image: Kevin Sussman as Stuart Bloom
A pair from Australia and New Zealand will serve on the jury for the global Young Guns 23 competition, joining more that 100 creative professionals from around the world as announced by The One Club for Creativity.
Kellie Campbell-Illingworth (YG8), creative director from Parallax in Adelaide, and Jef Wong, ECD at Designworks in Auckland join the Young Guns jury which identifies and celebrates today’s vanguard of young creative professionals.
The renowned competitions regularly attract entries from upwards of 45 countries, with more than half coming from outside the US.
Levine/Leavitt, a long-time YG partner, will once again offer its Artists-in-Residence Award in which the artist rep firm provides one YG winner with a full year of artist and career management representation.
Also continuing this year is the Levine/Leavitt Young Guns Assistance Program, open to illustrators and photographers who qualify for YG23 but may not have the means to enter with ease. Successful applicants receive free entry into the competition courtesy of Levine/Leavitt.
All Young Guns winners receive a unique version of the iconic Young Guns Cube, designed exclusively for this year’s incoming class, and have their permanent profile page added to the Young Guns website.
Winners also receive a complimentary one-year One Club for Creativity membership, permanent membership in the Young Guns network, a chance to be featured in Young Guns events and an assortment of career-boosting opportunities from Young Guns sponsors.
The program is open to those ages 30 and under who have been working for at least two years, full-time or freelance. Eligible entrants can submit a combination of professional and personal work via online entry system until the final deadline of September 18, 2025. Winners will be announced in December.
Past Young Guns include rising stars who went on to become leaders in their chosen fields, including Oscar-winning film director duo DANIELS (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) (YG14), “Top Gun Maverick” director Joseph Kosinski (YG4); graphic designers James Victore (YG1), Stefan Sagmeister (YG1), Natasha Jen (YG4) and Jessica Walsh (YG8); artist/designer Rich Tu (YG8); ad creatives Rei Inamoto (YG4) and Menno Kluin (YG6); illustrators Christoph Niemann (YG2) and Deanne Cheuk (YG4); fashion designer Kerby Jean-Raymond (YG14); artist/filmmaker Calmatic (YG16); director/photographer India Sleem (YG17); photographer Ryan McGuinness (YG2); typographers Alex Trochut (YG6) and Gemma O’Brien (YG13); and animation artist Todd St. John (YG1)/
Program branding and design of the Young Guns Cube award itself are reimagined each year by a past Young Gun winner. This year’s branding was created by YG23 jury member Khyati Trehan (YG19), a talented graphic designer and 3D visual artist originally from New Delhi who now serves as senior designer at Google Creative Lab in New York.
The One Club for Creativity is a non-profit organisation whose mission is to support and celebrate the success of the global creative community.
It is known for for The One Show, ADC Annual Awards, Art Directors Club of Europe (ADCE) awards, ONE Asia Awards, Type Directors Club and competition, TDC Ascenders, Young Guns, Young Ones Student Awards, Next Creative Leaders, ONE Screen Short Film Festival.
Top image: Kellie Campbell-Illingworth and Jef Wong
Outgoing WPP CEP Mark Read said the holding company will remain “agile and vigilant” and continue its “disciplined” approach going into the second half of 2025 in the latest trading updated.
The holding company reported Q1 revenue of £3,243m, down 5.0% YoY on a reported basis, and down 0.7% like-for-like (LFL), while revenue less pass-through costs of £2,482m was down 2.7% LFL.
Performance in the quarter is consistent with expectations and guidance given at the preliminary results in February, WPP reported.
The holding company reported noted that with elevated macro uncertainty in the near-term, 2025 LFL revenue is expected to flatten to -2% and around flat headline operating profit margin.
Mark Read, Chief Executive Officer of WPP, said: “We continue to make solid progress on our strategic priorities. With the internal focus of integration behind them, VML and Burson are seeing renewed momentum in new business with Generali, Heineken and Levi Strauss & Co important wins during the quarter.
“The acquisition of InfoSum and its integration into GroupM’s data offer accelerates our AI-driven data approach, leapfrogging traditional identity-based solutions. We are also on track with the continued adoption of WPP Open across the organisation with 48,000 of our people (c.60% of client-facing staff) using it in March vs. 33,000 in December.
“Our financial performance in Q1 was in line with our expectations, reflecting macroeconomic challenges and the timing of new business, and we expect these factors to continue in Q2 with performance anticipated to improve in the second half.
“While WPP is not itself directly affected by tariffs, they will impact a number of our clients as well as the broader economy. At this point we have not seen any significant change in client spending and we reiterate our full-year guidance which already reflected a challenging environment. As ever, we remain agile and vigilant and will continue to be disciplined on how we are managing our cost base.”
Top image: Mark Read
TrinityP3 is shaking up the pitch process again as it launches new tools for marketers and opening its third annual State of The Pitch survey.
BetterPitch framework aims to help marketers run faster, smarter, and more effective agency reviews.
Darren Woolley, Global CEO of TrinityP3, explained to Mediaweek that BetterPitch was created by TrinityP3 to help marketers improve their pitching skills following the findings of the second State of The Pitch survey.
“The whole purpose of this initiative is to give marketers the resources they need to be better at pitching.”
He noted that while marketers and procurement teams run most pitches, they often turn to pitch consultancy firms for advice.
“All marketers know is what they’ve done previously or what other people have done, and the world’s changed a lot. Unfortunately, the pitch process hasn’t and so we (TrinityP3) decided towards the end of last year what we could do to help marketers run their pitches better.
“What we’ve done is we’ve built a questionnaire that helps them work out whether they should be pitching or not, and set up a mini-coaching session to help them take them through the process before they start the pitch.
“We’ve got our benchmarking tool online that they can use to work out what’s a fair fee for their agency so we’ve put together this package of tools so that marketers can start to get better ideas or you know get have somewhere to go to get an idea of how to run a better pitch.”
BetterPitch offers a free suite of tools – BetterPitch checklist to help marketers determine if a pitch is necessary, Ad Cost Checker to benchmark agency costs, and Pitch Cost Checker to estimate the financial and time commitments involved in the pitch process.
Woolley said the free access to the BetterPitch tools and consultation sessions will help marketers who have low or no budgets to run a pitch or run complex pitches that require advice.
“We want the vast majority of marketers to have somewhere to go where they can get some solid advice on how to run a better pitch and not be one of those scoring twos and ones in the annual state of the pitch survey.”
Taking the State of the Pitch around the world
TrinityP3’s State of the Pitch has examined the pitch process in Australia for the past two years and expanded to Canada and the US.
Woolley revealed that Canada’s results from the first round of the survey were not that much different to Australia and was keen to compare data from the US.
“I don’t think big markets necessarily get their pitches any better than smaller markets. But I think the pitch process globally has really struggled because in the old days, you’d get a creative agency and maybe a media agency.
“These days there’s so many specialists and there’s so much technology and there’s all these things that are part of the pitch process and it’s become a lot more complicated and complex to run a good pitch.”
Despite the complexities that come with choosing, Woolley noted that he often sees marketers choosing an agency that offers everything because it is the easier choice rather than the individual specialisations they need.
“It’s just easier than trying to work out the individual parts. There are clients that will try and find one agency to do everything, when in some cases you may need a specialist because the needs that you have can’t be fulfilled by an agency that’s a tacked-on service.
“Part of having a better pitch is one where marketers can make those decisions and work with the right agency for the job, not just compromise and settle for something less.”
The next market to be surveyed is Germany in the coming months, while talks are underway for the APAC region to be surveyed.
“If some markets have got it really well organised, then we should be sharing that with other markets. This is trying to raise the standard of better pitching globally no one’s got a mandate on that,” he added.
Getting honest praise and honest criticism
The launch of TrinityP3’s BetterPitch initiative comes as the third State of The Pitch survey has officially gone live.
From now until December 31, 2025, agencies are being asked to share their feedback and experiences of the pitch process.
Going into the next survey, Woolley noted that he wants agencies to share their feedback, from small local pitches to big, global pitches.
“We want to get the very best view of pitching in Australia in the next six months. It’s open till December 31st, and it is anonymous, so agencies can be honest.
“That means honest praise and honest criticism.”
Top image: Darren Woolley
Healthcare startup TMRW has launched a brand campaign featuring its real customers — not models — as the face of the brand.
The company, founded by former iflix CEO Mark Brit, calls itself a pioneer of a new category – punk healthcare, which describes itself as “radically human, rebellious and AI-powered approach to wellness that breaks with the sterile conventions of traditional clinics and health brands.”
The launch campaign, created with creative agency Today The Brave, introduces Karima Asaad as Chief Creative Officer and founding team member of the brand.
Asaad is shaping the brand’s aesthetic to reflect the raw honesty of its community and brings a unique visual lens to TMRW’s identity to her CCO role.
The campaign is driven by the belief that healthcare brands should be built with people and uses real customers to share their stories and faces across the campaign, embodying the trust, transparency and transformation TMRW aims to deliver.
Industry heavyweight Mat Baxter — former global CEO of Initiative and well-known marketing leader — is also a founding team member and strategic advisor.
“Healthcare is broken for too many people — too expensive, too impersonal, too out of reach,” CEO and Co-Founder Mark Britt, said.
“With TMRW, we’re not just offering better care; we’re creating a movement that feels human again. This campaign is a stake in the ground for what healthcare should be: transparent, inclusive, and deeply personal.”
Today The Brave Head of Design, Ethan Hsu, said: “TMRW came to us with one ambition: make us scared. Together, we set out to dismantle the soft, pastel-washed world of wellness to design something that actually feels alive. No more artificial perfection, no more influencers doing breathwork on beige sofas.
“We designed a brand and experience that’s bold, layered, and unapologetically human: editorial typography with teeth, vibrant colour, rich textures, and photography that captures real people actually living – not just floating through some algorithm-approved version of health.
“From visual identity to digital experience, to unboxing moments – every touchpoint is crafted with intent and edge. This is health that’s more runway than waiting room – and bravery built in at the heart.”
TMRW uses AI to analyse over 1,700 biomarkers, integrate wearable data, and deliver dynamic care protocols in real time — all at a fraction of the cost of traditional functional medicine. The company’s clinical model is designed to scale, augmenting the capacity of practitioners while improving the precision of care.
Credits:
Today The Brave
Founding Partner – Jaimes Leggett
Creative Partner – Jade Manning
Creative Partner – Vince Osmond
Head of Design – Ethan Hsu
Client Services Director – Cosmo Haskard
Head of Strategy – Alyce Gillis
Creative Operations Manager – Kate Gregson
TMRW
CEO & Co-Founder – Mark Brit
Chief Creative Officer & Co-Founder – Karima Asaad
Strategic Advisor & Co-Founder – Mat Baxter
AFFINITY has launched a hyper-targeted digital out-of-home (DOOH) campaign for Australian start-up Posca Hydrate, in partnership with data-driven media pioneer, Adonix Car-Tops.
The agency is using Adonix’s technology to station contextually relevant ads that respond to consumer needs across key drinking occasions throughout the day.
The campaign is uses Adonix-powered taxis to navigate metropolitan hotspots, each digital rooftop ad directs viewers to the nearest Posca Hydrate retailer, displaying the location in real-time along with exact distances.
The immediate call-to-action drives consumer engagement straight to purchase – critical in the tightly contested FMCG category of hydration.
Ed Stening, Posca Hydrate’s Co-founder & CEO, said: “AFFINITY continually proves they’re far more than a typical strategic and media partner. This Adonix-powered campaign is another example of their knack for innovation and stretching our budget beyond expectations.
“The ability to leverage such precise, real-time data to boost both visibility and sales is exactly what an ambitious brand like ours needs to fuel growth.”
Angela Smith: ‘Adonix have been amazing as media partners – both collaborative and creative in the best of ways. The result is powerful brand relevance exactly when and where it matters most.’
Angela Smith, CEO at AFFINITY, added: “We love working with smart, ambitious teams like Posca Hydrate. This campaign perfectly embodies our focus on growth – combining strategic creativity with cutting-edge data application.
“Adonix have been amazing as media partners – both collaborative and creative in the best of ways. The result is powerful brand relevance exactly when and where it matters most.”
Ishan Cross, Adonix’s Head of Partnerships, added: “Teaming up with AFFINITY and Posca Hydrate truly maximises the potential of our technology. It’s inspiring to see how precision data and inventive execution come together to deliver measurable business outcomes for brands.”
This latest campaign builds on AFFINITY’s successful initial engagement with Posca Hydrate in late 2024, where AFFINITY was appointed to drive strategic media planning and advisory support, following a fiercely competitive pitch in which they were described as being in “a league of their own.”
Top image: Merrick Watts and Ed Stening
Case in point? Well, while railing against Big Tech’s influence on public debate, political operators were also outbidding each other for eyeballs on those same platforms.
As Sam Buckingham-Jones reports in The Australian Financial Review, new data shows they funnelled nearly $76 million into ads on Meta and Google in the six months before the May 3 election.
Her parting message struck an upbeat tone, tipping a bright future for the platform under the growing influence of Elon Musk’s AI venture, xAI, the maker of the chatbot Grok (or as one Mediaweek writer mistakenly calls Gronk)
As Matt O’Brien details in The Sydney Morning Herald, Yaccarino came on board in May 2023 to win back advertisers and steer business ops, but was never really in the driver’s seat.
But, as Cam Wilson writes in Crikey, some of the experts involved in the trial say they hadn’t actually seen any data to back that up.
Turns out, those bold claims came before the supporting report was ready. Now a draft of that report is doing the rounds privately, and it’s raising eyebrows.
As Steve Jackson details in The Australian, the award-winning journo has been poached by the Queensland government to run crisis comms for Premier David Crisafulli, a role that’ll have him managing scandals rather than chasing them.
Word is he agonised over the decision but was ultimately swayed by the new challenge, the deputy director-general title, and let’s be honest, the bump in salary.
As Ryan Vlastelica and Carmen Reinicke write in The Australian Financial Review, shares rose 2.8 per cent in New York, capping off a wild turnaround after a jittery start to the year.
What’s fuelling the fire? Big tech is still throwing billions at AI.
The move didn’t surprise industry watchers, following some speculation about the possible rebrand. But it was unusual to see a rebrand like this so soon after a territory launch.
On Wednesday night local time, the rebrand took effect with Max updating its apps and website to reflect the HBO Max branding.
As Samuel Agini and Michael Acton write in The Australian Financial Review, the talks come off the back of Apple’s surprise box office win with its F1-themed film, marking its first real hit in the original content game.
The current F1 rights deal in the US expires next year, and insiders say Apple is keen to capitalise on the growing interest in the sport.
As Angelique Jackson writes in Variety, the move was announced by Global Marketing Chief Sue Kroll, who called Coleman a standout exec with a knack for making stories travel.
At Warner Bros., Coleman ran international campaigns for some of the biggest box office hitters in recent years, including Barbie, Elvis, Dune, The Batman and Minecraft.
As Nadeem Badshah writes in The Guardian, the book, a bestseller turned film starring Gillian Anderson, recounts how Winn and her husband, Moth, walked the south-west coast path after losing their home and receiving a life-changing diagnosis.
But a report has now thrown parts of that story into question.