“I’ve always had a bit of a sixth sense for what’s going on in the industry, and I very much rely on my intuition,” says Kenny Hill.

10 years ago, Hill left his post as managing director at M&C Saatchi to launch the Melbourne-based creative agency, Akkomplice.

After a fateful morning coffee meeting which formally introduced the pair, Hill sold Akkomplice to Chris Howatson‘s three-year-old indie, Howatson+Co in April.

Speaking to Mediaweek, Hill said the decision was made to stay ahead of the changes he sensed emerging in the industry.

“More and more, the new businesses that we were going after were looking at integrated solutions.

“I could see that whilst Akkomplice was very successful, and we had some tremendous clients, I could see the future coming, it’s here. The need for an agency to be able to offer so much more than 10 years ago, in terms of martech solutions, even as simple as we didn’t have any media offering.”

It was the same intuition, Hill says, that inspired him to create Akkomplice a decade ago when he sensed a moving tide from the domination of the holdcos to “the rise of the independents.”

“I wanted to be able to service this industry in a more agile way,” he reflects.

“I could sense the shifts that were coming in how big clients’ needs were evolving. The ground was shifting, and I could see that agencies offering deep skills coupled with more agility and genuine client focus would get ahead.

“When you’re talking to an agency founder like myself or Chris, actually things are easier because you don’t need to check in with New York or London or Paris.”

Prospecting his options, Hill considered whether to buy the capability and bring it in-house or “look to find a home where that already exists,” which he says “felt like the right choice for me.”

For Hill, maintaining that independent agility was one of the key considerations that saw the acquisition go to Howatson. He says he couldn’t undermine the reason his clients sought him in the first place.

“The clients came Akkomplice looking for what we offer. If I was to have done something like this with one of the big global networks – and that was certainly an option on the table – I don’t think that would have suited them as well as this.

“I care deeply about them and the legacy that I built up in my reputation. If I was to do something that wasn’t that they weren’t comfortable with, I think I would be shortchanging them.”

When the Akkomplice team joined Howatson+Co in Melbourne’s Chapel Street, it brought a client roster including Sorbent, Slater & Gordon, and Totally Workwear.

“I heard Andrew Drougas [managing director of Howatson+Co, Melbourne] say to a client recently ‘you can buy capability, but you can’t buy passion,'” Hill explains. 

“I love that belief and I know that the focus and passion I was able to bring to each of our clients at Akkomplice over the last 10 years is absolutely one of the crucial factors in our success. We rarely had to chase new business, with so much of ours coming from referrals from clients and even other agency leaders, which is something I’m very proud of.”

Looking back, Hill sees one of the pivotal markers of burgeoning success for Akkomplice as its work for the Australian confectionery institution, Darrell Lea, by Hill’s then creative partner, Sara Oteri, now the executive creative director of 303 MullenLowe Perth.

“That made headlines not just once, but two years running. Having your work talked about on virtually all current affairs show and described by Mark Ritson as ‘genius’ in The Australian was really something,” Hill recalls.

But as turning points go, he continues, rather than one single campaign, “I can vividly remember a period three years in, where suddenly I was making huge campaigns for Plush Sofas, Aussie Farmers Direct, Sirena, and Choice Hotels all within weeks of each other.

“It took Heathrow-like coordination and that was when I realised that I probably needed to hire some staff.”

It was Akkomplice’s final work prior to the acquisition – for law firm Slater & Gordon – that particularly captured its core philosophy: “that logic makes people think, emotion makes people act.”

Hill elaborates: “We make sure we get all the technical side of the brief right and understand all the data points and everything, but you never lose the human story at the heart of it.”

Depicting the difficult aftermath of a road vehicle accident and the search for a solution that is “fair” rather than just “what’s offered,” he describes managing the client’s nervousness leading up to the work, given the sensitive and trepidatious nature of personal injury cases.

“You have to walk that balance between the commercial imperative and being sensitive to the subject matter that you’re dealing with and showing people having horrific accidents. You have to be very careful not to seem to be exploitative.”

“We’re very proud of this work,” he continues. “Not only did the clients see it as some of the best work they’ve had for the brand, but they are also seeing their best results for many years off the back of it.”

“I think that’s incumbent on agencies, we can’t just always give clients what they want. We have to give them what we think they need, and respectfully stretch the boundaries of what’s possible and take them into new places. Otherwise, what’s the point of being an agency?”

Hill explains that much of what made Howatson fit the bill when it came time to become part of an integrated offering was a shared philosophy.

He lists their shared openness and compatibility, praising Howaton’s leadership, energy, and ability to build a great team.

“Chris and I share a lot of the same values. We’re both very open people. We wear our hearts on our sleeves,” says Hill.

“Chris has hand-picked some brilliant people who are the best going around, and it shows. I think the trust that he puts in his people is remarkable, and he’s rewarded for that trust that he puts in them with enthusiasm and commitment, and remarkable loyalty and commitment.

“The client-first mindset that comes at Howatson really fits well with my own ideology, as well. Fantastic creative, great strategic thinking, flawless delivery. They’re all things that I care about.

“You can get that capability in lots of places, but to find it packaged up with an ethos and a culture that also met mine.”

Three months since the move into the Howatson office, Hill is thankful for the “commercial reality” of the acquisition; the ability to relinquish admin like payroll, and in turn “focus on my craft, working with the clients, working with the team, and all of the, shall we say, fun stuff that comes with running a business.”

Which is why he started Akkomplice in the first place. “By 2004, I was managing director of M&C Saatchi here in Melbourne, and I was becoming too removed from my craft skills and all the things I loved about being in advertising. I wanted to get back to the front lines of strategy and creativity.

“As the son of a Scottish tax inspector, I must have something in my DNA for the analytical, business side of the equation. But art and creativity has always flowed through my blood too.”

And when it comes to the slew of indies that have emerged on the scene since his proven hunch those years ago, Hill says he enjoys the cordial competition.

“If you look for it, there’s a good sense of camaraderie. We are competitors. But that doesn’t make us enemies.”

See also:
Howatson+Co acquires Akkomplice: ‘It was a natural fit’
Allianz and Howatson+Co launch ‘Go Australiaahhh’ Olympics campaign

–

Top image: Kenny Hill

Francis Coady has launched Grand Pacific Entertainment & Advisory, just over a year after exiting Havas Media Group as chief marketing and content officer.

Coady’s new venture is a marcomms advisory and content creation company focused on using entertainment and storytelling in the advertising and communications industry to connect brands to audiences.

“I created this company to truly take hold of the transformative power of entertainment. Every company has meaningful stories that deserve to be showcased,” Coady said.

“Our deep expertise lies in discovering these unique narratives and turning them into entertaining experiences that engage audiences on an emotional level.”

The advisory side of the business will focus on a core series of services including strategic insights and market intelligence, full-service commercial advertising, branded content creation, plus podcast and broadcast production.

Meanwhile, the entertainment division will develop and fund original scripted dramas, documentaries, comedies, music, and podcasts, and aim to forge powerful creative partnerships locally and worldwide, with the scripted slate being represented by global entertainment group William Morris Endeavour (WME) out of London.

Coady said the company’s core philosophy is the belief that every interaction with a business is an opportunity to deepen connections and that businesses can transform by building consistent, positive, and purposeful entertainment brand moments.
 
In the past, Coady has managed acts like Thirsty Merc (Warner/Atlantic) and Hi-5. He also founded and executive produced the Bondi Short Film Festival for 13 years, and was general manager at Merchantwise Group, working with major film studios to create large-scale content partnerships.

Plus, he launched and oversaw Havas Sports & Entertainment group (Havas/Vivendi), where he created and executive produced the multi award-winning content series “THE LONG ROAD,” starring Guy Sebastian and Amy Shark, which amassed millions of views, along with leading national brands including Gillette, Avis Budget Group, Red Bull, Kayo, and Destination NSW.

In 2021, Coady became chief marketing and content officer at Havas Media Network in Australia, overseeing all content and communications while managing key client relationships. Coady said his new business has already started working with a number of clients.

“Grand Pacific Entertainment & Advisory has hit the ground, and stage for that matter, running with fantastic uptake from clients including Veterans Film Foundation, Komo Technologies, GolfSpace Australia, and Chisel who have understood and greatly benefited from the power of unlocking the principles of entertainment to emotionally connect with their audiences,” he added.

“I can’t wait to share some of the work we are doing.”

–

Top image: Francis Coady

Child online safety concerns, objectifying chilli sauce ads, and race-rallying cars were all subjects of the latest round of Ad Standards rulings, released this week.

This round of offenders of the AANA’s Codes of Ethics included Coburg Toyota, mobile game Match Masters, and Cape Woolamai-based condiment company, Pickle My Chili.

Coburg Toyota

Coburg Toyota came under fire for its Facebook campaign which featured an image of the Toyota C-HR GR Sport doing a burnout, accompanied by the text: “Get Race Ready.”

The Community Panel deemed the ad to be encouraging unsafe driving behaviour, finding it in breach of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) Motor Vehicle Code.

According to the AANA, the FCAI code concerns issues that “include unsafe driving, depiction of speeding, illegal driving practices, depiction of people driving while fatigued or under the influence of alcohol, issues of clarity concerning motorsport in advertising.”

The advertiser has since discontinued the ad from circulation.

Pickle My Chili

An Instagram campaign featuring two posts with information about Pickle My Chilli’s two new chilli sauce flavours, named Julia and Vanessa, raised complaints for its captions. In its personification of the chilli sauce, the ads were criticised  for using language that “sexualised and objectified women.”

One caption read: “Hi, I’m Julia. Here to titillate and invigorate your tongue. Find me in garlic and oregano or lemon and bay. I can penetrate the fattest of chicken thighs and pair perfectly in a baked ricotta. I’m full bodied and intense, perfect for all your culinary needs. Try me on eggs and rice, in soup or as a marinade for chicken. #PickleMyChili #HandMade #ChiliSauce #MadeinAustralia”

The other read: “Hi, I’m Vanessa.The headless Goddess of chili pepper. Here to entice you with my killer thighs and Lucious hips. I’m so irresistible, even the Pope can’t get me off his lips… [winking emoji] [pizza emoji] Throw me on anything, pizza, eggs, or even fish and chips!? #PickleMyChili #HandMade #ChiliSauce #MadeinAustralia”

The images used for the ads – a woman with a bottle of hot sauce, and a woman taking a bottle of hot sauce out of her pocket – were further criticised. Said one complainant: “These images are offensive as they do not honour or respect women, and contribute to a society where gender based violence and abuse is rampant.”

To which the advertisers responded: “In both ads the girls appear relaxed and comfortable, they are appropriately dressed. The script is funny and relevant to the product.”

The Community Panel found that the descriptions “draw a direct comparison between women and products to be consumed, therefore depicting women as objects and the ads are exploitative.” The campaign was found be in breach of the Code of Ethics (exploitative or degrading). 

Following the findings, the advertisers said it would “remove the blurb from the two posts.” 

Match Masters

A television advertisement features for the mobile PvP puzzle game was flagged for depicting a young girl playing on her mobile against a grown man from another country.

According to the Ad Standards’ report, complainants were concerned that “it encourages children to compete in online gaming against strangers, in a manner that promotes being ‘friends’ or ‘friendly’ with people online that they don’t necessarily know.” 

The Community panel found the advertisement in breach  of the Children’s Code and the Code of Ethics, and upheld the complaint, with the Match Master subsequently removing the offending ad.

See also:
Pregnancy, cockatoo gun violence, more girl maths: Ad Standards May rulings
Buttholes, nangs, and ‘girl math’: Ad Standards’ latest rulings

Seven West Media‘s digital-only newspaper, The Nightly, is making a splash. Since going live in February, the title more than doubled its audience in the second month – recording 1.808 million visitors in April, a 107% increase since launch.

Mediaweek spoke with The Nightly’s editor, Sarah-Jane Tasker, about what it’s like establishing a new masthead, the content readers are resonating with, and what comes next. 

What have the first three months behind the scenes of The Nightly been like?

Hectic! Launching a masthead, a new national voice, is a wild ride. I’ve been a journalist for almost 30 years but there has been nothing quite as exhilarating as this, being at the forefront of such an innovative, exciting brand. This is all new, so there are no rules and we have to keep reminding ourselves we are not bound by the old constraints of producing a newspaper.

This is a ‘print’ product for the millennials … That means we have to challenge each other every day, question why we are presenting these great stories in the way we are, and ask if there is another way to grab the audience for this yarn.

Newspapers are a competitive market to break into, and digital potentially even more so. How have you been working to make sure The Nightly’s content cuts through?

At the centre of The Nightly is good journalism, strong voices, clear and cut through writing and presentation.

What sort of content is resonating with readers of The Nightly?

Politics, sport, business. No surprises about what people want to read. Plus, really interesting opinion, and edgy culture and lifestyle content.

What we are giving readers is really special. A snapshot of the day with a different lens, a fresh design imperative. Anything and everything is up for grabs, focusing always and only really on what readers are interested in. Some of that is obvious. With other stories, important, maybe harder for audiences to get their heads around, we are intent on bringing them into the yarn, capturing their attention, and making them read stuff they maybe didn’t even know they were interested in. People often say politics is boring for younger generations. Well, it definitely is if your writing is dull and lazy. We promise not to be either of those things.

Ipsos iris data showed that The Nightly more than doubled its audience in its second month. How are you planning on making the most of that momentum?

We’ve only just begun. It’s a new brand, so many Australians don’t even know about us yet, and that audience will grow organically but it will also come with a rush as we deliver the goods with great journalism, well told and well presented.

The data also showed that almost a third of The Nightly’s audience is under 39-years-old, with 54% of readers being women. Another 30% of readers are aged 40 to 54 years old. How significant are those numbers?

Well, it says it all, right? Media outlets can sleepwalk into oblivion by refusing to engage with younger audiences. We have to find the platforms and the voice to appeal to young readers. They’re a tough crowd. They know what they want, and they often hate what they’ve been getting from mainstream outlets, which are stuck in their old ways. We are bringing them intelligent, clever, and relevant content in a compelling way.

What does the rest of the year look like for The Nightly?

We are only going to get bigger and better. We will keep iterating and experimenting and improving our journalism. You’re only as good as your last edition. We’re also always looking at our avenues to the readers. How are we reaching them and what new ways can we cross paths and inspire them to keep coming back for that special Nightly touch?

See also: Anthony de Ceglie’s ‘dream’ is a ‘unified’ Seven and new audiences

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Top image: Sarah-Jane Tasker

Pollinate’s bi-annual The Australia Pulse study has revealed that the cost of living remains the top concern for Australians – at 94% – as people increasingly turn to “designer duplicate” brands or “dupe” products that resemble high-end products for a fraction of the price.

49% of people have bought a dupe in the past four weeks, 75% think the existence of dupes is proof brands are overpriced, and 73% agree that dupes reveal which brands charge too much.

The study found that women were most receptive to dupes, with 54% having bought a dupe in the past four weeks. 70% of women also believe that dupes are the “Robin Hood” of brands: taking away from corporations and giving back to consumers.

Pollinate CEO Howard Parry-Husbands told Mediaweek that while brands affected by the rise of dupes can eventually win back customers, it can only be done if they demonstrate a better value equation.

“Most brands are still produced unsustainably, all wrapped in plastic, priced at a premium and have not done much in the way of helping the common person with the (immediate) cost-of-living crisis or (long term) anxiety over unsustainable production, waste, plastic and more,” he said.

“More to the point, brands affected by the rise of dupes are also the brands that have responsibility for their existence. Most people think of a dupe as a ‘Robin Hood’ brand – one that sells their product at a discounted rate for those less fortunate. That means if your brand has a ‘dupe’ then you could well be the greedy sheriff who has been taking from the people.

“People are at the point where they feel liked they’ve been robbed for a long time. That means, as a brand, the best way to win back customers is by giving back to the people.”

The study recorded that 49% of the country are buying little treats for themselves less often and 62% did not buy anything in the past month to “escape” the everyday. Almost half of Australians have cut their spending on little treats, from alcohol through to clothing, footwear and even takeaway coffee.

Concern about women’s safety and crime has also increased sharply over the past six months, now ranking third and fourth respectively.

58% of people believe things are getting worse, with the research showing economic and social concerns are at their highest level since Pollinate started conducting the study 17 years ago.

Yet, despite a long list of deepening concerns, 68% of Australians say they are happy with life right now (up from 63% last year) and 88% believe they are in control of their own happiness (up from 86%). Almost 90% of people say they are happy to be living in Australia today.

Looking at the research as a whole, Parry-Husbands said brands need to focus more on why customers look elsewhere.

“[Brands say] ‘What can we do to win back trust or win back customers?’ but, in reality, the question is not how to win customers back but to figure out what caused your brand/product to lose them in the first place,” he said.

“The big issues the research presents is a chronic lack of long-term thinking, which is partly cultural – Australians are culturally very short-term thinkers, and partly structural – Australia is quite an isolated economy, riven with duopolies. That means we are generally poor at recognising social and cultural shifts – and resist them –until they wash over us.

“The shift we’re seeing through The Australia Pulse research is that most people are holding a huge amount of anxiety and stress. This tension will have to be relieved and it is unlikely that any significant policy decisions will be made that deliver this relief. Instead, people will begin to change their habits: they will choose to buy the same for less, or buy less or even buy differently.

“As habits are hard to break, society will possibly not return to old patterns of behaviour. This starts a feedback loop that will also entrench new habits like buying a dupe brand that is seen as good quality and makes the consumer feel good and save money.”

Pollinate’s research was conducted in April this year and covered 1,006 people aged 14 to 64 across Australia.

Yesterday Mediaweek published a look inside Colin From Accounts production house Easy Tiger.

Today we speak to Binge executive director, and Foxtel Group commissioner, Alison Hurbert-Burns, about that hit show. She reveals how Australian originals stack up against international acquisitions. It’s a battle that will help define the future direction of the Binge streaming product.

Hurbert-Burns is a key link in how the sitcom arrived at the Foxtel Group. She is a former colleague of Easy Tiger’s Rob Gibson when they worked at Stan. They had worked together on the Stan Original No Activity.

As Hurbert-Burns explained to Mediaweek: “I got a message from Rob when I arrived at Binge. He rang me and said, ‘Ali, congrats for going over to Binge. I think I’ve got your first Binge original.’

“It ended up being Colin From Accounts and it became our second original.”

See also: Binge launches Colin From Accounts second season as new episodes of hit comedy drop

Above: Gordon (Patrick Brammall) and Ashley (Harriet Dyer) in Colin From Accounts. Top image: The cast of Colin From Accounts with Foxtel Group’s Alison Hurbert-Burns and Lana Greenhalgh

Brian Walsh was a fan of Colin From Accounts scripts

Back then Hurbert-Burns was working alongside Foxtel’s Brian Walsh as they planned the Foxtel Group Originals slate.

“Brian knew the Easy Tiger team but had never made anything with Ian Collie or Rob. It was just after lockdown ended, and we went and had breakfast with them. We were there to talk about Colin From Accounts because Rob had sent me the script. Harriet had written it a few years before and it had been across lots of people’s desks.

“I remember Brian texting me, he was up reading it at home one evening. He’s like, ‘Ali, I haven’t laughed out loud like this for some time.’ Then we read more, and Brian and I made the recommendation to commission the show. A few people, who will remain nameless, questioned making an Australian romcom for TV.

“We were very confident in our commissioning decision. But you don’t know until it starts to really come together. We shot the pilot in Sydney in 2022 and had it ready for the LA screenings.

“CBS Studios saw the early cuts and we were getting feedback from the US team about how happy they were with it. For the screening Ian Collie, Rob Gibson and I were on the Paramount lot. Amanda Laing and Patrick Delaney were also with us.

“I’ve never been more nervous in my life. We had around 600 people in the beautiful main studio at Paramount. One of the oldest lots in Hollywood and it was full of TV buyers. I remember feeling so relieved and just so excited to hear the laughter during the screening.

“Fast forward two years and we’re in 100 countries now.”

See also: Production hothouses: Brands behind Australia’s Logie-winning series

Gordon and Ashley in episode two of season two

Colin takes off on Binge

It was six months after that LA screening that the sitcom arrived on Binge. “It just took off,” said Hurbert-Burns.

“It was pretty clear that we had something very strong. We dropped all eight episodes of season one at once because we wanted to get word of mouth. That happened during the summer holidays at the end of 2022.

“It then took off in England at Easter.” Binge continued to promote the series with Hurbert-Burns noting it had three big audience moments during 18 months. “That is quite unique,” she explained. The series also started to register again on the most-watched list ahead of the launch of season two.

Binge’s biggest hits

Hurbert-Burns noted how Colin From Accounts performed against some of the iconic other properties that sit on Binge.

“It’s up there with Love Me as our most popular original in audience size. For the time we have had Colin From Accounts on Binge, it sits alongside the biggest shows ever from HBO or BBC or Warner Bros.

“We were hoping for a male-female co-viewing romcom and it’s definitely done that. It’s a success by all metrics. When you look at the percentage of our subscribers that finished the series, the completion rates are high.

“We launched it out of the back of the White Lotus quite purposefully.”

Comedy as a subscription driver

When Colin season one came out, we saw direct correlations between people signing up. We then measure the first thing watched on signup which is a pretty good indicator of what they’re coming in for. We saw a direct correlation there.

“What we found was in the 18 months since Colin came out, many people signing up to Binge for the first time were watching the series. It’s become a real evergreen for the platform.”

See also: Latest Binge subscriber numbers released by News Corp

Dr Bruce (Tony Llewellyn-Jones) and Gordon (Patrick Brammall)

Choosing a commission

Has finding a hit sitcom made the commissioners feel a little braver? “It’s always a mix of data and curiosity and a bit of gut feel,” said Hurbert-Burns. “When you commission there’s butterflies because you hope the audience that you believed in will find it.”

As ABC’s Jennifer Collins explained in Mediaweek recently, Australian content is “having a moment” internationally. Hurbert-Burns agreed.

“I love that Colin has lifted the profile for Australian content overseas. I’m a big believer in all boats rising on the tide.

“Three of our next local shows that are coming, not just drama, not just comedy, have all been pre-sold into the major markets. And people are coming in off scripts of early pitches because they’re having success on their slates with our content.

“When you see Australian content selling overseas it helps the risk profile of all of our productions.

See also: Binge to launch docu-soap reality format Billion Dollar Playground in 2024

“We work really closely with partners that are taking our shows so that we can support them as best as possible with all our promotion and social assets. International markets are looking for different models. Everyone’s got constrained budgets. People are looking at different ways to produce with partners.”

Listen to Mediaweek’s TV Gold podcast with fresh episodes released every Friday.
Special bonus episode this week features Easy Tiger’s Ian Collie and Rob Gibson talking about Colin From Accounts and some of their other recent hits.

Allianz has launched a brand campaign via Howatson+Company to mark the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024. Leveraging the Allianz ‘Ahhh’ brand code as a sound similar to that of cheering for Aussie athletes, the campaign is a move to strengthen the insurer‘s association with the Games.

Allianz has been the Worldwide Insurance Partner of the Olympic and Paralympic movements since 2021, and, in Australia, a partner of Paralympics Australia since 2011 and the Australian Olympic Committee since in 2019.

“’Aahhh’ is the sound we made when Cathy Freeman sprinted into history, it’s the sound that we made watching the Courtney Vine score ‘that goal’, and it’s how we will celebrate every time an Aussie achieves the remarkable in Paris,” said Allianz’s chief general manager of consumer, Shez Ford.

“Sport is a huge part of Australian communities and lives. And our Olympic and Paralympic partnership provides us with the opportunity to bring to life the every day Australians we serve that will be cheering our athletes on in their living rooms, in pubs and anywhere they can find a TV or Phone.”

Howatson+Company’s group managing director, Renee Hyde described the campaign as capturing “the joy of celebrating our country’s best.”

“The Olympic and Paralympic Games unite our nation – bringing communities together all over Australia,” she said. 

The teaser campaign kicked off the campaign activity for Allianz, accompanied by a six-week burst which capitalises on key sporting and cultural media environments through TV, outdoor, and audio, reaching its key partner locations through outdoor and in-lift activity.

In its subsequent phase, the campaign will be brought to life through live activations, an earned media execution managed by Eleven PR, and social-led activity.

Earlier this year, Allianz announced its new ambassador, Australian swimmer Mollie O’Callaghan, who joined Allianz Australia’s cohort of ambassadors including Cate Campbell, Madison de Rozario, Nic Beveridge, Owen Wright, and the Australian Steelers.

In December last year, Allianz appointed GroupM as its global media partner of record, following a pitch against the incumbent Spark Foundry and PHD. Mindshare leads the media account globally and in two-thirds of markets, while Wavemaker Australia handles the account locally.

Credits:

Creative agency: Howatson+Company
Production company: DIVISION
Director: Riley Blakeway
Executive producer & MD: Genevieve Triquet
Executive producer: Morgan Benson-Taylor
Producer: Holly Winter
DOP: Andy Gough
Casting: Byrne Casting

Post production: Heckler
Editor: Andrew Holmes
Colourist: Fergus Rotherham

Music: Mosaic

PR agency: Eleven PR

Media agency: Wavemaker

Social media agency: Howatson+Company

Popular online tradie marketplace hipages has unveiled a complete brand overhaul via brand design agency, FutureBrand Australia, as it undergoes a business transformation from marketplace to SaaS (subscription as a service) platform.  

“Our business transformation was the catalyst for evolving the hipages brand,” said vice president of marketing Nick Ellery.

“This investment in our brand will help us become the go-to-brand for home improvement services in Australia and will play a pivotal role to enable our business growth.”

FutureBrand partnered with hipages to develop the new brand strategy, identity, and experience, with the aim of future-proofing the brand. The final product retains hipages’ logo, and the use of orange as part of its brand identity.

The overhaul aims to improve the platform experience for tradies and homeowners, including the launch of hipages tradiecore – an end-to-end leads and job management platform for tradies. 

Hipages head of brand and communications, Carolin Sternberg-Heyze, said that in engaging FutureBrand, the team sought a partner with credentials in brand strategy and brand identity development.

She said the aim of the overhaul was “to help us strengthen hipages’ brand image and perception in the market, so that we can not only drive instant recognition and irresistible appeal with our audiences for years to come, but commercial outcomes for the business. In FutureBrand we found this partner.” 

FutureBrand Australia CEO, Rich Curtis, added: “By helping to bolster hipages’ business transformation and turn strategy into reality, we’ve not only reinforced hipages’ purpose but also renovated its brand strategy, identity and experience.

“What made this possible was working together with the marketing, product and technology teams – to equip them with brand tools and training so that the brand can work harder in those moments that matter to build an altogether better experience.”

Recently, FutureBrand partnered with competitive social experiences company Funlab to rejuvenate its Strike bowling brand.

Funlab first appointed FutureBrand Australia in 2021 to reimagine the Funlab’s masterbrand and its portfolio of experience brands, including Strike, Holey Moley, Hijinx Hotel, La Di Darts, Archie Bros. and B. Lucky & Sons

See also: FutureBrand revamps Strike brand for Funlab

The Spec Sheet, a tool for media agencies to help create, share, and revise ad spec sheets and avoid design problems, has launched its first ad campaign by highlighting a fail.

Founded by Sharon Gray and Jesse McLallen in 2022, The Spec Sheet is a platform that is designed to be a ‘one stop shop for ad specs’.

The platform’s first ad campaign demonstrates one of these errors on the big screen – DOOH ads dispatched to the wrong size – to make a point of the problem The Spec Sheet was set up to solve.
 
“As a digital producer, I found myself being constantly delivered incorrect specs from media agencies, and being lost in drip-fed revisions to spec sheets. It was incredibly frustrating and the process had a lot of room for error,” Gray said.

McLallen explained: “Digging deeper, Sharon and I discovered there was poor communication across the board, between media owners, media agencies, and creative agencies.

“So we sought to create The Spec Sheet as a tool that would bring everyone on to the one page – literally the one webpage. With less errors in specs being shared, we could save millions of dollars in leakage across the industry.”

The platform works as a reference point for the industry, where 80,000+ unique ad specs from over 250+ media owners (along with Material Instructions) are stored and kept up-to-date. This is done is via APIs that integrate with media owners’ booking systems.

“The end result is a much simpler process – media agencies simply select and add the placements they want in their campaign, then share that live sheet with agency partners to produce against,” McLallen said.
 
The incorrectly-dispatched ad campaign has been very correctly dispatched to DOOH units in the vicinity of key media agencies around Sydney and Melbourne, to coincide with a month free offer.
 
Gray added: “We want to tell media agencies that, as the middle cog in the process, there’s now a much easier way to make spec sheets than the fail-prone Excel files and endless email chains of yesteryear.”

In a gaming marketing industry still plagued by misunderstanding, newly-founded gaming agency Game Day Collective is helping brands market to gamers with authenticity.

Founded by prominent ex-Red Bull and ESL gaming leaders James Lai and Josh Inman, the duo told Mediaweek brands often struggle with authenticity when marketing to gamers and audiences broadly. 

“Marketing is a fine art and gamers are one of the most savvy consumers out there, so brands must ensure they understand them and what makes them tick, not just use the same strategies and tactics that work on the general population,” they said. 

“The solution to this is to listen, develop a robust strategy and execute it, while pushing the boundaries of creativity, something we excel at.”

James Lai, co-founder and CMO at Game Day Collective

Game Day Collective offers a 360-degree suite of strategic consulting, go-to-market and experiential activation services, specialising in gaming and e-sports.

The company’s vision is to empower a new era where brands and gamers unite, without gimmicks.

The launch of the agency comes at an interesting time for the industry. While Australia’s gaming market is worth $4.21 billion – up from $2.67 billion in 2021 – it is a widely shared opinion that the market remains niche for advertisers.

However, the duo said they are launching the agency now due to demand. 

“There’s a huge demand, especially post-COVID, for live events and activities.

“With James looking for his next challenge after nearly seven years at Red Bull, and Josh looking to apply his gaming experience once again, a discussion over a beer at the local is all it took to realise that it was the perfect time to bring an authentic agency to market.”

Josh Inman, co-founder and COO at Game Day Collective

The duo assured they are standing out amongst other gaming agencies in the market because they are gamers “who helped build the industry.”

“It again comes down to authenticity and an organic connection to the gaming community. Josh has been operating grassroots esports events since 2009 and is a former competitor and e-sports commentator. He’s led teams to help run the largest esports properties in Australia including IEM and DreamHack and has worked on activations for almost every major games publisher.

“James built and grew Red Bull Australia’s gaming activities from the ground up for seven years, he’s responsible for all of the partnerships that were made between Red Bull and gaming publishers, developers and manufacturers over the years so has an intimate knowledge of the industry’s workings.

“Prior to this, James worked across many well-known gaming peripheral brands and software titles including Street Fighter and Resident Evil.”

Inman said: “Many agencies claim to be gaming and esports experts, but their experience often doesn’t go beyond watching their kids play Fortnite and Googling what flossing is. We’re different.”

Arnott’s Group and The Neighbourhood revealed the team made a last-minute decision to the final Life’s Little Moments campaign, which proved to be a key move.

The brand and agency network presented at Inside Effectiveness, presented by the ACA and AANA, in Sydney last week.

Toby Aldred, MD of Saatchi & Saatchi Australia and chief client officer at The Neighbourhood, Ranita Cowled, business director of treating at Arnott’s Group, and Imogen Hewitt, chief media officer at Publicis Groupe and AUNZ CEO at Spark Foundry, took to the stage to break down the 10 steps behind the effectiveness of the campaign.

At the 2023 Australian Effie Awards, the campaign took home the Grand Effie, gold in the food and beverage category, and silver for ROI.

Toby Aldred, Ranita Cowled and Imogen Hewitt

Aldred and Cowled revealed the music track, Dragon’s 1978 hit Still In Love With You, a last-minute final decision, “was the biggest change” to the ad, which ultimately proved to be the right choice.

“That was the biggest change we made post research and then after that we went with gut instinct on track,” Aldred said.

“And it turned out to be an absolute smasher,” Cowled added. “The music was literally I think two days before we were dispatching the ad – a lot of ‘hang on, this isn’t quite right,’ we got something we all went, ‘this is it’ and we backed it. We’ve since tested in other executions and it was definitely the right decision.”

Cowled also highlighted the importance of rewarding effectiveness. “The way Arnott’s and The Neighbourhood work is a really clear KPI structure, we’re all celebrating the results we’re getting. Those results aren’t just honest results, they’re The Neighbourhood results as well and rewarding that culture is something that’s really important to us as a client.”

Aldred added that Arnott’s is clear and upfront and on what it expects the work to achieve, as well as “generous with the remuneration that comes with that.”

“The two pieces are interlocked, there is commerciality to creativity we shouldn’t be ashamed of and the job there is to make the brand more effective.”

See also: Media and creative: Siloed still, or ‘no genuine divide’? 

The Neighbourhood trio was followed by the ALDI and BMF Australia team discussing their 23-year-old relationship and giving a behind-the-scenes look at how they built an effective and award-winning Good Different campaign.

Jenny Melhuish, Anna Bollinger, and Hannah McHard

Jenny Melhuish, ALDI marketing director, Anna Bollinger, executive planning director of BMF Australia, and Hannah McHard, head of effectiveness at BMF Australia presented the work.

Bollinger noted that it wasn’t until seven years ago that BMF introduced a “long term brand idea” – Good Different – for Aldi. She said: “This is really a coming of age story for Aldi, it was about embracing Aldi’s differences unapologetically.

“It’s our belief that those effective long ideas are born from within a company’s DNA, and certainly Good Different was born from within. That’s why it was really able to permeate sort of all aspects of the business, from promotion through to policies, to selecting the right people.

“When it comes to our creativity, Good Different is that unifying thought that can carry many different messages, from our weekly retail to our special buys, to seasonal events like Christmas and even once off tactical promotions.

“But because Good Different has a distinctive and challenger tone of voice, it means that across everything that we do, we’re able to achieve this halo effect through all those moments of the year that helped build that brand equity and love.”

Melhuish noted that Aldi and BMF’s formula to success has been an alignment between brand and agency, long-term thinking on what will drive saliency and awareness, dedication to the customer, and delivering industrious creativity from the brand and agency.

The Inside Effectiveness Sydney session rounded out with a panel on boosting marketing ROI, effectiveness, creativity, and alignment in big networks, moderated by Fran Clayton and featuring Julian Schreiber, partner and chief creative officer of Special Australia, Imogen Hewitt, Ranita Cowled, Jenny Melhuish, and Hannah McHard.

–

Top image: Fran Clayton, Jenny Melhuish, Hannah McHard, Imogen Hewitt, Ranita Cowled, and Julian Schreiber

Havas Red has launched an AI proposition in response to the slew of automation technologies emerging in the creative industry, ‘Agency Intelligence: Intelligent Strategy, Ideas, and People.’

Havas Red – the PR, content, social, influencer, and experiential services arm of Havas – said the new vision draws tension between embracing AI and the human intelligence necessary to power creative innovation and problem solving for brands.

“We wholeheartedly believe human intelligence is the engine that powers original creativity and helps solve the most important challenges for our clients,” said Havas Red Australia’s CEO, Shane Russell.  

“It’s intelligent people from a range of specialised disciplines who help brands communicate with purpose, nuance, emotion, and personality. We’re embracing automation tools to supercharge creative output; however, artificial thinking will never replace the best ideas, creativity, relationships, and people. As long as we’re communicating to humans, we need human insight and smart people at the wheel.”

The Agency Intelligence platform will shape content on Havas Red’s owned channels, industry reports, thought leadership, new service offerings, events, and employee training.  

In Australia, Havas Red represents brands including Toyota, Lexus, Tourism Tasmania, Norco, Booking.com, SunRice, Big W, WG&S, Fujitsu, Neoen, Novartis, AusGrid, Dropbox, and Terry White Chemmart.

In April, Havas Red won the corporate communications account for digital operations management company, PagerDuty, in the Australian market, following a competitive pitch process.  Last year, Avis Budget Group retained Havas Media Network and Havas Red following a competitive pitch.

According to a recent Ipsos AI Monitor survey, conducted from mid-April to early May 2024, the Asia Pacific region remains divided on whether to be nervous or excited about the AI revolution.

The survey examined attitudes towards AI, particularly understanding the technology and its impact on day-to-day life. The study found a divide between people in the APAC region who are excited by the potential AI will offer, and those who are firmly sceptical about its future.

In Asia, 62% of people surveyed said they were excited about products and services that use AI; interest is greatest in China (80%), Indonesia (76%), Thailand (76%), and South Korea (73%).

Meanwhile, English-speaking countries, including Australia and New Zealand, noted the need for caution with AI—just 39% of Aussies and 43% of Kiwis said they were excited about the technology.

See also:
HAVAS Red wins PagerDuty account
Avis Budget Group retains Havas Media Network and Havas Red

QMS has won the tender to manage select external digital large format billboards for retail property group Vicinity Centres in Victoria and Tasmania.

The expansion of the outdoor company’s national premium network is effective immediately.

The appointment covers two shopping centre locations in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs – Box Hill Central and The Glen – as well as Eastlands shopping centre in Hobart’s Rosny Park, which will be home to QMS’ first digital billboard in Tasmania.

QMS chief operating officer, Sara Lappage, said the team was “delighted to be working with Vicinity Centres to develop and manage these premium digital assets and provide a platform for continued innovation and creativity for our clients.”

“Vicinity Centres include some of Australia’s most coveted retail sites and are a perfect complement to our market-leading national digital large format portfolio and our world-class, City of Sydney digital street furniture network,” Lappage added.

Vicinity Centres’ head of media, Brooke McMonigle, said: “We are pleased to be working with QMS to grow our premium digital asset capability and continue connecting brands with customers at our centres.”

The partnership follows other recent wins for QMS, including Transport for NSW, The Hills Shire Council, the Australian Turf Club’s Rosehill Gardens Racecourse, and the Australian Rail Track Corporation’s (ARTC) out-of-home assets across Sydney.

Australian Pork Limited has launched its latest brand campaign via Dig, introducing a new character, Ramón Jamón.

The campaign breathes life into the long-standing ‘Get Some Pork on Your Fork’ platform. Dig was tasked with increasing awareness and saliency of pork as an everyday protein option.

The campaign centres on Spaniard Ramón Jamón addressing common barriers to pork by asking, “Por qué?”, which translates into English as, “Why?”

Anna Paine and Owen Bryson, Dig’s creative directors, said: “Pork provides a tasty twist to the everyday, which is exactly what Ramón Jamón delivers. It’s been a pleasure bringing this campaign to life with the APL teams. We are confident it will deliver results for Australian Pork, and perhaps also boost sales of pink suits.”

Slingshot Media led the media for the campaign, which has launched nationally across TV, radio, OOH, press, print, digital, social, retail, and PR activity.

“Dig have taken our already iconic ‘Get some pork on your fork’ marketing campaign, and built on it a bold new character, here to inspire Aussie families to discover the versatility of Australian-grown pork. The strength of the campaign’s new direction shone through since we first saw it and we’re very proud to be launching across the country today,” Australian Pork’s CEO, Margo Andrae, said.

Credits:

Creative Agency: Dig
Chief Creative Officer/Partner: David Joubert
Creative Director: Owen Bryson
Creative Director: Anna Paine
Executive Planning Director: Lucielle Vardy
Managing Director: Lisa Ramsey
Group Account Director: Andrew Grey
Account Director: Sarah Coppens
Senior Account Manager: Laura Smith
Producer: Jess Campbell

Client: Australian Pork Limited
Acting Marketing Director, Brand: Fiona Boughton
Marketing Director, Brand: Eunbi Lee
Marketing Director, Category: Kathleen Pindsle
Brand Manager: Ashleigh Dyson
Insights Manager: Teagan Levett

Media Agency: Slingshot Media
Chief Executive Officer/Partner: Simon Rutherford
Group Business Director: Brittany Cooper
Head of Strategy: Molly Blacker
Business Manager: Melissa Galanos
Senior Implementation Planner: Harrison Smith
Media Assistant: Cobey Johnston

Production Company: Rabbit
EP: Alex Hay
Director: Lachlan Dickie
DOP: James Brown
Producer: Izzy Vitelli

Post-house: The Editors
Editor: Ryan Boucher
Colourist: Matt Fezz

Music composition: Mark Wilson
Sound: Squeak-E-Clean
Casting: Danny Long
Stills: Troy Goodall, Photoplay
Food stylist: Ben Masters

Enigma has appointed Lee Liversedge as creative director of brand, property, and place.

He brings more than 25 years of creative agency experience to the Enigma team, having established his own agencies. Liversedge previously held leadership roles for global agencies Ogilvy and Imagination and worked with brands such as Google, Amex, British Airways, IBM, Vodafone, and Westfield.

Most recently, he delivered the experience strategy and creative masterplan for The City of Brisbane.

Liversedge has also executed placemaking strategies for dozens of projects, including the premium residential and commercial precinct Aurora on Manly Beach and NoVo, a residential tower in Newcastle.

Lisa Sutton Gardner, founder of Enigma, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have secured Lee to creatively lead our brand and property and place divisions – it’s an example of the high calibre of creative leadership we are bringing into the agency.

“Lee brings an incredible skill-set and pedigree to the agency, both in his wealth of industry experience, and his passion for executing at a high level. Lee brings a deep understanding of all facets of brand and human-centred design to the business – we can’t wait to see what he delivers for our clients.

“Lee’s hire bolsters a team on the rise, with dedicated creative leadership and visionary skills to provide Enigma’s clients with a 360 view of what brand can be – and how it can be expressed to create real impact.”
 
Akira Galvin, Enigma’s executive director, property and place, added: “Property marketing is about so much more than just imagery – it’s a competitive landscape, with consumers expecting an increasingly sophisticated experience at each turn and touchpoint.
 
“That’s where Lee’s skills and pedigree are critical, as his career has focused on people-centric experiential activations. Lee will bring this whole brain thinking to our client portfolio to push the boundaries further, to create more impact, and encourage bolder, braver thinking.”

Liversedge’s appointment comes off the back of the agency hiring former The Monkeys and Emotive staffer Ciaran Miller-Stubbs as its new executive director, and Havas creative Matt Ennis as creative director.
 
Liversedge said of his appointment: “I am absolutely thrilled to join the Enigma team at such an exciting time creatively for the agency. The focus of my career has been on creating connected brand experiences that stimulate and amplify human behaviours wherever people live, work, and play.
 
“For me, it’s about delivering truly memorable experiences that bring people and place together. I look forward to bringing this passion and holistic thinking to Enigma and its clients.”
 
See also: Ciaran Miller-Stubbs and Matt Ennis join Enigma

–
 
Top image: Lee Liversedge

Bastion has announced appointment of Alexandra O’Neil as the integrated agency‘s head of brand marketing, spanning Australia and New Zealand.

O’Neil moves from her previous post as marketing manager for Solotel Group. She has worked with brands including Moet Hennessy, Bacardi, Adidas, Levi’s, SXSW, Sydney WorldPride, NSW Government, CUB, and Lion Nathan.

Before Solotel, O’Neil was part of Crown’s business development and marketing team.

“It’s an exciting move to Bastion and I look forward to working with a team focused on creativity and strategy,” she said.

“As head of brand marketing I’ll be focusing on building the Bastion brand, growing our industry position, and communicating our brand narrative to the market.”

Bastion’s managing director of experience – growth, Matt McCann, said the appointment is in line with the agency’s plans to conceptualise a marketing strategy for Australia and New Zealand, off the back of a 12 month growth period. 

“We’re incredibly lucky to have found someone of Alex’s calibre to join the team. She is moving from an amazing career in hospitality at Solotel Group as marketing manager where she managed multiple brands,” he said.  

“With exciting announcements coming from Bastion locally and globally, the role required someone with an acute ability to understand the operational needs of a multifaceted full-service marketing and communications agency like Bastion and the impactful work we do under one holistic umbrella.”

The appointment of O’Neil follows the April appointment of Cheuk Chiang as Bastion’s new ANZ CEO, who moved from his position as APAC CEO for Dentsu Creative.

In March, Bastion acquired digital creative agency AnalogFolk, a year after AnalogFolk’s CEO Matt Robinson and chief strategy officer Ben Hourahine acquired the agency from its UK parent company through a management buyout.

In late May, Bastion announced Samantha Hansen as its partnerships marketing director. 

See also: Bastion appoints Samantha Hansen partnerships marketing director

Top image: Alexandra O’Neil

Following last week’s Makes effort look effortless campaign introducing Chinese autobrand GWM’s Cannon Alpha Hybrid to the Australia and New Zealand ute market, independent creative agency The Hallway has followed up with work debuting the GWM Tank 500 Hybrid off-road 4×4.

The latest campaign, Out there awaits, an extension of the See You Out There creative platform, is spearheaded by a 30 second film directed by Scoundrel’s Ariel Martin.

The film encourages viewers to act on their inner desire to escape through the narrated words of English novelist and poet Rudyard Kipling, author of The Jungle Book, as it follows the driver’s journey from Australian suburbia to rugged mountain ranges.

In Kipling’s words from his poem, The Explorer: “Go and look behind the Ranges – Something lost behind the Ranges. Lost and waiting for you. Go!”

“There’s a voice inside all of us that sometimes urges us to escape from the confines of our daily lives. This campaign reminds us how important it is not just to hear but also to heed that inner voice,” explained The Hallway CCO and partner, Simon Lee.

GWM ANZ head of marketing and communications, Steve Maciver, believes “even at a more premium end of the market, Tank 500 offers undeniable value and is set to shake up the SUV segment.

“As our newest flagship, seven-seater SUV, the Tank 500 offers Australians the opportunity to explore the best this great land has to offer – and to do it in supreme comfort while surrounded by the latest technology, as this latest campaign shows.”

The campaign is currently rolling out across TV, OOH, social, and display.

The Hallway’s work for GWM follows a trove of ute campaigns that have cropped up since the start of the year. In March, Innocean made headlines with its Aussie sports-star studded campaign that teased the first ever Kia ute. And DDB Sydney launched Roo Badge for Volkswagen’s Amarok ute.

In April, JAC Motors appointed earned-first creative agency We Are Different as its earned, social, and influencer agency partner in Australia, tasked with introducing the brand to the Aussie market, focussing on the launch of its first Australian-delivered passenger vehicle, the JAC T9 Ute.

See also:
82m impressions in four days: How Kia’s big ute ad exceeded CMO and Innocean’s expectations
We Are Different to lead JAC Motors’ earned, social, influencer work

Credits:

Creative agency: The Hallway 

Scoundrel
Executive Producers: Adrian Shapiro and Kate Gooden
Director: Ariel Martin
Producer: Giordi Caputo
Director of photography: Max Walter
Editor: Lucas Vazquez
Post-production: Mr Fox
Colourist: Matt Fezz  

Audio: Rumble Studios
Music and sound: Rumble Studios
Composer: Rino Darusman 
Sound Designer: Tone Aston 
Music and sound EP: Michael Gie

Media: Nunn Media

Ancestry and DEPT have teamed up to launch a campaign for the genealogy company’s inaugural partnership with Ampol State of Origin 2024.

The Discover Your Origin campaign is a strategic initiative that delves deep into the roots of well-known Australian rugby league players this season and showcases the impressive slate of DNA product offerings.

The campaign aims to demonstrate the power of DNA testing and connect it to the Australian National Rugby League (NRL) passionate fan base.

Discover Your Origin is live and has been amplified across all screens including TV, VOD, and social. The partnership was facilitated by Publicis Sport & Entertainment with campaign strategy by media agency Spark Foundry Australia and creative agency DEPT Australia.

Through social content and exclusive access to talent, including State of Origin players Tom Trbojevic and Ben Hunt, Ancestry will uncover the origins of the players’ DNA, as well as the people and places from their past.

DEPT and Ancestry leveraged artificial intelligence (AI) to supercharge production efficiencies. AI not only added depth to frames but also facilitated voice-over recording. Multiple options were generated, allowing for a perfect match between visuals, sounds, and brand identity.

“DEPT really took on the challenge of embracing heritage but powering it with innovation,” James Walmsley, head of marketing Australia and New Zealand at Ancestry, said.

“The use of AI to create the imagery and voice-over in this campaign was a great example of how to use this technology in a way that enhances creativity. We couldn’t be more happy with the collaboration with DEPT and their innovative spirit.”

The concept drew inspiration from Michel Gondry’s music videos for bands such as Daft Punk and The White Stripes, showcasing sequences of backward-moving time and adding a surreal and captivating quality to his work. The campaign features AI-enhanced visuals, including an 80s-style lounge room where the past and present intersect.

Brad Stevens, executive creative director at DEPT, said: “What I love about DEPT is our constant pursuit of new ways to solve our clients’ problems. With this particular brief, we were lucky to have an ambitious client willing to embrace technology to tackle the challenge: connecting the past to the future, and doing it in a very short turnaround.”

Credits:

Ancestry:
James Walmsley – Head of Marketing
Sinead Bushell – Marketing Manager
Nozi Bhebhe – Marketing Manager

National Rugby League:
Caroline Yuen – General Manager Partnerships
Sophie Wills – Partnership Manager
Joshua Bell – Digital Commercial Executive

Weber Shandwick Australia:
Rachel Vidaic – Business Director
Joey Gan – Senior Account Manager
Ellen Budgell-Price – Account Manager

Publicis:
Will Koukouras – National Director of Sport & Entertainment
Patrick van Breugel – Partnerships Manager of Sport & Entertainment

DEPT Australia:
Jessica White – VP, Creative & Media
Brad Stevens – Executive Creative Director
Sam McGraw – Account Director

Spark Foundry Australia:
Joshua Green – Strategy Director
Natali Kakovska – Client Partner
Emma Castino – Client Director

Equip Super has launched a new positioning campaign via independent media and creative agency cummins&partners, following a pitch win.

Geared towards pre-retirees and retirees, the campaign recognises the confusing nature of ‘near retirement’, playing off the idiom ‘the shy and retiring type’. The campaign evokes a metaphorical safe space for people to seek advice and guidance, and ask the questions they may be too “afraid” to ask, such as whether they might have enough money to retire.

The work comes off the back of research conducted by the super fund, which revealed retirees are demanding direct, personal contact from their funds. It also showed retirees are unsure of where to start retirement planning, let alone knowing if they will have enough funds to last.

“We’re seeing an opportunity for the growing cohort of pre-retirees to provide deeper support and service. We’re thrilled to launch this campaign with cummins&partners and thank them for their help in getting us here,” said Equip Super’s chief technology and transformation officer, Brent Retallick.

Sean Cummins, founder and creative strategist of cummins&partners, described the work as a reorientation of Equip Super “around a very important audience and life stage, who often need that extra validation and support navigating a very complex time in their lives.

“I know personally that you don’t want to feel silly and timid about the issue, so having a campaign that tackles that head on is great.”

The campaign has launched featuring over 500 dynamic OOH placements, social, digital, and integrated sponsorships across Sky’s Business Weekly and the Retire Right podcast.

The campaign also includes a takeover of Melbourne’s Flinders Street Station, with a dynamic Q&A feed on ‘The Wall’ and consecutive screens.

Last month, Connecting Plots bid integrated strategy and planning partner Tim Collier “an emotional ‘see you soon’” as he departed the independent after six years to take up the head of strategy position at cummins&partners.

See also: Tim Collier leaves Connecting Plots for Cummins

The HOKA FlyLab was brought to life in Sydney’s Pitt Street over five days last week through Emotive – the second activation by the creative independent for HOKA in Australia.

The experiential brand activation for the sportswear brand offered free community events, and health and fitness masterclasses on a range of topics from health and nutrition to performance, tech and innovation, in time for Global Running Day which is celebrated between 1 and 9 June.

The activation showcased HOKA origins and innovations, including the latest offerings in the HOKA lineup such as the Skyward X and Cielo X1.

Featured guests included running culture and community leaders Chad Cohen, founder of Unofficial Run Club, breath-work specialist and ultra marathon runner, Rory Warnock, and clinical nutritionist and founder of The Good Day Wellness podcast, Melissa Fedele.

The line-up also included Bel Fong, Turia Pitt, Matt Smith, and five-time triathlon world champion, Craig Alexander.

 “FlyLab offers a unique consumer experience that encapsulates the true heart of HOKA as a global innovator and a disrupter brand,” explained head of HOKA Australia and New Zealand, Matthew Adams.

“This approach applies to our marketing as well where so often real life experiences offer a more unique approach to connect with our community. The result is more credibility and awareness in Australia for HOKA as a pinnacle running brand.” 

The activation also acted as a content creation hub to further reach running enthusiasts across the country – part of an integrated fame approach by Emotive and The HOKA marketing team that covered experiential, social, talent, and content partnerships including Hype Beast and The Daily Aus.

Partnering with seven influencers and media partners alongside a targeted PR campaign, the content reached over 2.4 million running enthusiasts nationally. 

Head of brand experience at Emotive, Rebecca Gelao, said: “This activation really captured the Sydney running community’s imagination, with all masterclasses booked out and audience dwell times in excess of six minutes.

“Running is experiencing a huge moment in Australia with interest surging for both seasoned marathon runners and new runners.”

The campaign follows Emotive’s most recent work with TRESemmé and Ovolo Hotels, launching its first-ever complimentary hair service menu that allows hotel guests to order bespoke, professional haircare to their room. 

Last week, Mediaweek reported that Matt Holmes left Emotive three months after starting as head of PR and earned creative on 4 March.

Holmes was set to boost Emotive’s fame offering, but Simon Joyce, Emotive’s founder and CEO, explained he needed to make a quick but difficult decision driven by the agency’s need for strategic leadership, versus PR leadership.

Credits:

Client: HOKA 
Creative, talent acquisition, production: Emotive 
Videographer/editor: Trystin Sinnott, Fortem Media 
Photographer: Daniel Armstrong and Melina Bilotta, Fortem Media 
PR: Hannah Devereux, THEY

See also: 
TRESemmé and Ovolo Hotels debut hair service menu, via Emotive
Matt Holmes exits Emotive amid fame unit restructure

JOY has launched a campaign supporting Athena Sports Nutrition as it debuts on the market, with the messaging focussing on empowering women in sports – from grassroots to professional athletes.

Owned by parent company, Vitaco Health, Athena is a sports nutrition range specifically made for women. The JOY campaign represents over $2 millions of investment, backed by market distribution and media support.

Cristy Riddell, marketing lead at Athena, said “We built the Athena brand not only from what the science says athletic women need, but also what real athletes and experts have told us from their first-hand experiences. 

“Our mission is to be the best sports nutrition brand that fuels performance and optimises recovery for athletic women at all levels. The brief to JOY was to launch the new Athena brand with impact, celebrating the Athena athletes who use our product as well as the benefits that elevate our product versus the pack.”

Three female athletes have been selected as Athena’s first ambassadors and will be the faces of the first campaign, Made Different – Matilda’s Kyra Cooney-Cross, professional netballer Kim Ravaillion, and basketball sharp-shooter Emma Clarke.

Martin Patton, principal of JOY, said it had been “An absolute privilege to be involved in a campaign for a category game changer like Athena from its conception to its launch.”

“Athena is unique in the market and it comes at the perfect time to support the next generation of rising athletes. We hope everyone will find the athletes as inspiring as we do.”

Libby Young, creative director of JOY, added “It has been a dream to be part of the Athena journey from the start and to contribute to a brand that is 100% unapologetically dedicated to women. Collaborating with our client partners, our creative goal was to honour the strength and power of all female athletes, their aspirations and what sets them apart. The audience will be able to see a new side of our ambassadors, beyond the field and court, showcasing their journeys, training and paths to success.”

Credits

Client: Athena
Marketing Lead: Cristy Riddell
GM Vitaco Health: Alex Boden
Brand Manager: Angela Taranto
Ass Brand Manager: Kristy Lervasi

Agency: JOY
Principal/ Strategist: Martin Patton
Creative Director: Libby Young
Designer: Sarah Straker-Williams
Designer: Nico Henrikson
Integration Director: Amar Narula
Account Director: Joel Wilson
Account Executive: Olivia Migliorino
Media Account Director: Marissa Williamson
Social Account Director: Jordan Sisson
Operations Director: Oscar Birken
Studio Manager: Kath Hunter
Studio Artist: Alex Hurst

PR: Cheeky Little
PR Director: Steph Hudson

Production: Chisel
Partner: Zak Kaczmarek
GM: Isabelle Seeto
Director: Emily Mays
Senior Producer: Emma Whitehouse

Australian Crew:
DOP: Jarryd Sinclair
Gaffer: Nik Damianakis / Teretano Reti
Grip: Jonathan Scott / Josh Turner
Stills: Mackenzie Sweetnam

London Crew:
DOP: Natalja Safronova
Gaffer: Hollie Mapp
Stills Photographer: Gray Hughes
Edit: Chisel Post
Mix: Klang
VFX: White Chocolate
Grade: Peter Danks

See Also: Mediaweek Agency 50: Simon Rush looks ahead to marking 20 years of JOY

Supercars and Pizza Hut have launched a campaign that offers fans the opportunity to leave a lasting mark on the Repco Bathurst 1000. 

The campaign, developed by the Supercars marketing team and Pizza Hut, gives people the chance to redesign Supercars driver Macauley Jones’ #96 Pizza Hut Chevrolet Camaro, by colouring in the stencil found on special large Pizza Hut boxes in market now.

Pizza Hut customers can now also order pizzas directly through the Supercars app.

The winner of the competition will take home a prize package including two general admission tickets to the 2024 Repco Bathurst 1000 in October, two Repco Bathurst 1000 merchandise packs, plus two course car rides and two grid walks.

The winning design will star in a 2.5-metre x 12-metre mural in the heart of Bathurst for the four weeks leading up to this year’s race.

Pizza Hut CEO, Phil Reed, said the partnership reflects its commitment to brand modernity and to engage with customers in new and exciting ways.

“Integrating Pizza Hut ordering into the Supercars app is a groundbreaking development that enhances the race day experience and offers our customers convenient access to their favourite pizzas anytime,” he said.

Supercars head of marketing, Brenda Younes, added: “Two beloved brands, a popular Supercars driver, a unique promotion, great prizes and pizza – it’s a fantastic combination and a great example of why the Supercars and Pizza Hut partnership works so well.

“We are always looking for unique and memorable experiences for our fans, and Pizza Hut has enabled us to deliver several great new experiences at once.

“We can’t wait to see the designs Supercars fans will come up with and to see the winning design showcased in Bathurst in October.”

The Macauley Jones car design competition is being promoted through Supercars-owned media, including EDMs and social media, and a bespoke content series.

Hancock Prospecting is returning as the presenting partner of the News Corp Australia 2024 National Bush Summit.

Now in its sixth year, the week-long event is held in every state and brings together decision-makers and community leaders to discuss the issues facing regional Australia.

Michael Miller, executive chairman of News Corp Australasia, said the company is “committed to ensuring the conversations around rural and regional challenges and opportunities are ongoing and elevated.

“The positive impact that the Bush Summit makes year after year is long term. Its ideas have inspired action and resulted in solutions being found for problems that are often unique to regional areas.” 

See also: Michael Miller calls for tech giants to be bound by ‘social licence’: ‘They don’t mine our minerals, they mine our lives’

The 2024 National Bush Summit will kick off in Townsville (QLD) for the first time on 23 August, before events in Bendigo (VIC), Launceston (TAS), McLaren Vale (SA), and Orange (NSW), before ending in Port Hedland (WA) one week later. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will deliver the keynote address in Townsville, his sixth time attending the annual event.

Hancock Prospecting executive chair Gina Rinehart AO said Australians are “truly fortunate to be able to enjoy the high quality of the agricultural products our farmers work so hard to produce,” and thanked the Bush Summit “for helping to bring the important issues of our farmers and miners into city homes.”

The 2024 National Bush Summit will be supported by an editorial campaign across The Courier-Mail, Herald Sun, The Mercury, The Advertiser, The Daily Telegraph, The Australian, The Weekly Times, and AgJournal. All live events will be broadcast on Sky News Australia.

The Courier-Mail editor Chris Jones said The Bush Summit “has become a critical advocacy campaign for people living in rural and regional Australia, because it’s making a real difference.”

“We saw that again last year when hundreds of millions of dollars were committed to regional health, drought, tourism, and infrastructure programs,” Jones said.

“We are all passionate about making a difference to regional communities, telling their stories and celebrating life in the bush.” 

In 2023, the National Bush Summit was named winner of the International News Media Association award for Best Public Relations or Community Service Campaign and the standout entry for the Asia Pacific region.

The IAB Australia Video Council has released an updated Connected TV Handbook, expanding on the initial edition published in 2020. 

Intended as a tool to assist marketers and agencies in understanding the market, the updated version covers the opportunities for advertising through data and personalisation, provides a framework for measurement, outlines planning considerations and elements of creativity, and also includes an update on IAB Tech Lab Standards and an introduction to the Advanced TV product roadmap.

Natalie Stanbury, IAB Australia’s director of research, said there have been “significant developments across audience size, measurement capabilities, access to and use of data and interactive creative in the CTV space over the last four years. This handbook provides a compelling update for the industry and anyone seeking to use this powerful platform to reach audiences in 2024.”

The Handbook can be broken down into five key takeaways:

Marketers should work to shift the perception of CTV as solely an upper-funnel platform and reposition it as a comprehensive full-funnel solution.

Marketers need to define success metrics at each stage of the funnel. This involves measuring advertising performance, and highlighting the most relevant KPIs, goals, and targets.

Marketers should use various measurement techniques – such as brand lift studies, market mix modelling, and cross-media brand lift surveys – to understand the impact of marketing and advertising on brand objectives in the short and long term.

Marketers should leverage data and personalisation in CTV, sourcing first-party data directly from users interacting with the platform or from third-party data providers.

And marketers need to stay informed about technology updates, such as OpenRTB 2.6 and how it works for CTV, as well as advancements in ad formats and content signals for CTV supply.

Vikki Pearce, chair of IAB Australia Video Council and head of digital VIC/QLD at Zenith, said she was “pleased to share with the market the 2024 Connected TV Handbook” due to evolution in the landscape over the last four years.

“Given the scale of investment that is, and will continue to be placed into video, understanding the capabilities and challenges Connected TV as a device poses to our industry is critically important. The Council have worked hard to capture all aspects of Connected TV, from technical to buyside. I hope this provides an insightful and educational resource for the industry at large.”

The Connected TV Handbook was prepared by IAB Australia Video Council members Samsung Ads, Teads, Paramount ANZ, Nine, SWM, The Trade Desk, Adobe, Google, Publica, Zenith, ZO along with IAB Australia tech lead, Jonas Jaanimagi and director of research, Stanbury.

Claxon has been appointed as the media and creative agency of record for Celebrity Ink.

The independent agency’s remit includes all media, creative, experience, and data as the tattoo brand continues its growth plans in Australia and globally.

Claxon has been tasked with driving increased customer engagement and loyalty across existing studios while supporting future franchisee interest in the Australian, UK, and US markets.

Johnny Cohen, founder of Celebrity Ink, said: “As we prepare ourselves for big expansion both nationally and internationally, we knew that we needed help from an agency that has a proven track record of helping business scale and grow.

“We know that Claxon has capabilities far beyond ‘just’ marketing; their creative approach, PR offering, data-driven tactics and holistic consultative approach made partnering with them a no-brainer for us. We’re excited to see how this partnership takes shape and how they can help us enter new markets.”

Daniel Willis, Claxon’s CEO, added: “I’m excited both professionally and personally for Claxon to be working with the Celeb Ink crew. They’re such an iconic brand and have such big ambitions, I’m looking forward to the team working with a client who isn’t afraid to innovate and be bold.
 
“Tattoos are extremely common around our office, so it is safe to say Claxon’s team shares a similar passion for the craft as Celebrity Ink’s team. We can’t wait to help drive significant growth for the brand on the global stage.”
 
The independent agency’s appointment to the Celebrity Ink account comes after it was recently named as the digital media agency of record for Australian luxury brand Oroton.
 
Claxon also recently acquired Gold Coast-based creative agency Embark, which was founded in 2003 by brothers James and Phil Coulson. The acquisition was Claxon’s second in 15 months, following that of Growe Media last year.

Weber and the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) have extended their naming rights partnership for another two years.

The WBBL said it is proud to work with Weber to continue changing perceptions about the role of women at home and in sport.

Michael McDonald, Weber Barbecues managing director, Asia Pacific, said: “Weber and the WBBL create amazing memories through a shared love of summer, family, the outdoors, food, and cricket.

“As the WBBL enters its milestone tenth season, we are excited to partner with a globally recognised leader to continue driving the game forward and changing perceptions about the role of women in sport.”

The Weber and the WBBL partnership will be seen through Weber’s presence at marquee fixtures.

Weber and the WBBL have been partnered since 2021.

Margot Harley, Cricket Australia’s head of competition development and strategy, WBBL, said: “Since 2021, our brands have enabled Australians to forge strong connections through our shared love of summer, family, food, fun and cricket.

“This has allowed both Weber and the WBBL to harness our collective strength and be at the forefront of positive change for women at home and in sport.

“We look forward to working closely with Weber as we approach our milestone tenth season and beyond.”

In May, independent creative agency Special won the Cricket Australia account for the upcoming marquee Men and Women’s International Series, following a competitive pitch process.

The appointment, which took effect on 1 May, sees the agency tasked with creating a unifying idea for the international series that generates excitement, while strengthening its reputation as a must-attend event this summer.  

Commenting on the win, partner at Special, Bec Stambanis, said that “international cricket is the heartbeat of summer in this country and there is nothing quite like the anticipation of two great nations coming together to battle it out.”

She added: “We could not be more excited to partner with Cricket Australia on this next chapter and we are inspired by the ambition and passion of the CA team.”

See also: Special wins Cricket Australia account

Monday 10 June 2024: VOZ Total TV Ratings Overnight Top 30 – Programs ranked on reach

Total People TV Ratings

Nine’s Australian Swimming Trials Day 1 recorded a total TV national reach of 1,846,000, a total TV national audience of 687,000, and a BVOD audience of 50,000.

Nine’s A Current Affair recorded a total TV national reach of 1,708,000, a total TV national audience of 1,151,000, and a BVOD audience of 74,000.

Seven’s Dream Home recorded a total TV national reach of 1,448,000, a total TV national audience of 661,000, and a BVOD audience of 49,000.

Also on Seven, Home & Away recorded a total TV national reach of 1,455,000, a total TV national audience of 900,000, and a BVOD audience of 90,000.

10’s airing of MasterChef recorded a total TV national reach of 1,424,000, a total TV national audience of 716,000, and a BVOD audience of 56,000.

10’s airing of Have You Been Paying Attention? recorded a total TV national reach of 1,279,000, a total TV national audience of 746,000, and a BVOD audience of 35,000.

See Also: TV Report 10 June 2024: Victorian teams see fully transformed Dream Homes for the first time

People 25-54

Nine’s Swimming Trials:
• Total TV nation reach: 644,000
• National Audience: 237,000
• BVOD Audience: 28,000

Nine’s A Current Affair:
• Total TV nation reach: 518,000
• National Audience: 327,000
• BVOD Audience: 39,000

10’s MasterChef:
• Total TV nation reach: 566,000
• National Audience: 273,000 
• BVOD Audience: 31,000

Seven’s Dream Home:
• Total TV nation reach: 507,000
• National Audience: 220,000
• BVOD Audience: 28,000

Seven’s Home & Away:
• Total TV nation reach: 460,000
• National Audience: 297,000
• BVOD Audience: 51,000

10’s Have You Been Paying Attention?
• Total TV nation reach: 543,000
• National Audience: 356,000
• BVOD Audience: 21,000

People 16-39

Nine’s Swimming Trials:
• Total TV nation reach: 280,000
• National Audience: 107,000
• BVOD Audience: 16,000

Nine’s A Current Affair:
• Total TV nation reach: 203,000
• National Audience: 115,000
• BVOD Audience: 20,000

10’s MasterChef:
• Total TV nation reach: 225,000
• National Audience: 97,000 
• BVOD Audience: 17,000

Seven’s Dream Home:
• Total TV nation reach: 210,000
• National Audience: 211,000
• BVOD Audience: 25,000

Seven’s Home & Away:
• Total TV nation reach: 194,000
• National Audience: 133,000
• BVOD Audience: 30,000

10’s Have You Been Paying Attention?
• Total TV nation reach: 207,000
• National Audience: 134,000
• BVOD Audience: 11,000

Grocery Shoppers 18+ TV Ratings

Nine’s Swimming Trials:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,416,000
• National Audience: 529,000
• BVOD Audience: 40,000

Nine’s A Current Affair:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,314,000
• National Audience: 891,000
• BVOD Audience: 59,000

10’s MasterChef:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,079,000
• National Audience: 559,000 
• BVOD Audience: 46,000

Seven’s Dream Home:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,111,000
• National Audience: 516,000
• BVOD Audience: 39,000

Seven’s Home & Away:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,136,000
• National Audience: 707,000
• BVOD Audience: 72,000

10’s Have You Been Paying Attention?
• Total TV nation reach: 1,001,000
• National Audience: 591,000
• BVOD Audience: 28,000

Data © OzTAM and Regional TAM 2024. Not to be reproduced, published or communicated (electronically or in hard copy) in whole or in part, without prior written consent of OzTAM and Regional TAM.

TV Report 11 June 2024:

Nine TV Report

Australian Swimming Trials

Nine’s evening began with Day 2 of the Australian Swimming Trials.

Coverage included finals of the Women’s & Men’s 100m Backstroke, Men’s 200m Freestyle & Men’s and Women’s 50m Freestyle MC. 

A Current Affair

Over on A Current Affair, the program met with an Aussie charity saying it feels ‘deceived’ by a businessman in a failed lottery prize and spoke to locals who claim they lived with a gas smell for years before a deadly explosion. 

Seven TV Report

Dream Home

On Seven, Dream Home saw the teams haunted by old budget decisions, face risky pink designs, and the teams are rocked to their core when a secret is revealed.

Home & Away

Before Dream Home was Home & Away as John fretted over debris on the beach and Levi’s marriage looms large for Mackenzie. 

10 TV Report

The Project

The Project on 10 spoke to a Sydney surgeon who shared his experience working in Gaza, and also spoke to the Aussie planning to break the land speed record. The crew welcomed Dean Lewis to the desk. 

MasterChef Australia

On 10’s MasterChef, sweet week continues as Zumbo set a challenge that put a new twist on a classic. The cooks had to interpret the croquembouche in their own way.

The Cheap Seats

Taking a look at the week that was were The Cheap Seats hosts Melanie Bracewell and Tim McDonald as Mel Tracina, Adam Rozenbachs and comedian Jenny Tian joined in on the action.

ABC

Tony Armstrong’s Extra-Ordinary Things

From an airstrip in the Outback to a refugee’s photo, from a gum leaf to a women’s soccer trophy, Tony Armstrong continues to discover the story of Australia, one thing at a time.

SBS

Who Do You Think You Are?

Journalist, Melissa Doyle, sees her family tree come to life as she discovers the first of her paternal ancestors to cross the ocean to Australia, and on her maternal side, to travel to New Zealand.