President of the Science Journalists Association of Australia and freelance games journalist, Jackson W. Ryan says that while tech journalism in Australia has been doing “okay”, games journalism in the country is “on its deathbed.”
Speaking to Mediaweek, Ryan said that games journalism in Australia, similar to games in the marketing world, is still looked down on.
“This [looking down on] is somewhat related to the “respect”, for lack of a better word, that tech journalism commands in comparison to games and the way that tech influences daily life,” he said.
“Games, though having incredible impacts on people, both positive and negative, are not respected in this same way.
“It’s also to do with corporate greed and misunderstanding of the opportunities presented by video games, the Google SEO slop machine… the list goes on.”
Pedestrian brands
Pedestrian Group, owned by Nine Entertainment, decided to “transition out of current brand licences” in July, which saw the closure and staff redundancies of Australian versions of brands including Gizmodo, Lifehacker, Vice, Refinery29, and Kotaku.
The cuts happened alongside the departure of Pedestrian CEO, Matt Rowley. In a note to staff seen by Mediaweek, Rowley wrote that “Pedestrian Group has been a highly successful business, but over the past two years, we’ve seen a number of changes that have impacted the financial performance of the licensed brand model.”
Those changes, according to Rowley, included license partners facing financial headwinds, a decline in the broader advertising market that “has impacted all parts of the Nine Group” and “the continued growth of global platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.”
Gizmodo AU was a news website that covered consumer technology, gadgets, entertainment, auto, science and tech reviews. Kotaku AU was a games site that covered gaming news, reviews, deals, and gaming culture.
Games journalism may be mistaken to fall under the same banner as tech journalism, but Ryan stresses that the two are vastly different beats, and “should be regarded as such.”
He continues that tech journalists in Australia are “doing pretty wonderful work that has moved the needle on big issues.”
“I think immediately of Josh Taylor at The Guardian and Ange Lavoipierre at the ABC. I think of Ariel Bogle‘s impressive investigative work over the years. I think of Cam Wilson‘s internet culture work and how he’s very much at the frontier of important issues,” he said.
“There are many, many great tech journalists with a good platform and the fact these publications have a national tech editor is a good sign.”
Athina Mallis, managing editor at Gizmodo Australia was made redundant upon the closure of the Pedestrian brands and told Mediaweek in the past few years, she has seen “redundancies and closures of respected brands (in the industry) due to lack of funding and economic headwinds.”
“Last week was a heartbreaking moment [for] technology journalism [in Australia],” she said.
“From what’s happened, the outlook doesn’t seem positive but I believe we are agile, tough and malleable. This is a small hurdle in the industry but doesn’t signal the beginning of the end.
“Tech journalism in Australia will be around for a very long time.”
However, with the closure of Kotaku AU, the hopeful tone doesn’t continue for games journalism in Australia.
Former multimedia reporter at Kotaku AU, Emily Spindler wrote on LinkedIn that the site was “a space to spotlight voices and stories both from locally and afar.”
“I’ll miss the deep dives, interviewers, and unhinged takes,” she said.
“A legend in Aussie games media has been lost [last] week, and the landscape is worse for it.”
Jackson W. Ryan
Ryan points out that to his knowledge, no major mainstream publisher has a national games editor, writer, or even freelancer.
“Tim Biggs gets to cover games, sparingly, at Nine’s publications. The GamesHub guys, Steph Panecasio and Leah Williams, are both keeping the flame alive and a host of indies – who mostly do it because of passion and operate at a loss – are doing their darndest to provide compelling content,” he said.
The state of games journalism in the country is juxtaposed with the state of gaming content found on content creation sites such as YouTube or Twitch.
While there are creators who cover the latest game releases, reviews and news, it’s streamers such as Kai Cenat who show the immense popularity of the medium. Cenat averaged 100,000 viewers when he marathoned Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree in June. He finished the game in just shy of 100 hours, and for the finale, had over 200,000 people watching on Twitch.
Ryan says people don’t have to look far to find gaming content online, and says it’s “not going anywhere”, but questions what this means for journalism.
“What do we want our video game journalists to be doing?” he asked.
“If they’re spending all day publishing the same press and marketing materials that [gaming companies] are because they need to feed the Google SEO machine, we’re not getting the most out of them.
“It’s pretty simple: Journalism is meant to be a public good, something that should benefit all of us and help us make better decisions. A more literate and informed society is a society that functions better.
“This is particularly true for games – the best games journalism will illuminate issues in the industry from a cultural and business perspective, it will shine light on unheralded aspects of the community and it will raise the profile of the industry at home and internationally.”
The future is uncertain for the space, and as wider redundancies hit all major media companies this year, the hope for corporations to make the future less uncertain is dwindling.
“The idea of reader-supported and journalist-owned outlets is probably the future, but the math doesn’t quite math just yet for Australian audiences,” Ryan said.
“Other avenues might be for Screen Agencies to provide some support for getting something new off the ground, because there is a gaping hole for something new.
“This should be a considered play that sees collaboration between the best in the biz working together to make something sustainable and meaningful.
“If you rush into trying to build something new right now because you think there’s nothing else, you will doom yourself.
“There’s momentum here, a slow-building momentum, to provide games journalism with a focus on Australia alongside the kind of coverage that made Kotaku great over the years, with a more global outlook.
“In addition to funding and support, games journalism must evolve – maintaining its place as a public good, but delivering a unique perspective that can’t be gained anywhere else.”
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Top image: Kotaku AU
Brian Lesser has been appointed as the new Global CEO of GroupM.
Lesser will succeed Christian Juhl, who is stepping down after five years to take up the new position of president, corporate development, at WPP.
Lesser rejoins the media investment company in September from InfoSum where he spent the past four years as CEO and chairman of the data company.
He spent 10 years with WPP, first joining with the acquisition of 24/7 Real Media in 2007. He then created the Media Innovation Group, building addressable advertising products and technology for GroupM.
In 2011, Lesser founded Xaxis, the programmatic media buying platform that now forms part of GroupM’s media performance organisation, GroupM Nexus.
He was CEO of GroupM in North America from 2015 to 2017. After that stint, he joined AT&T as CEO of AT&T Advertising & Analytics, a $3 billion business today known as Xandr.
Lesser said of his appointment: “WPP and GroupM are special organizations to me. I have experienced first-hand the culture of innovation and collaboration that leads to exceptional work for advertisers. I am thrilled to be rejoining GroupM as chief executive fficer. I look forward to building with my talented colleagues, collaborating with our industry partners, and investing with our fantastic roster of global clients.”
Juhl became CEO of GroupM in November 2019, having previously held the same position at Essence, the digital media agency acquired by WPP in 2015.
Under his leadership, GroupM has grown significantly, winning notable assignments and playing a critical role in WPP wins such as the partnership with The Coca-Cola Company.
He will continue in his existing role until then and support the transition as he moves to his new role. As WPP president, corporate development, he will work on various aspects of the company’s strategic development.
Juhl said of his new role: “It has been a privilege to lead this amazing business, to work alongside its incredibly talented people, and to partner with our wonderful clients around the world. We’ve achieved a huge amount together and I’m really proud of the progress GroupM has made towards its mission of making advertising work better for people. After five years the time is right for a fresh challenge, and I’m excited to get started in my new role with WPP. Brian is an exceptional leader and I’m happy he is rejoining the GroupM family.”
Mark Read, CEO of WPP, added: “I would like to thank Christian for his contribution to the success of Essence, GroupM, WPP and our clients over the last nine years. He has built a strong foundation for the ongoing transformation of GroupM, the integration of its offer, and accelerated future growth. I look forward to working with him in his new WPP role.
“Brian is one of the industry’s most highly regarded executives with a track record of success in data- and technology-driven marketing. GroupM, its agencies and its brilliant people are in many respects the engine of WPP. Brian not only knows GroupM inside-out, but also has a strong vision for the future of the business. We are delighted to welcome him back to WPP.”
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Top image: Brian Lesser
Netflix has been on a roll this year and its next big Australian original series is Territory. The series will be released on October 24, 2024 and could just keep the streamer’s momentum going.
The series was first announced in September last year when it was revealed production had started on the series which was then known under the working title of Desert King.
Netflix started 2024 with the brilliant Australian original Boy Swallows Universe released in January. That was followed up by the second season of Heartbreak High in April. Another Australian original will be well and truly due by October.
Anna Torv in Territory
International hit series and movies on Netflix have included Society of the Snow, Griselda, The Gentlemen, Scoop, Ripley, Baby Reindeer, A Man in Full, Bodkin and Eric.
Another anticipated Netflix Australian original still to come is another crime drama set in Tasmania. The Survivors is from producer Tony Ayres and is an adaption of the book of the same name by Jane Harper.
The series has been branded a six-part neo-western. The huge Marianne cattle station is left without a successor. A generational clash threatens to tear the Lawson family apart. Sensing the once-great dynasty is in decline, the outback’s most powerful factions – rival cattle barons, desert gangsters, Indigenous elders and billionaire miners – move in for the kill. With billions of dollars at stake, everyone wants a piece of the pie.
Anna Torv (The Newsreader, The Last of Us) as Emily Lawson
Michael Dorman (For All Mankind, Joe Pickett) as Graham Lawson
Robert Taylor (Longmire, The Newsreader) as Colin Lawson
Sam Corlett (Vikings: Valhalla, The Dry) as Marshall Lawson
Sara Wiseman (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, High Country) as Sandra Kirby
Dan Wyllie (Love My Way, The Veil) as Hank Hodge
Clarence Ryan (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Mystery Road: Origin) as Nolan Brannock
Jay Ryan (Scrublands, Creamerie) as Campbell Miller
Philippa Northeast (The Newsreader, Paper Dolls) as Susie Lawson
Joe Klocek (My Lady Jane, The Dry) as Lachie Kirby
Kylah Day (Scrublands, Itch) as Sharnie Kennedy
Sam Delich (Spiderhead, Last Days of Space Age) as Rich Petrakis
Hamilton Morris (Sweet Country) as Uncle Bryce
Tuli Narkle (Mystery Road: Origin, NCIS: Sydney) as Keeley Redford
Tyler Spencer (The New Boy) as Dezi
Jake Ryan (The Great Gatsby, Life After Fighting) as Daniel Lawson
Robert Taylor in Territory
The series was filmed across the Northern Territory and South Australia. Locations included Kakadu National Park which required special permission from the traditional owners.
Cattle stations used were Tipperary Station and Anna Creek Station. The former boasts its own airstrip and school, while the second is bigger than the US state of New Jersey.
Territory is a joint production between Easy Tiger (Ian Collie and Rob Gibson) and Ronde (Ben Davies).
The creators are Timothy Lee (Mystery Road, Bump) and Ben Davies (Bondi Rescue, The First Inventors, Outback Ringer).
Executive producers are Davies, Rob Gibson (The Twelve, Colin from Accounts), and lan Collie (Jack Irish, Scrublands).
Producer is Paul Ranford (Stateless, True History of the Kelly Gang).
Writers are Lee, Kodie Bedford, Steven McGregor and Michaeley O’Brien.
Territory is directed by Greg McLean (La Brea, Wolf Creek).
See also: Netflix begins production on epic outback drama Desert King (working title) in the NT and SA
Metro ad revenue has increased in the second quarter of 2024, according to new figures released by Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA) which for the first time include both Broadcast Radio and Digital Audio ad revenue.
Total metro ad revenue (broadcast plus digital) in Q2 2024 was up 2.6% to $200.7 million, compared to the same time last year.
Jo Dick, CRA’s chief commercial officer, said the results were extremely positive after a challenging start to 2024.
“Market conditions are tough right now – but radio is once again showing that it is resilient, reliable, and the best bang-for-buck when advertising budgets are tight.
“The data also shows us that for the first six months of 2024 total radio ad revenue, including both broadcast and digital, remains steady, up 0.2% on the first half of 2023,” said Dick.
The quarterly broadcast radio ad revenue figures were compiled by media data analytics company Milton Data for CRA.
CRA has previously only released metro ad revenue figures for Broadcast Radio, not Digital Audio. CRA digital audio ad revenue figures are included in the Australian Online Advertising Expenditure Report (OAER), compiled by PwC and released by IAB Australia.
The increase comes as CRA welcomed the report in June which recommends that the federal government conduct a cost-benefit analysis examining the impacts of removing the current caps on licence fees for the broadcast of sound recordings on radio.
Commercial Radio & Audio chair Ciaran Davis said it is good news for the 260 radio stations across Australia that CRA represents.
“This Bill would have had dire consequences for our industry,” he said.
“Commercial radio provides an essential service to communities across Australia, delivering local content, news and information in a challenging economic and regulatory environment.
“CRA expects that the cap debate can now be put to rest, to allow radio to sustain itself as a critical part of Australia’s media landscape and cultural identity.”
See also: PPCA and CRA welcome committee report suggesting removing radio caps warrants investigation
By Cherie Clonan, the proud autistic CEO of The Digital Picnic. Clonan is fiercely motivated to create a neuro-inclusive workplace. You can reach out to her on Instagram.
In today’s hyper-connected digital world, brand management is a whirlwind of constant engagement and rapid responses. One moment, a brand is riding high on the wave of a celebrity endorsement, like the Kansas City Chiefs did thanks to Taylor Swift cheering at their sideline, and the next, it could be facing backlash from a statement reminiscent of a speech straight out of The Handmaid’s Tale.
In a world where the marketing and digital landscape is still recording a 26.1% employee turnover rate, how do we show up in the real world and have an actual social life, all while managing our clients and stakeholders and demonstrating our omnipresent digital understanding? After 10 years running my digital agency, The Digital Picnic, I’ve created clear boundaries to protect myself and my team from the very real risk of burnout.
When it comes to carefully crafted, edited, approved, polished and scheduled digital content and campaigns, we follow the 80/20 rule, ensuring we have hours and mental capacity to adapt strategy to ‘right now’ cultural moments.
This allows space for planning, while equally allowing hours and headspace to be responsive to trends.
One of the biggest determinants of a great client relationship and high performing outsourced digital brand management will always be about trust.
Trust is borne in excellent briefing and backgrounding of the digital agency, but equally it’s borne in the releasing of control, so that the creative and strategic thinking can be unleashed and implemented without rounds and rounds of edits and approvals.
This means, when viral moments kick off, the digital brand managers can move quickly and independently, without being slowed down by approvals.
Because of the time of day that content can go viral, or trolls can go wild on TikTok, it’s important to have a clear chain of command for outside of work hours, including who can respond and act. These hours of work should be clearly outlined in both your position description and time in lieu allocated if appropriate, or the fixed hours outside of standard office hours negotiated.
Equally, it’s important to have the confidence to hold firm boundaries with client and team communication including emergency contact mediums, and an option to tap out of client notifications during downtime.
If you are offering community management for a client, this time must be budgeted for, and staffed properly instead of being an afterthought.
The majority of social media engagement happens throughout the peak period of 7–10pm (well after many nine-to-fivers have clocked off from their full work day) so an after-hours team should be considered. Brands and agencies need to factor into their budget after-hours communications professionals to manage the 24/7 nature of social media.
These highly skilled social media community managers should be fully briefed into client strategy and tone of voice, to confidently manage that after-hours social media engagement.
I know I’m not alone in having a whopping screen time that surpasses anyone in my network. As marketers, we are constantly taking notes, saving to folders, trawling through comments to understand consumer sentiment, and generally, living a boundary-less digital existence.
We set strict time limits and alarms for research time spent on social media to avoid the rabbit warren of distractions.
It’s well known within our industry that you’ll open a platform like TikTok for “research”, and then resurface hours later with that aforementioned research in one hand… and a daily screen time of nine plus hours in the other.
It can be tempting to jump on every viral moment but without firm boundaries, this can turn into a relentless churn of content ideation, strategy and creation. It’s essential to give yourself permission to miss moments, even if they’re the perfect fit for your brand, in favour of work life balance.
Balance the fast pace of short form content consumption and creation with long form activities offline, e.g. reading a book, crafting/sport/puzzles that give your brain space.
Additionally, plan out your calendar with clear blocks around when you’re socialising, and your team are covering emergency client communications to avoid needing to have your phone on hand.
The speed and intensity of online conversations demand that brand managers remain vigilant and adaptable. By setting up firm boundaries and budgeting accordingly, the exciting and incredibly rewarding role of digital brand management can be enjoyed, rather than feeling like you’re standing in front of a firehose of content and succumbing to burnout.
See also: Gen Z are increasingly seeking out therapy for mental health: Year13
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Top Image: Cherie Clonan
Joshua McDonnell will depart from PHD Australia after almost three years as the agency’s marketing director.
McDonnell, who worked as a media trade journalist before moving to Adland, will leave the Omnicom Media Group agency next month for GroupM and Mindshare as growth and marketing director.
He told Mediaweek: “I’m thrilled to be joining GroupM and Mindshare as growth and marketing director, it’s an exciting time for the business and I look forward to being a part of the team and contributing to the continued growth and success of the business.
“Thank you to Mark Jarrett, Stu Bailey, Kate Milligan and the entire PHD team for my time with the agency, it’s been a fantastic experience to work with such a great group and be a part of some of the incredible work.”
Kate Milligan, head of brand at PHD told Mediaweek: “It has been an absolute pleasure working with Josh over the last few years and we wish him all the best in his new role.
“The marketing team at PHD will continue to focus on delivering great work aligning to our new vision, ‘Intelligence. Connected.’”
A GroupM spokesperson told Mediaweek: “We’re thrilled to welcome Josh to GroupM. Josh has a great network and great understanding of the agency landscape. His background as a journalist and expertise in comms, new business and marketing make him a real asset to Mindshare and the GroupM team.”
McDonnell began as media trade journalist before joining PHD as its marketing director in 2021. He also supported Foundation’s marketing efforts during his time with the business from 2022. The agency has since merged with Hearts & Science.
As part of the shift, managing director of Foundation, Liz Wigmore, was appointed managing director of Hearts & Science, across both Sydney and Melbourne offices.
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Top image: Joshua McDonnell
QMS has announced Woolworths as the newest partner to sign on to its Paris 2024 Digital Screen Network for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Woolworths joins Allianz, Stan, Toyota Australia and Patties Food Group as partners in the digital out-of-home (DOOH) network that is presenting Olympic and Paralympic content across the country, before, during and after the Games.
The Paris 2024 Digital Screen Network launched in mid-April and will run until the Closing Ceremony of the Paralympic Games on 8 September. QMS is the Official Outdoor Media Partner of the Australian Olympic Team and Paralympics Australia Team for Paris 2024.
QMS chief sales officer, Tim Murphy, said: “With our Paris 2024 Digital Screen Network partnerships now in full flight, we are thrilled to welcome Woolworths on board. Together with our existing partners they will help showcase news, wins, triumphs, records and much more from Paris on our market-leading national digital screen network.
“The Olympic and Paralympic Games are the biggest sporting events in the world, reaching and connecting with people like nothing else. Our Paris 2024 Digital Screen Network is a ground-breaking way for brands to connect with consumers in the lead up and throughout the Games to reach people in real time where they live, work and play.
“With the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony less than 10 days away, excitement is building as our partner content is already coming to life across our screens and interest levels continue as more brands look for real time opportunities to capture the spirit of the Games and support our athletes,” he said.
QMS states it will reach more than 80% of people aged 18+ per month across premium, national digital large format billboards, the City of Sydney street furniture network, The Convenience Network, Canberra Airport and Gold Coast street furniture assets to deliver 100% DOOH Olympic and Paralympic Games experience.
The Independent Media Agencies of Australia (IMAA) have announced an affiliate program agreement with the Independent Media Agencies of New Zealand (IMANZ).
Under the new arrangement, the IMANZ will now be considered an international affiliate of the IMAA, which allows the association to tap into the Australian industry body’s initiatives and policies and use the body to assist in the set-up, commercialisation, brand usage and governance of the IMANZ.
IMANZ members will also be able to leverage the IMAA’s education initiatives, with plans also underway to explore regional group deals.
Like the IMAA, the IMANZ is a not-for-profit industry association, developed and run by New Zealand independent media agency leaders.
It was launched last year and has already grown since its initial membership drive, now boasting more than 40 members and nearly 20 media partners, including global businesses JCDecaux, LinkedIn, Meta, Sky, TikTok and Warner Bros Discovery.
Sam Buchanan, IMAA CEO, said: “We’re thrilled to launch our first-ever affiliate offering with a fellow national independent media agency body and we’re looking forward to seeing the benefits of a strong regional alliance.
“Obviously there is synergy between our two organisations – we both have the same objectives to advocate for independent media agencies in our respective regions. This affiliation is an opportunity to establish a strong, united regional community, and harness the benefits of collaboration, including increased expansion in these markets.”
“Today’s announcement symbolises not only the power of the IMAA on the global stage, but the general swell of the independent agency movement,” Jacquie Alley, IMAA chair, said.
“I’m incredibly proud of the IMAA’s legacy in Australia and how that movement is now being felt and emulated worldwide. The IMANZ becoming an affiliate of the IMAA demonstrates the significant strength of independent media agencies – they are a force to be reckoned with in the global media market.”
“Today is an important step in the evolution of the IMANZ,” Kath Mitchell, IMANZ general manager, said. “We’ve been heartened by the strong show of support since our launch in September last year, already adding new members and partners.
“Our agreement with the IMAA is a strategic move to strengthen our organisation, while also leveraging the impressive foundations and initiatives the IMAA has established. We look forward to working closely with Sam, Jacquie and the IMAA to create a true regional indie agency powerhouse.”
Alex Radford, IMANZ chair, added: “We’ve long been impressed by the work of the IMAA in leading the way for indies in the media sector. This affiliation is an opportunity for the IMANZ to work hand-in-hand with the IMAA to further buoy the sector by developing a united, regional independent community.
“As an organisation, our mission is to advocate and further the work of our members – we know there is strength in numbers and we’re confident that working alongside the IMAA will help both Australian and New Zealand indie agencies soar to new heights.”
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Top image: Alex Radford, Jacquie Alley and Sam Buchanan
Forbes Australia has announced its inaugural Forbes Australia Icons & Investors Summit, taking place on Friday, 13 September at the Hyatt Regency, Sydney.
The Summit will present heavyweights of Australian business, property and investment in conversation with Forbes Australia, with a lineup of speakers including founder and managing director of Meriton Group, Harry Triguboff AO; chairman and managing director of Competitive Foods Australia, Jack Cowin; portfolio manager of Tribeca Investment Partners, Jun Bei Liu; managing director of BlackRock, Chantal Giles; director of Forbes Global Properties, Tracey Atkins; managing partner at McVay Real Estate, Sam McVay; and more speakers to be announced.
The speakers will convene for roundtable conversations focused on answering one question: “Where are you putting your money?” (inspired by “Where I’m Putting The Money”, a column in Forbes Australia).
Harry Triguboff AO has overseen the construction of more than 77,000 residential sites, won a number of awards for his contributions to the Australian property industry, and is a well-known philanthropist.
Chinese-born, he spent the first 15 years of his life in Tientsin (now Tianjin), south of Beijing, before coming to Australia where he attended Scots College in Sydney. He went on to own a taxi fleet and milk run before building his first block of apartments and establishing Meriton at 30 years old in 1963. He appeared on the cover of the April/May 2024 issue of Forbes Australia.
Forbes Australia editor-in-chief, Sarah O’Carroll, said the aim of the Icons & Investors Summit is to understand how wealth experts are navigating the massive disruption to traditional industries and to learn where the money is going.
“This is a rare opportunity to hear from Australian icons Harry Triguboff and Jack Cowin, whose transformative impact on their industries and decades of experience navigating market disruptions will offer invaluable lessons,” she said.
“Attendees will also hear from a lineup of property and wealth experts, typically reserved for the market’s elite. Forbes Australia is facilitating an intimate environment for high-level conversations focused on wealth creation and the future of wealth distribution. This event embodies the very essence of Forbes, and I’m thrilled to be presenting it.”
Returning with its third naming-rights sponsorship with Forbes Australia, NAB Private Wealth is the presenting sponsor of the Icons & Investors Summit in collaboration with JBWere and nabtrade.
Broadsheet has partnered with beauty brand Dove to sponsor State of Style, a new 15-article digital issue themed around fashion and beauty.
The partnership aligns with Dove’s Real Beauty campaign, which embraces authentic beauty and challenges the use of AI to promote unrealistic and homogenised beauty standards.
Broadsheet states it shares this commitment to diversity and individuality. State of Style brings attention to AI’s impact on beauty standards through talent-led interviews that engage Broadsheet’s audience.
Branded content pieces produced with Dove include photo galleries from the streets of Sydney and Melbourne, capturing real people; and a deep dive into 100 years of western beauty standards, written by Jane Rocca and illustrated by Tom Jellett.
For the final piece of the campaign, A New Cycle of Body Dysmorphia Has Already Begun, Broadsheet speaks with Chelsea Bonner, founder of Bella Management and author of Body Image Warrior, about the dangers of AI, aiming to raise awareness of Dove’s stance against AI-driven beauty standards.
For the cover story, Fashion Forward, Broadsheet set up a pop-up studio at Australian Fashion Week 2024 and photographed 40 of the industry’s most influential names, while quizzing them about what’s next for Aussie fashion.
“Broadsheet’s themed digital issues have become a critical pillar of our editorial strategy and give us a chance to dive deep into the cultural conversations that matter most,” says Broadsheet’s Australia editor Nick Connellan.
“Dove has championed realistic beauty standards for 20 years, and we’re thrilled to have it sponsoring this latest edition.
“Broadsheet has always striven for authentic connection with both our audience and the people we write about, and we couldn’t ask for a better-aligned partner in this regard. Together, we’re excited to celebrate the diversity of Australian beauty, while starting meaningful conversations about the future of fashion and beauty in the age of AI. It’s partnerships like these that enrich our readers’ lives and uphold our commitment to quality storytelling.”
“By introducing the Real Beauty Prompt Guidelines, we aim to foster a more inclusive and transparent approach to beauty in the digital age. It’s our mission to uplift women and girls everywhere and ensure they see their true selves reflected in the media,” said Tess Giordimaina, marketing manager for Dove at Unilever.
Immersive experience and entertainment agency Supergiant has launched studios in Sydney, London, and Singapore.
The agency combines design, VFX, entertainment, lighting, technology, and music to deliver projects and immersive experiences. it was founded by ex-Imagination director Heath Campanaro, and Heckler co-founders Will Alexander and Jamie Watson, alongside ex-Imagination creative director Simon Connell.
Campanaro has spent the past 20 years at the helm of the experience agency, where he and Connell created some of the country’s biggest, most dynamic events.
They teamed up with Alexander and Watson, the co-founders of Heckler, a globally awarded design and post-production studio behind award-winning films, TVCs, and experiential installations, to create a completely new kind of creative offering.
The agency’s debut project saw the team work on Glastonbury, providing large format content design and production for three of the music festival’s biggest stages.
The ‘Pyramid Stage’ and the ‘Other Stage’ featured over 250 motion graphics packages designed by Supergiant in collaboration with the festival’s graphic artist Stanley Donwood.
Glastonbury’s new Dragonfly installation (created by Arcadia Spectacular) and the ‘DJ Stage’ also featured 3D motion content for the Opening Ceremony with Fatboy Slim. Supergiant supported Australian immersive media studio Astral Projekt in collaboration with Barry McGuire, an Aboriginal Songman from the Balladong, Whadjuk, Noongar nation, to tell the Dreamtime story of the dragonfly.
Campanaro said: “Supergiant was founded to create the kind of experiences that we all love, crave and rave about. To entertain people and to immerse them in design, music, light, technology and ideas that create core memories.
“Simon and I have had a long and incredible creative partnership however partnering with Will and Jamie – whom together at Heckler have created some of the world’s most exceptional art installations, music videos, live events, activations and experimental performance pieces, together we now bring a whole new level of artistry to Supergiant.”
Alexander added: “We’re excited to see the awesome potential of this partnership. Heath has an unrivalled reputation in the event industry, and he and Simon have delivered some of the biggest and most dynamic live experience projects on the planet.
“When you add the high-end artistry Jamie and I have built at Heckler, plus the depth of our teams across Sydney and Singapore, you get this multiplication effect that is really hard to beat. We know we’re on the cusp of something new and really exciting!”
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Top image: Heath Campanaro, Will Alexander, Jamie Watson and Simon Connell
ADMATIC has been appointed to lead media strategy, planning, and buying for Royal Wolf ANZ.
Royal Wolf is a provider of shipping container hire, sales, and specialised modification in Australasia and is part of the NYSE-listed United Rentals global family.
The Royal Wolf network now consists of 40 customer service centres and over 40 regional agents, supporting unrivalled distribution and customer service across the two countries.
Michael Ungerboeck, CEO of ADMATIC, said: “We are thrilled to be working with such a renowned brand in logistics and we’re honoured to be working with the leader of the industry.”
“Increasingly we’re seeing opportunities to partner with brands looking for greater agency collaboration, audience insight and digital innovation. Brands like Royal Wolf are looking to ADMATIC for that ‘big agency’ value but with the degree of service and care that is experienced in the independent agency environment,” he added.
Michael Ungerboeck
The Royal Wolf ANZ win comes after a successful string of wins in the past year including CBRE Australia, Century 21 New Zealand and Inchcape New Zealand.
The Royal Wolf ANZ win for the independent full-service media agency comes after a successful string of wins, including Century 21 New Zealand and Inchcape New Zealand.
The win also follows ADMATIC’s appointment to lead digital media strategy, planning, and buying for CBRE Australia.
This appointment added to the ADMATIC-CBRE relationship, with the agency having managed CBRE NZ Property and Brand Marketing campaigns since late 2019.
CBRE is a commercial real estate services and investments company that provide insights and data that span every dimension of the commercial property industry, creating solutions for clients of every size, in every sector and across every geography.
See also: ADMATIC is appointed to lead CBRE Australia account
FleishmanHillard Australia has been named the public relations agency of record for technology services firm NCS Australia, following a competitive pitch.
The agency, part of TBWA\Sydney creative collective, will be responsible for building the NCS brand in Australia among government agencies and businesses. It will work with NCS Australia to amplify its local platform, Making Tomorrow Together, through PR, executive thought leadership, and case study programs.
FleishmanHillard Australia has previously worked with tech companies including Amazon Web Services, Mastercard, and Veritas.
NCS Australia operates in seven cities across the country and, as part of the NCS Group, has a strong presence in the Asia Pacific region.
“NCS is embarking on an exciting journey across the region, and our Truly Curious approach to great earned-led ideas, from everyday storytelling to executive thought leadership programs, together with the strength of our global network, makes this a perfect partnership,” said FleishmanHillard Australia managing director, Jenna Orme.
“As part of our transformational growth plan, we wanted an agency partner that can demonstrate strategic thinking and drive our engagement in the highly competitive technology services sector,” added NCS Australia marketing and communications lead, Dan Hews.
“The FleishmanHillard team came to the table with exactly that – a strategic program that showed us how we can communicate with customers, partners and the media in a meaningful, culturally relevant way, while leveraging the synergies between Australia and Asia Pacific.”
This appointment follows a series of recent work from the TBWA collective. Last week, the TBWA-owned PR and social agency, Eleven, launched the Go Australiaahhh campaign at Allianz Stadium for the insurer ahead of Paris 2024, encouraging Aussie children to stay involved in sports.
Earlier this month, TBWA\Sydney launched a new campaign for mycar Tyre & Auto (formerly Kmart Tyre and Auto) under the brand platform, Get the care you deserve at mycar.
See also:
Allianz and Eleven launch ‘Go Australiaahhh’ in-stadium to inspire young Aussie athletes
TBWA\Sydney launches latest work for mycar Tyre & Auto, ‘Get the care you deserve’
The Kraken Black Spiced Rum has launched its new SkateDark creative platform with creative agency Bastion. This marks Bastion’s debut work for The Kraken (Proximo Spirits Australia) following its acquisition of digital agency AnalogFolk Australia earlier this year.
In collaboration with Australia’s skateboarding community, the campaign transforms night skate parks into glowing arenas, inviting skaters to embrace the night.
SkateDark is championed by a social-first film directed by Photoplay’s Lester Jones, aiming to embody The Kraken’s adventurous spirit by capturing the fearless nature of night skaters. The film is elevated by luminescent elements including bioluminescent skate decks, chemiluminescence, and light-play.
“The SkateDark campaign is all about pushing boundaries and embracing the night,” said Bastion managing director, Matt Robinson. “It’s a perfect blend of The Kraken’s adventurous spirit and the skate community’s fearless attitude. We’re excited to see this campaign light up skateparks and social media alike.”
The campaign was shot by cinematographer and skateboarder Miller Best, incorporating MiniDV, fisheye lenses, and still photography. It features up-and-coming pro skateboarders Aimee Massie, Jack Paterson, and Corey Young.
“This was such a fun project to be a part of, with a real sense of creativity at the core,” said director Lester Jones. “I wanted to ensure that our skating had integrity and that we captured all our effects in camera to create a visceral texture and experience that really shines out from the depths of the Kraken darkness.”
In addition to the hero film, the campaign is supported by merch kits featuring bioluminescent paint, along with ongoing partnerships and user-generated content with emerging skaters throughout the Australian Winter.
The work follows Bastion’s May campaign with the NSW State Emergency Services (SES) and the NSW Reconstruction Authority, the Future Flood project, aimed at raising awareness of flood risks by simulating flood events for residents in vulnerable areas.
In June, it was announced that Gaven Morris, managing director of Bastion Transform (the content and digital strategy agency within the Bastion Group), would be departing to assume the role of executive general manager of corporate affairs at Commonwealth Bank Australia (CBA), starting July 29.
See also: Bastion creates Future Flood simulation project for NSW SES
Credits:
Proximo Spirits Australia
Senior Brand Manager: Tom Ansell
Head of Brand Marketing: Amanda Scarlett
Bastion
Chief Creative Officer: Simon Langley
Creative Director: Thomas Marcusson
Senior Art Director: Ernesto Sumarkho
Senior Creative: Harry Roth
Chief Strategy Officer: Ben Hourahine
Senior Strategist: Hannah McHardy
Group Client Director: Kelly Henderson
Managing Director: Matt Robinson
Client Manager (Talent & Influencer): Nicolette Stathopoulos
Senior Client Director (Talent & Influencer): Morgan Gregson
Senior Client Manager (Talent & Influencer): Nicolette Stathopoulos
Client Manager (Talent & Influencer): Devon Kahika
Client Coordinator (Talent & Influencer): Annabel Smith
Senior Producers: Niki Bentley, Jessica Campbell
Producer: Kimba Warnes
Head of Post Production: Karlene van Opdorp
Senior Editor: Ben Zemanek
Colourist: Elvis Colour
Online Editor: Brad Smith
Photoplay
Director: Lester Jones
DOP: Miller Best
EP: Oliver Lawrance & Florence Tourbier
Line Producer: Brendan Lee
Heckler Sound
Composition: Johnny Green
Head of Sound: Dave Robertson
EP: Bonnie Law
In its latest creative work for Hahn, Thinkerbell is encouraging the nation to ‘kick carbs, not beer’ as the brewer launches its zero-carb beer, Hahn Ultra Zero Carb.
Lauded Aussie kicker Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin fronts the campaign, literally kicking carbs (a football-shaped bread loaf).
“We set out to make a memorable campaign to mark the success of Hahn Ultra Zero Carb as an innovation – landing that to live a low carb lifestyle doesn’t mean giving up great tasting beer,” said Hahn marketing manager at Lion Australia, Sammy Russo.
“Buddy is the perfect partner to deliver this – one of Australia’s best kickers who literally and figuratively gives carbs the boot with Hahn.”
The integrated campaign supporting the launch comes from Hahn’s agency village team. In addition to Thinkerbell, which handles earned and creative, the team includes digital agency Affinity and media agency UM. The national media plan spans PR, OOH, social, digital, and radio.
In the lead-up to the launch, cryptic OOH posters teased the ‘kick carbs’ message, and footage was leaked to Reddit showing Franklin in what appeared to be a new baking show.
“We aimed to create an integrated idea that in a nutshell would help Hahn land awareness that Ultra equals zero carbs,” said Thinkerbell’s executive head Thinker, Laura Stevenson.
“By leveraging our Measured Magic and partnering with the iconic Buddy Franklin aka one of the best goal kickers of all time, we are able to inspire the social athlete to kick carbs, not beer with Hahn Ultra Zero Carb.”
The campaign for Hahn follows Thinkerbell’s latest work for the brand on International Star Wars Day, 4 May, when the agency launched a digital OOH activation: ‘Hahn Solo’.
That month, Thinkerbell also reimagined the Lion-managed Guinness’ tagline, Lovely Day For A Guinness, for wintertime in the southern hemisphere with a national campaign that offered an unexpected twist on its classic pint motif.
See also: Thinkerbell and Lion launch ‘Lovely Day For a Guinness’ for Aussie winter
Credits
Client: Lion
Creative, Earned: Thinkerbell
Media Agency: UM
Digital Agency: Affinity
Production: Riot
Sound: Otis Studios
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Top Image: Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin
The 2024 Ampol State of Origin series between the Queensland Maroons and New South Wales Blues erupts in a decider, to be played at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
Coverage on Nine will start on 17 July from 7:00 pm AEST.
The Maroons, reeling from a first-half annihilation in Origin II, will play to deny a series victory to the Blues and prolong their curse at “The Cauldron” that dates back to 2005 – the last time NSW won a series decider in Brisbane.
With team changes including Kayln Ponga, recalled veteran Dane Gagai and the return of Selwyn Cobbo, the Maroons are chasing three series wins in a row under coach Billy Slater.
Michael Maguire’s Blues, who were set alight by Mitchell Moses in Origin II, have also made changes, with forward Mitchell Barnett and centre Bradman Best coming into a side brimming with confidence.
Wide World of Sports’ coverage of The Decider will be led by James Bracey and supported by Andrew Johns, Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston, Phil Gould, Darren Lockyer, Paul “Fatty” Vautin and Paul Gallen.
Plus, injured Queensland playmaker Cameron Munster will make another special guest commentary appearance.
In the commentary box, Mat Thompson will join New South Wales and Queensland greats Andrew Johns and Cameron Smith, while Brad Fittler, Danika Mason and Darren Lockyer provide sideline reports. Emma Lawrence and Allana Ferguson will deliver breaking news and updates in the build-up to kick-off.
9Now will stream State of Origin III live and free and includes four additional streams to choose from:
• Player Cam NSW: Get up close to the action with halfback Mitchell Moses.
• Player Cam QLD: Read the game from fullback Reece Walsh’s perspective.
• Spidercam: An eagle-eye view for a detailed look at the game.
State of Origin III – QLD v NSW
Sydney 7.00 pm LIVE on Channel 9HD and 9Now
Brisbane 7.00 pm LIVE on Channel 9HD and 9Now
Melbourne 7.00 pm LIVE on Channel 9HD and 9Now
Adelaide 6.30pm LIVE on 9GemHD, 7.00pm on Channel 9HD and 9Now
Perth 5.00pm LIVE on 9GemHD, 5.30pm on Channel 9HD and 9Now
TV Report 17 July 2024:
State of Origin – Game III
Nine aired State of Origin – Game III, which saw NSW win the decider, taking the trophy back to Sydney and winning the series on their opponent’s home turf. The final score was 14-4.
Come to the Edge
After the State of Origin, Nine aired a documentary following the Australian Olympic Surf Team as they prepare to surf one fo the world’s most challenging waves in Teahupo’o, Tahiti.
The Front Bar
The Front Bar welcomed Mike Fitzpatrick and Lawrence Mooney as they shared a laugh about the world of AFL and caught up with stars of yesteryear and today, ahead of the eighteenth round of the AFL 2024 season.
Home & Away
Earlier in the night was Home & Away as Kirby wanted answers over Remi’s love life and Tane discovered a shocking truth about Perri.
The Project
The Project on 10 reported on the MH17 fight for justice a decade on from the crash and spoke to MasterChef Australia winner Nat Thiapun and The Inspired Unemployed.
Bondi Rescue
On 10’s Bondi Rescue, a surfer suffered from a serious fin chop, Will attempts to run for 48 hours with no sleep and the Bondi Rescue camera crew was attacked.
7:30
On 7:30, Sarah Ferguson interviewed Labor Minister Bill Shorten and looked into a review of toll roads in NSW has recommended overhauling the system.
Gruen
Gruen returned last night to discuss Woolies, Lynx and roofs. Wil Anderson was joined by Todd Sampson, Jasmin Bedir, Karen Ferry, and Russel Howcroft.
Tour de France: Live Stage – Stage 17
SBS aired coverage of Stage 17 of the Tour de France which included Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux to Superdevoluy.
Moulin Rouge: Yes We Can-Can!
Newest British recruits, Jen and Erin, begin three weeks of intense training at the iconic French cabaret club. Their first challenge is to learn the show’s most famous number, the can-can.
In arguably the most brutally brilliant contest in Origin’s 44-year history, the Maroons and NSW traded blows like heavyweights before the Blues landed the knockout punch before 52,547 fans at Suncorp Stadium.
The Maroons were chasing an Origin three-peat but coach Billy Slater was left to taste his first series loss as two tries in four minutes to Bradman Best and Mitchell Moses broke Queensland’s spirit.
The Origin decider had it all, with NSW claiming a historic 14-4 victory in front of a pumping Suncorp Stadium.
The Blues came from behind in the series to snap Queensland’s two-year reign, in a contest widely considered one of the best ever.
That was one of the few things fans from either side agreed on, however.
She is joined by Elizabeth Debicki, who is nominated in the supporting actress category, for her performance as Diana, Princess of Wales, in Netflix’s drama The Crown.
The nominations for what will be this year’s second Emmy awards (more on that in a moment) were a mix of familiar faces and arrivistes, ranging from category stalwarts such as Saturday Night Live and RuPaul’s Drag Race, to brassy newcomers like Baby Reindeer and Shōgun.
Craig James, the chief economist at CommSec, has appeared in finance updates from breakfast TV to the evening news for two decades – making him one of the most quoted experts in the Australian media.
But the respected 62-year-old commentator is now facing his biggest challenge yet as he battles the cruel uncertainty wrought by Parkinson’s disease.
The report, conducted by Banijay Group, Everywoman Studios and the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, focused on the representation of women behind the scenes on 360 reality TV shows that aired in the US, UK, Brazil and France between 2021 and 2023.
For roles such as executive producers, creators and showrunners, women are outnumbered by men in all of reality TV production, the study found. Men comprise 58.4% of executive producer, supervising producer and show creator roles.
The billionaire entrepreneur said Tuesday he was relocating the headquarters of two of his companies, X Corp. and SpaceX, to Texas from California. The moves, announced days after he endorsed Donald Trump for president, further illustrate how Musk has increasingly aligned himself with conservative stances on social issues.
His disclosures followed the move by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, to sign a new law Monday that aims to prevent schools from informing families if their children identify as gay or transgender.
There are three key areas that the Strategy focuses on:
• Support the creation and distribution of compelling Australian content that engages audiences and demonstrates Australia’s commitment to the region.
• Enhance access in the region to trusted sources of media, including news and current affairs.
• Strengthen regional media capacity and capability and boost connections between Australian-based and Indo-Pacific media and content creators.
To help media organisations in the Pacific, Southeast Asia and South Asia provide quality media services, the Government is establishing the Indo-Pacific Media Fund.
Actors, writers and crew members have been hoping for a rebound in filming across all genres after last year’s strikes halted most production starting in July.
But from April through June this year, the number of on-location filming days in the Los Angeles area fell 12.4% below already low levels of a year earlier, a report from permitting organisation FilmLA found. The organisation issued permits for 5,749 shooting days during the quarter this year.
His daughter Laura Light said the cause was aspiration pneumonia, adding that Parkinson’s disease was listed as a secondary cause.
When he was hired in 2002 as the global chief marketing officer of McDonald’s, Light was a consultant who had built his expertise in branding over more than 20 years as an advertising executive.
“Without free media of quality, there is no democracy,” Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in an address to the lower house. “Without reliable and diverse sources of information, the citizens are blind.”
The proposal come at a time when debate about media freedom and the policing of harmful or misleading content has intensified with the European Parliament election and other elections in Europe, India and the United States.
The Russo Bros. are in early talks to return to Marvel Studios to direct not just one, but the next two Avengers movies, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter.
The hiring ends a months-long, high stakes search by the studio for filmmakers to oversee the fifth and sixth Avengers movies. Multiple names were in contention, including Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy, who was offered the gig. Sources say the talks are in the early stages.