Mick Carroll has departed The Sunday Telegraph…but he hasn’t left the building.

Mediaweek recently reported that News Corp Australia’s Pippa Leary is to become managing director of the free news and lifestyle division, spanning news.com.au, the NCA newswire, and lifestyle digital brands. Mick Carroll, until yesterday, The Sunday Telegraph‘s editor, becomes editor-in-chief of the division.

Carroll noted his Sunday Telegraph departure on his “Mick’s Picks” page which generously gives the editor a tabloid page to recommend what’s on offer to readers.

Mick Carroll’s final page 1 of The Sunday Telegraph

Carroll started his Sunday guide in usual fashion:

It’s Origin Week and we are jam-packed today with everything you need to know to get you in the mood for Wednesday’s Game 2 blockbuster in Melbourne.

But he soon got down to his farewell note:

Today is my final edition as editor of The Sunday Telegraph. After 12 years editing Australia’s most-read newspaper and its digital platforms, and four years of editing its sister publication The Saturday Telegraph, I am changing gigs.

This has been a dream job.

Carroll details the brand’s proudest moments

Not only have we tried to make sense of the biggest news stories in the world for you, but we have also led some public interest campaigns that have changed this country. Our proudest moments have been our ongoing pro-vaccination campaigns, No Jab, No Play/ Pay, which lifted the level of childhood immunisation; Can We Talk, our long commitment to encouraging the community to talk about mental ill-health, especially in young people; and our Bone Dry drought campaign which raised billions of dollars in relief funding. We couldn’t have done any of that without you.

Politicians and business leaders listen to us because we listen to you – and there are a lot of you.

They know if they don’t do the right thing, you will make sure there are consequences – and for that we will be forever grateful. In a world in which information is coming at you from every which way, and from so many unreliable sources, we have tried to curate news that was important, told you what you need to know, and also, hopefully, made you laugh.

It has been a privilege being part of your weekend routine, and I am sure my team and their new editor, Anna Caldwell, will continue to tell stories that matter to you. Thanks for giving me your time, I’ve really enjoyed your company.

Cheers, Mick

Carroll has been national weekend editor since May 2020 with oversight of lifestyle, entertainment, magazine, news specials and investigations to drive weekend audiences and subscriptions. He has been editor of The Sunday Telegraph since 2012 and before that, was deputy editor of The Daily Telegraph and editor of the Townsville Bulletin.

In January last year, Carroll was also appointed the new chair of the News Corp Editorial Board which oversees strategic decisions for the broader group of News Corp titles in Australia.

At that time, News Corp Australia executive chair Michael Miller said: “Mick is an acknowledged editorial leader with vast experience across regional and national publishing and a commitment to journalism that reflects our audiences’ passions and concerns. I look forward to his contribution as chair of News Corp’s Editorial Board as we intensify our focus on meeting the information needs of Australian families.”

Anna Caldwell

Who’s the new editor of The Sunday and Saturday Daily Telegraph?

As Carroll mentioned in his final editor’s letter, the weekend paper’s new editor is Anna Caldwell. She has recently been deputy editor of The Daily Telegraph. Prior to this, Caldwell was the paper’s state political editor. She joined The Daily Telegraph in 2017 after two years as News Corp’s US correspondent based in New York. Caldwell covered federal politics in the Canberra press gallery during the Gillard/Rudd era. She is a former chief of staff at Brisbane’s The Courier-Mail.

The Monkeys, part of Accenture Song, has won the Film Grand Prix for its Sydney Opera House campaign, Play it Safe, at this year’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

The campaign won one of two Grand Prix awards in the Film category, alongside the WoMen’s Football campaign by Paris-based agency Marcel, for French telecom company Orange.

Play it Safe celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Sydney Opera House and was a visual and musical love letter to ignoring the rules. The ad featured Australian songwriter and satirist Tim Minchin and director Kim Gehrig, as well as a host of the House’s resident companies and performers.

Meanwhile, Tor Myhren, jury president for the Film Lions category, described Play It Safe as “a celebration of the creative spirit, of brave ideas and taking huge risks in the face of critics and controversy and cultural norms. Quite simply, it’s the best film of the year and makes you proud to be in this industry.”

Tara Ford, chief creative officer, Growth Markets (APAC + LATAM) of Accenture Song, celebrated the win, saying: “This work is a rambunctious reminder to be creatively brave (just like the Opera House itself) and not ‘Play It Safe’. So, for this work to take out the Cannes film Grand Prix is so gratifying. It’s not an exaggeration to say this is a dream come true.

“So many amazing people were involved, and thanks to all their grit and talent we pulled it off. Special shout out goes to the wonderful Tim Minchin and Kim Gehrig. Here’s to creativity and its enduring power to move and motivate each and every one of us.”

“We really are thrilled to be recognised on the world stage for work promoting the iconic Sydney Opera House,” Mark Green, lead – Australia & New Zealand, Accenture Song, said. “So many people devoted their talents to making this happen and Tim Minchin and Kim Gehrig delivered the magic.”

He continued: “Our client also went on a journey that wasn’t for the faint-hearted. A shout out to Jade McKellar, Stephen O’Connor, Joanne Been and of course Susan Coghill from Tourism Australia. The team at Revolver also sweated this from beginning to end and that’s what makes Michael Ritchie and Pip Smart the best in the business. A final shout out to the team at The Monkeys, what an achievement!”

Tim Minchin in ‘Play it Safe’ by The Monkeys for The Sydney Opera House – Winner of Gold Clio Award for Film Craft

Neil Heymann, global chief creative officer, Accenture Song, added: “We couldn’t be more delighted to see The Monkeys team and Accenture Song and our partners acknowledged in this way. The piece is an ever-necessary reminder of the power of creative ambition and sailing in unchartered waters. And a beautifully written, artfully visualised reminder at that. Makes me proud to work at Song, proud to be a creative and proud to be an Aussie expat.”

Concluding the festival Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS, said: “As we wrap up another year of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, I hope everyone feels an extraordinary sense of pride and a rejuvenated sense of energy and inspiration in our industry. I’d like to congratulate each and every winner – as well as those shortlisted – on being recognised by your peers as demonstrating the greatest, most effective creativity our industry has to offer.”

Day 4

DDB Sydney won one of 29 Silver Lions in the Brand Experience & Activation category for The Original Mouthful for McDonald’s.

DDB New Zealand was also awarded two Silver Lions in the same category, one for its Volkswagen NZ campaign, The Greenprint and the other for the Correct The Internet campaign for Team Heroine.

Meanwhile, winning one of 30 Bronze Lions in the same category was VML Melbourne for its work on the FitChix campaign with Honest Eggs Co, CHEP Network Melbourne’s work on Climate Doctor’s Certificate for School Strike 4 Climate, and Auckland’s dentsu Creative’s Aid Aisle campaign for FreshChoice supermarket.

Colenso BBDO continued its winning streak at the festival, winning one of two Silver Lions in the Creative Business Transformation category for the Adoptable By Pedigree campaign.

The Creative Commerce category saw Sydney’s Howatson+Company recognised with one of nine Bronze Lions for its work with brewery Matilda Bay on the campaign, Your 2nd Favourite Beer.

Australia and New Zealand were each awarded one of nine Bronze Lions in the Creative Effectiveness category. VML Melbourne was once again recognised for its FitChix campaign with Honest Eggs Co, while Special Auckland picked up metal for its work with Partners Life on The Last Performance campaign.

The Creative Strategy Lions category also saw VML Melbourne’s FitChix campaign with Honest Eggs Co win both Silver and Bronze Lions.

Day 3

Auckland’s Colenso BBDO won one of 10 gold and one of 31 bronze awards in the Direct category for its work on the Adoptable By Pedigree campaign. The agency also received a bronze for its work on the cat food brand Whiskas with Meowzer.  

In the same category, DDB New Zealand‘s Volkswagen campaign, The Greenprint, won a silver, while Dentsu Creative Auckland got a bronze for its work with FreshChoice on Aid Aisle.

Australia’s M&C Saatchi saw one of 16 silver awards in the PR category for the Minderoo Foundation on The Plastic Forecast.

Australia was represented in the Direct category by Melbourne’s CHEP Network with Climate Doctor’s Certificate work for School Strike 4 Climate, which was awarded a bronze Lion.

There were 1888 entries in the Media category and DDB New Zealand was awarded one of 30 bronze Lions for its Ad-Ons work for McDonald’s.

In the Social & Influencer Lions category, Special Sydney – and its Los Angeles counterpart – was recognised for its work on the Be Honest campaign for Uber Eats with a bronze Lion. 

Day 2

The Monkeys, part Of Accenture Song, lead the winning Aussie pack. The agency won two Silver Lions – one in Film Craft and the other in Entertainment, for the Play It Safe campaign for the Sydney Opera House.

In the Design Lions category, honouring visual craftsmanship, 927 entries were received and 31 Lions were awarded by the jury. The Hallway was among the recipients of the 14 Bronze Lions Awards for its work on The Cardboard Cake with the Wholegreen Bakery.

Ogilvy Australia claimed one of 10 Bronze Lions in the Entertainment Lions For Sport category for ‘Til It’s Done campaign with Football Australia and The Matildas.

Day 1 

New Zealand’s Colenso BBDO won one of two Grand Prix in the Outdoor category on the first day with its Adoptable By Pedigree campaign.

The aims to democratise dog adoption ads using AI to transform the image of a shelter dog into studio-quality photography, in line with the brand’s ongoing ambition to end dog homelessness.

Elsewhere in the catagory, Dentsu Aotearoa also won a Silver Lion for its Aid Aisle campaign for Freshchoice. DDB Group Aotearoa won two Bronze Lions, one for its Ad-Ons campaign for McDonald’s and the other for Samsung NZ’s Different campaign.

In the audio and radio category meanwhile – which received 759 entries and awarded 23 Lions: four gold, six silver and 12 bronze – Howatson+Company‘s Touch campaign for Mastercard won bronze.

Ogilvy London and Sydney received one of 13 Bronze Lions in the print and publishing category for its 10 vs 10 campaign for Dove.

Plus VML Melbourne‘s FitChix work for Honest Eggs Co won a bronze Lion in the health and wellness category. 

Nominees for the 64th TV Week Logie Awards have been announced ahead of the August 18, 2024 awards night.

This year’s awards feature new categories alongside new Best categories.

The TV Week Logie Hall of Fame Award recipient will be announced during the awards telecast on August 18.

Gold Logie nominees

Entertainer and broadcaster, Andy Lee
Actress, Asher Keddie
Presenter and comedian, Julia Morris
Entertainer and Presenter, Larry Emdur
Presenter, Robert Irwin
Entertainer and presenter, Sonia Kruger
Presenter and broadcaster, Tony Armstrong

Sonia Kruger will join the TV elite if she scores back-to-back Gold Logie wins

If Sonia Kruger can win Gold again this year she joins a select band of people to win multiple times. Kruger has been nominated for three successive years with one Gold win in 2023. She has a long way to go to topple the most successful Gold-rushes. That belongs to Ray Martin with five Gold Logies including four successive wins from 1993 to 1996. 

Lisa McCune also has a place in the TV Week Logie history book with four successive wins from 1997 to 2000. Not far behind her is Rove McManus with three wins in a row from 2003 to 2005. Worth noting that he was also nominated for Gold another six times!

Julia Morris has been nominated for Gold in a third successive year. Asher Keddie is a former Gold winner in 2013. She is well-schooled about being gracious in defeat with five nominations and a first past the post once.

TV Week editorial director Amber Giles said: “As always, this is an exciting list of nominees for the TV Week Logie Awards with some of Australia’s best talent and shows up for awards. With the nominations announced, it’s now over to the public to have their say. The public can vote on more categories than ever before, so if you are passionate about TV and want to see your favourite stars and shows shine, then get voting!”

The TV grandmaster and the new kid on the block: Julia Morris with Robert Irwin

ABC gets Gold for nominations

When it comes to finding a champion in the TV Week Gold Logie nominations you can’t go past the ABC. The broadcaster was far and away well ahead of Seven and Nine in second and third spot.

TV Week Logies nominations by channel
ABC 50
Seven 19
Nine 16
10 10
SBS 5

How to Vote in TV Week Logie Awards

Voting will open for all awards from 6.00pm AEST June 23 and remain open until 7pm AEST Saturday 17 August, except for the Bert Newton Award for Most Popular Presenter and Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent, which will close 7:30pm AEST Sunday 18 August 2024.

Voting for the TV Week Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television will close Sunday 18 June at 10:30pm AEST. Those watching at home will have the chance to help write Australian television history books, live on the night, with their vote for who should take out the evening’s big award.

Fans can now vote for their favourites from the shortlisted nominees at tvweeklogies.com.au.

Streaming platforms make a mark

The TV Week Logie Awards remain a mainly celebration of FTA television. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! Out of around 137 nominations announced this week, 101 of them are for FTA TV people and productions.

But streaming platforms are making a mark. Of the 36 nominations for streaming platforms, Netflix had the most with nine. Prime Video was close behind on 8 with Stan on 7.
If we group together all the brands under the Foxtel Group, you come to 8. That’s a long way from its glory day with 19 nominations in 2016, 20 in 2019 and 23 just last year. They might need another Wentworth? The prison drama managed seven Logies across the seasons from an impressive 27 nominations.

The hottest TV show on a streaming service was Netflix’s Boy Swallow’s Universe with a impressive eight nominations.

See also:
TV Week Logie Awards 2023: Sonia Kruger takes the Gold Logie, Brian Walsh into Hall of Fame

Full list of nominees

Most Popular Awards

Bert Newton Award for Most Popular Presenter

Hamish Blake, Lego Masters Australia, 9Network
Julia Morris, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, Network 10
Larry Emdur, The Chase Australia and The Morning Show, Seven Network
Robert Irwin, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, Network 10
Sonia Kruger, Dancing With The Stars, The Voice Australia and Big Brother, Seven Network
Tony Armstrong, ABC News Breakfast, ABC

Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent

Alyla Browne, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, Prime Video
Ava Caryofyllis, Bay of Fires, ABC
Felix Cameron, Boy Swallows Universe, Netflix
Imi Mbedla, Bay of Fires, ABC
Lee Tiger Halley, Boy Swallows Universe, Netflix
Tristan Gorey, Home and Away, Seven Network

Best Awards

TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE – Best Lead Actor in a Drama

Felix Cameron, Boy Swallows Universe, Netflix
Hugo Weaving, Love Me, BINGE
Rob Collins, Total Control, ABC
Rob Collins, RFDS, Seven Network
Sam Reid, The Newsreader, ABC
Simon Baker, Boy Swallows Universe, Netflix

TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE – Best Lead Actress in a Drama

Aisha Dee, Safe Home, SBS
Anna Torv, The Newsreader, ABC
Deborah Mailman, Total Control, ABC
Phoebe Tonkin, Boy Swallows Universe, Netflix
Rachel Griffiths, Total Control, ABC
Sigourney Weaver, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, Prime Video

TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE – Best Lead Actor in a Comedy

Ben Feldman, Population 11, Stan
Bob Morley, In Limbo, ABC
Lincoln Younes, C*A*U*G*H*T, Stan
Matt Okine, Mother and Son, ABC
Rob Sitch, Utopia, ABC
Ryan Corr, In Limbo, ABC

TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE – Best Lead Actress in a Comedy

Celia Pacquola, Utopia, ABC
Danielle Walker, Gold Diggers, ABC
Denise Scott, Mother and Son, ABC
Kate Box, Deadloch, Prime Video
Kitty Flanagan, Utopia, ABC
Madeleine Sami, Deadloch, Prime Video

TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE – Best Supporting Actor

Bryan Brown, Boy Swallows Universe, Netflix
Guy Pearce, The Clearing, Disney+
Jay Ryan, Scrublands, Stan
Lee Tiger Halley, Boy Swallows Universe, Netflix
Stephen Curry, Bay of Fires, ABC
Travis Fimmel, Boy Swallows Universe, Netflix

TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE – Best Supporting Actress

Ariel Donoghue, Wolf Like Me, Stan
Kerry Fox, Bay of Fires, ABC
Leah Purcell, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, Prime Video
Mabel Li, Safe Home, SBS
Michelle Lim Davidson, The Newsreader, ABC
Sophie Wilde, Boy Swallows Universe, Netflix

TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE – Best News or Public Affairs Presenter

Ally Langdon, A Current Affair, 9Network
David Speers, Insiders, ABC
Liz Hayes, Under Investigation with Liz Hayes, 9Network
Michael Usher, 7NEWS and 7NEWS Spotlight, Seven Network
Peter Overton, 9News, 9Network
Sarah Ferguson, 7.30, ABC

Best Drama Program

Love Me, BINGE
NCIS: Sydney, Paramount+
RFDS, Seven Network
The Newsreader, ABC
The Tourist, Stan
Total Control, ABC

Best Miniseries or Telemovie

Boy Swallows Universe, Netflix
Erotic Stories , SBS
Safe Home, SBS
The Claremont Murders, Seven Network
The Clearing, Disney+
The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, Prime Video

Best Entertainment Program

ABC New Year’s Eve, ABC
Australian Idol, Seven Network
Dancing With The Stars, Seven Network
Take 5 With Zan Rowe, ABC
The Voice Australia, Seven Network
Vision Australia’s Carols by Candlelight, 9Network

Best Current Affairs Program

7.30, ABC
60 Minutes, 9Network
A Current Affair, 9Network
Australian Story, ABC
Foreign Correspondent, ABC
Four Corners, ABC

Best Scripted Comedy Program

Deadloch, Prime Video
In Limbo, ABC
Mother and Son, ABC
Population 11, Stan
Strife, BINGE
Utopia, ABC

Best Comedy Entertainment Program

Gruen, ABC
Hard Quiz, ABC
Have You Been Paying Attention?, Network 10
Thank God You’re Here, Network 10
The Weekly With Charlie Pickering, ABC
The Yearly With Charlie Pickering, ABC

Best Competition Reality Program

Alone Australia, SBS
Australian Survivor: Titans V Rebels, Network 10
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, Network 10
Lego Masters Australia, 9Network
MasterChef Australia, Network 10
The Block, 9Network

Best Structured Reality Program

Farmer Wants A Wife, Seven Network
Gogglebox Australia, FOXTEL and Network 10
Married at First Sight, 9Network
Muster Dogs, ABC
Old People’s Home For Teenagers, ABC
SAS Australia, Seven Network

Best Lifestyle Program

Better Homes and Gardens, Seven Network
Gardening Australia, ABC
Love It Or List It Australia, FOXTEL
Restoration Australia, ABC
Selling Houses Australia, FOXTEL
Travel Guides, 9Network

Best News Coverage or Public Affairs Report

A Silver Lining: Silverchair, Australian Story, ABC
Ben Roberts-Smith: The Truth, 60 Minutes, 9Network
Bishop of Broome, 7NEWS, Seven Network
Israel-Hamas War, 7NEWS, Seven Network
Old School – Louise Milligan, Four Corners, ABC
The Forever War – John Lyons, Four Corners, ABC

Best Factual or Documentary Program

Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles, Prime Video
John Farnham: Finding The Voice, Seven Network
Matildas: The World at Our Feet, Disney+
Nemesis, ABC
Revealed: Ben Roberts-Smith Truth on Trial, Stan
War On Waste, ABC

Best Sports Coverage

2023 AFL Finals Series, Seven Network
NRL Grand Final 2023, 9Network
2023 State of Origin, 9Network
Australian Open, 9Network
FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™, Seven Network
Fox League Las Vegas Week, FOXTEL and Kayo Sports

Best Children’s Program

Beep and Mort, ABC
Bluey, ABC
Eddie’s Lil’ Homies, NITV and Netflix
Gardening Australia Junior, ABC
Ginger and the Vegesaurs, ABC
Play School, ABC

The TV WEEK Logie Awards is proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
The 64th TV WEEK Logie Awards will be broadcast exclusively on Channel Seven and 7plus on Sunday 18 August with comedian Sam Pang as host.

Robert Irwin has reflected on his time on Channel 10‘s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! as “one of the most fun and unforgettable times in my life,” saying that the project “exceeded all expectations”.

Having taken home the award for On-Screen Content – Talent at Mediaweek’s Next of the Best Awards, over the weekend Irwin was named a Gold Logie nominee for the 64th TV Week Logie Awards.

Mediaweek caught up with Irwin to speak about his Next of the Best win and what the industry can expect from him next.

The awards have been judged by an all-star line-up, what does it mean to you to be recognised by this group?

It is such an honour to be recognised amongst some of the best of the best in Australian
entertainment. It means a lot for me and the message that is so intrinsic to what I do.

It’s been a whirlwind year, making your I’m A Celebrity debut. Did the experience in South Africa match up with your expectations?

My I’m a Celeb experience exceeded all expectations! It was one of the most fun and unforgettable times in my life. I certainly felt fortunate to have Julia [Morris] right there showing me the ropes as I found a new passion for hosting. Plus, it took me back to one of my favourite places on earth, South Africa.

How have you found the audience’s response to your first season of I’m A Celebrity?

I’ve been so humbled by the incredibly positive response to this season of I’m a Celebrity. I hoped to bring a little bit of my passion for wildlife and conservation to this season, and it was so meaningful to hear how much audiences enjoyed that. Hopefully, we could create not only some hilarious moments but also showcase the beauty of the African wildlife.

You’ve spoken extensively about conservation being your North Star. How does your on-screen work help with that?

I aim to be a voice for positive change in the environmental space, and having a platform to
spread my message is vital. Trying new projects like I’m a Celebrity means I can reach a whole new audience and that is something truly special.

Being Next of The Best – what can the industry expect next from you?

Watch out world. That’s all I can say!

Seriously though, I hope to try a bit of everything within the industry. I’m keen to take on every new opportunity as it comes. I’ve loved branching out into the live TV world and hosting, and I would really love to continue to do that. I have a real passion for the visual arts, so who knows maybe even acting next! That would be fun.

–

Top image: Robert Irwin

Sales of vinyl records are “absolutely booming” – currently selling at the same rate as it was in the 80s – and Alli Galloway, chief marketing officer at Vinyl Group tells Mediaweek that having the license for Rolling Stone merchandise means the group can make the most of this momentum.

In fact, vinyl represented 70% of total physical sales in 2023 by dollar value and 42% of physical sales by volume in Australia. 

“Music fans love to collect, they’re very passionate, we can see that with the launch of our vinyl.com ecommerce store,” Galloway said.

“Plus, because the Rolling Stone brand is so iconic and it’s so recognisable to music fans, being able to don that big red embroidered logo on their chest is a sign of their identity. Getting the licence to have the Rolling Stone merchandise available has been amazing.”

The Rolling Stone licence falls under The Brag Media, one of four core brands that Vinyl Group oversees – with the other three being Jaxsta, Vampr, and Vinyl.com. 

“We’ve all been able to see the opportunities that exist between the various companies that we’ve acquired, but the fun part is unravelling all the integration opportunities so that each part of the business is able to amplify another part of the business,” Galloway said.

“We’ve integrated display ads across The Brag network sites for Vinyl, and we’ve got dynamic Vinyl ads running within the Vampr app.”

Galloway said that for brands looking to advertise on Vinyl Group’s sites, the team “sees the opportunity as one that will be quite lucrative.” 

“We’re talking to music fans, we know that if they’re reading an article about a particular artist or they’re interested in a particular artist through the Vampr app, being able to deliver them exactly those types of bundles and deals is really exciting for us.”

The word “exciting” comes up time and again with Galloway, who said it is “the only way to explain” Vinyl Group’s growth, and that “We’re really focused on further integration opportunities.”

“Everybody is seeing this broad opportunity to continue to evolve the creator ecosystem, service brands, fans, and the music industry creators, and elevate all of them.

“Each of our brands services a different part of the industry, and when you bring that together as an ecosystem, unlocking ways to amplify each is quite powerful. There’s no other business in Australia that has the audience of music fans, music creators, the music industry, and the media in the way that we do,” said Galloway.

Looking ahead, Galloway said the future of Vinyl Group will be “about further integration between all the brands.”

“As chief marketing officer, I’m always looking for ways to further integrate marketing across all our brands in Vinyl Group, but also not losing focus on the individual brand objectives,” she said. 

See Also: Luke Girgis exits The Brag, six months after $10m Vinyl Group deal

Seven journalist Robert Ovadia says he has been sacked after an internal investigation was conducted into allegations of inappropriate behaviour. 

In an interview with The Australian, the Sydney-based crime reporter confirmed he had been fired after 23 years with the network.

“Yes I’ve been sacked and there will be more to say about that in the appropriate forum at the appropriate time,” Ovadia told The Australian.

The ABC states Ovadia has sought legal advice from high-profile lawyer John Laxon over the matter.

Ovadia stated before his sacking that any allegation he had behaved inappropriately is false and will be defended.

Seven has been contacted for comment.

Ovadia’s exit is the lastest in a number of senior staff departures for Seven in the past month. Craig McPherson stepped down after Seven’s Spotlight program became embroiled in Bruce Lehrmann‘s failed defamation battle against 10 and Lisa Wilkinson. Replacing him in April was Anthony De Ceglie, appointed Seven West Media’s new director of news and current affairs.

In the wake of ex-Spotlight producer Taylor Auerbach‘s evidence, EP Mark Llewellyn also left the network.

Also in April, Seven settled a defamation claim with the man it incorrectly named as the Bondi Junction attacker, reaching an out-of-court settlement on confidential terms.

Rival network Nine has also seen senior roles depart, including the exit of former news and current affairs boss Darren Wick after multiple allegations of inappropriate behaviour were made against him.

Wick left the network in March after 29 years at the company, 13 years in the position, and more than a month away from the office. He announced his departure in a staff email seen by Mediaweek, writing: “After many long beach walks and even longer conversations, I know in my heart that this is the right time for me to step down and leave Nine.”

After Wick’s departure from the network, allegations of inappropriate behaviour surfaced publically, putting pressure on Nine CEO Mike Sneesby, with questions raised about who – if anyone – in management knew of the complaints before Wick’s departure. 

Peter Costello also stood down as Nine Entertainment’s chairman and resigned as a director, effective immediately in June, three days after an altercation with a News Corp journalist. 

The journalist Liam Mendes confronted Costello in the arrivals lounge at Canberra Airport on 6 June, asking him questions about ­the allegations against Wick, and whether, as a result, Costello supports Sneesby. 

Deputy chair Catherine West is now Nine’s chair. 

Australian independent content distributor Fred Media has launched its first FAST channel in Europe.

Available on the LG Channels platform in seven territories, including the UK, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, Life Down Under is a premium FAST channel featuring lifestyle, documentary and factual content originating from and telling stories about life in Australia. All titles are from the Fred Media program catalogue and have been produced by its parent company, WTFN.

At launch, Life Down Under features series such as The Wild Life of Tim Faulkner, Travels with the Bondi Vet, Keeping Up with the Joneses, Lee Chan’s World Food Tour, Tattoo Tales and Tony Robinson’s Time Walks.

Additional WTFN series will be added over time, including Paramedics, Emergency, Mega Zoo, Space Invaders, Sydney Harbour Force and Code 1: Minute by Minute. All titles have previously been broadcast in primetime slots on leading Australian networks including Seven, Nine, Ten, ABC, Foxtel and SBS.

Lee Chan’s World Food Tour

The deal with LG was negotiated by Derek Dyson, WTFN Group’s chief commercial officer. Dyson said: “We launched an early incarnation of Life Down Under in Australia and New Zealand in 2023 – on Samsung TV and Hisense – and quickly became aware that it had much broader appeal than solely a domestic audience. This new deal with LG showcases some of the very best Fred Media and WTFN content and meets a real demand from Australians living in Europe and European viewers keen to have a constant stream of top-rated, authentically Aussie series at their fingertips.

“We are excited to launch our first international FAST channel in Europe, bringing content from across our extensive library into one focused broadcast destination. We now look forward to expanding our offer with Life Down Under, adding new content and growing the channel’s global footprint.”

Fred Media and WTFN’s long-running title Bondi Vet already has its own successful FAST channel in Australia and New Zealand, managed by the business. The company has recently struck a global partnership with Blue Ant Media, whereby Bondi Vet is a flagship title in its rapidly expanding Love Pets FAST channel. 

See also: How Jon Penn is securing homes for Blue Ant Media content across APAC region

Tattoo Tales

About Fred Media

With a focus on developing, financing, distributing and monetising content, Fred Media is the largest independent, full-service distributor operating in Australia. It boasts a growing catalogue of more than 2000 hours of programming across a range of genres, focusing primarily on lifestyle, reality, documentary, factual and kids.

Since its launch in 2012, Fred Media has been an integral part of the WTFN Group, an independent company that is now home to WTFN Entertainment (production), WTFN BE (branded content), Empire Talent (talent management) and, most recently, Radar MCN, a rapidly expanding digital content business.

Gaven Morris has been appointed executive general manager of corporate affairs for the Commonwealth Bank Australia (CBA), commencing July 29.

Morris brings more than 30 years of experience in media, consulting, and education to the role and a background as an international and Australian news executive, reporter, and producer.  

He was director of news, analysis and investigations at the ABC for six years. Since 2021, he has been managing director of Bastion Transform, the content and digital strategy agency within the Bastion Group.

Morris is also an industry professor at Western Sydney University’s School of Humanities and Communication Arts and an adjunct professor at the University of Canberra. He has been an advisory board member of Region Media Group, a Canberra-based media production company, for the past two years.

CBA’s group executive Monique Macleod said: “I’m delighted that Gaven will be joining the Commonwealth Bank team. As well as being a highly respected journalist and news executive, he also has a wealth of experience leading high performing teams in fast-paced environments and through complex and rapid change.

“This expertise, combined with his ability to engage diverse audiences and his strong personal values, will be an outstanding asset to the team,” Macleod added.
 
Mediaweek has contacted Bastion for comment.
 
Morris’ new role with CBA comes after Bastion Transform welcomed the appointment of Jenni Ryall to the newly created senior position of group director, business development and strategy.
 
Ryall joined the agency from Meta where she led strategic partnerships and drove multi-million-dollar investments into media companies across the Australia and New Zealand region. This included the $15 million Meta News Fund with the Walkley Foundation and the New Zealand investment strategy.
 
She also has had an extensive career as a leader in news and digital media in Australia and the US where she has been at the centre of digital transformation, the repositioning of high-growth media brands and the push for innovation in news products.
 
See also: Bastion Transform welcomes Jenni Ryall as group director, business development and strategy
 
–
 
Top image: Gaven Morris

The fourth of SKMG’s Cannes edition of its newsletter COMMPRESS, CANNESPRESS, covers the Cannes Lions from La Croisette.

Day 4. We’re getting to the good stuff now. Today saw hangovers as big as the croissant-stuffed seagulls getting around the promenade, all reportedly victims of last night’s Spotify party, which could be heard from Antibes.

You know what else was big? The sessions. Today went hard on values driven marketing and the need to believe that your brand can – and should – make a difference to the world, no matter who you are or what you produce.

It’s an easy one when you’re someone like Kate Cronin, the Chief Brand Officer at Moderna, who says the best thing is its ability to make an impact with vaccines worldwide. But, life-saving businesses aside, TikTok’s Head of Global Marketing Kate Jhaveri says the platform is proud of the community it has created and how the platform empowers people by making sure their voices and stories are heard.

We also went Inside the Jury Room of the PR Lions where we heard from Kat Thomas, One Green Bean’s Founder and Global Chief Creative Officer, who spilled what beans she could on the three things Lions judges were looking for when picking winners: one being that earned media is at the heart of it all; two being cultural relevancy, that is, the campaign needed to be authentic for the brand and for its audience; and lastly, that it was credible for the world we’re living in by being inclusive and celebrating diversity in the right way. Do with this what you will.

Patagonia deserves a mention for sticking to its guns and remaining a true leader in the clothing manufacturing space which, as we learnt today, produces more carbon emissions than the airline and shipping industries combined. Think about that next time you impulsively add to cart. Another notable mention goes to Scottish-born fashion designer Stuart Trevor – of AllSaints fame – for not only his “the last thing the world needs is another clothing brand” line, but for creating a new clothing company that actually doesn’t produce any clothes. Instead, it re-cuts/shapes/tailors from old and vintage pieces. Talk about making a difference.

And a stellar lineup at the Brand Marketers Academy today saw Andrew hearing from Heinz’s Global Chief Growth Officer Diana Frost, GUT’s joint CCOs Ricardo Casal and Juan Javier Peña Plaza and former Wieden + Kennedy Chief Strategy Officer turned lecturer at the University of Michigan, Marcus Collins, who also happened to handle digital strategy for a ubiquitous pop star who shares a last name with an author of this newsletter.
 
The takeaways? Understand cultural drivers of consumer behaviour, “consumption at its core is a cultural act” according to Collins: “We choose brands and brand new products that are congruent with how we want to be seen in the world.” Collins believes most brands still follow culture “sucking the tailpipe” and ruining the party.
 
The real opportunity is to lead by participating in discourse and creating new language, behaviour or artifacts: think Kodak with “cheese” or DeBeers popularising the diamond engagement ring. The opportunities, he says, lie outside the bell curve on the fringes of subculture (remember when we spoke about that?). The good news? The internet is driving greater intersectionality and a wider spread of subcultures than ever before, so there’s plenty of opportunities to find your niche and get involved.

Overheard in Cannes

“Brands need to move at the speed of culture.” – Edelman’s Marie Claire Maalouf

Diana Frost

“So many marketers come into a business and want to change this and that without understanding what the foundations are about.” – Heinz’s global chief growth officer Diana Frost

“We set up pods – cross functional teams – we started with three now we have 34 dedicated to really big cultural products.” – Diana Frost once more

“AI showed up but it didn’t dominate the creative work. It was used to supercharge the storytelling.” – One Green Bean’s Kat Thomas  

“We don’t judge creatives by their bad ideas, we judge them by their good ones.” – Ricardo Casal, GUT

Kate Jhaveri, Kate Cronin and Mustafa Shamseldin

“I sit next to the CFO and my best friend… a huge partner of mine.” – Moderna’s brand boss Kate Cronin

“Sometimes you sit in a bubble and design research to tell you what yourself want to hear.” – Kate Cronin

“The new role of the CMO is to enable creativity rather than be creative themselves.” – PepsiCo’s global growth and marketing head Mustafa Shamseldin

“Marketing is the language of the world.” – Mustafa Shamseldin, and, yes, he did say it

“PR and advertising are one thing. They are not separate.” – Ian Black from New Vegas

Picks & Recs

Conference moderator tip 1

Much like the MC of a wedding, the moderator of a conference is not the star of the show. Hosting a panel of big-name CMOs, Sophie Devonshire from The Marketing Society simply could not and would not keep quiet. She talked more than the CMOs. The Sophie Show was not what we signed up for.

The lime green pantsuit theory

An old friend of SKMG would wear a bright lime green pantsuit to conferences to ensure she stood out in the crowd. Snapchat execs must know her too, given the lurid, technicolur building they set up in Cannes. In a sea of pale French buildings, you’d be hard-pressed to miss it. (Less imaginatively, or perhaps due to budget cuts, Reddit ran with the same big red and orange box construction from last year.)

One nagging question

Why does the Deloitte Digital logo have a green dot at the end of Deloitte? They aren’t environmental consultants, or a petrol company. Green appropriation perhaps?

Whenever you need somebody, reach for Rick Astley

1980s pop star and meme lord Rick Astley was an unlikely winner at Cannes, in that, Specsavers UK was for using him to flog hearing aids. The campaign won the Grand Prix Lion in the PR category. Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised? Astley is an icon. His hearing is failing. And many Brits have long mangled the lyrics to Never Gonna Give You Up (to be fair, probably because they were pissed at the pub, not going deaf).

Lollicop

Not a pick or a rec, per say, but a picture. Upon hearing that those who attempted to photograph French police run the risk of arrest, Neil challenged the team to capture one doing something fun. And if a cop enjoying a lollipop doesn’t count, pray tell, what does?

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By Carl Sarney, head of strategy, TRA

As a brand and comms strategist, I must be equal parts optimist and pessimist. When a tough brief lands on my desk, a bucketload of optimism is required to motivate all my collaborators to find an effective solution. A healthy dose of pessimism challenges everyone to sharpen that solution until we feel confident it will be as effective as possible.

The same double lens applies when I look at industry trends. Keeping an eye on Cannes Lions winners this year had me feeling optimistic that creative agencies can still create showmanship that sells. However, I remain pessimistic about the volume of creatively awarded ‘campaigns’ that seem to have been designed as a one-off flash in the pan rather than adding coals to a furnace built to power a brand ahead for the long-term.

It got me thinking about the tension between the perceived creative freedom of singular one-off storytelling, and the proven effectiveness of committing to a lasting creative idea over the long-term.

This further made me think about Creative Commitment, a term coined by Peter Field and James Hurman in their report titled The Effectiveness Code, published a few years ago. With that in mind, let’s review the combination of the creativity and duration levers through the lens of Cannes 2024 winners.

The advertising industry, particularly creative departments, is incentivised to produce fresh executions for the best chance of winning lots of creative awards. Marketing science, on the other hand, suggests that long-term campaigns are what drives commercial success for clients… can you have both? What does it look like to have a long-term campaign made up of fresh, boundary-pushing creative executions?

When there’s a short-term objective with a finite time frame to achieve the objective, then of course there’s a role for highly creative one-off executions. Xbox’s ‘Everyday Tactician’ is deserving of a Grand Prix award in the direct marketing category for almost quadrupling the number of people playing their Football Manager game (if that’s how I’m supposed to read the 190% increase claimed in their hype reel). The game would be in-market for a finite time before the next release. They needed a big flash in the pan to get gamers playing right away, and their idea to put a gamer in charge of the tactician role for a real football team, that started winning in real life, turned gamers’ heads and sold the game like hotcakes. Success in any marketer’s book!
 
When there’s a long-term brand building objective, why not have both? A built to last platform idea from which loads of fresh creative executions can spring from …for years.
 
In this year’s winners list, I went looking for creatively awarded executions that ladder up to long-term brand platforms. Here’s what I found, and what marketers can learn from them.
 
Three themes emerged:
 
1. Famously strong brands are adhering to the Creative Commitment principle and getting big long-term results alongside creative awards.
2. Long established DBA’s (distinctive brand assets) can become highly effective creative playdough
3. Creative ideas awarded today can have long-term potential. Can further freshness be squeezed from these?

1. Learn what Creative Commitment can look like from the big guns

The Grand Prix winner for Creative Effectiveness was ‘It has to be Heinz’. If you do a Google image search on this tagline, you will see hundreds of creative executions that all unmistakably link to this built-to-last brand idea. Each execution is attention-grabbing, entertaining, beautifully art-directed and they all send the single-minded message that Heinz is the most popular ketchup in the world. When you look a little closer, you see how they have been able to jump on social media trends and localise the idea for different markets: Hundreds of fresh ideas all springing from one long-term brand idea. It’s a creative commitment masterclass, and that’s why they won the top award.

“So many marketers come into a business and want to change this and that without understanding what the foundations are about.” – Heinz’s global chief growth officer Diana Frost

‘Should’ve gone to Specsavers’ is brand idea that first appeared in 2002. Chances are, it occupies more space in your memory than most brands out there (even if you don’t wear spectacles …yet). It’s another exemplar of creative commitment. After more than twenty years of commitment it’s now paying off for the brand in new ways. With a strategic challenge to extend a brand strongly associated with vision loss into hearing loss they could have been tempted to dream up an entirely new campaign. What they did instead was look to the foundations of their brand idea – funny mistakes made when your vision ain’t so good – and kept the funny mistakes angle as they ventured into the hearing category. It means that the stunt to re-record a Rick Astley song with misheard lyrics, and release it – unbranded – to get social media and news media attention immediately made sense when they did reveal the brand. Of course, Rick should’ve gone to Specsavers for help with his hearing.

A fresh take on a decades-old idea that won them the Grand Prix in audio and radio. I venture to say that the same idea wouldn’t have worked without 20 years of creative commitment before it.

Similarly, Dove’s ‘campaign for real beauty’ started 20 years ago, and this year at Cannes they picked up several Lions for fresh new takes on the same brand platform. Another great example of creative commitment as a springboard for creativity, not a strategic straight-jacket.

2. Learn from established brands about the creative potential stored up in very old brand assets

Mixing fresh with established doesn’t just hinge on taglines. By committing to images, colours, characters, sounds, shapes etc over the very long-term, a brand builds a set of unmistakable memory triggers. The more established these are, the more they can be smooshed around and reimagined, like highly effective creative playdough.

McDonald’s has been doing this for some time and continues to be creatively awarded for it today. The golden arches were incorporated into the brand logo in 1962 and are regarded as one of the most recognizable brand assets in the world. This long-term commitment affords them a great deal of inventive potential.

Mcdonald’s picked up a silver effectiveness lion for the ‘raise your arches’ campaign in the UK market, depicting people raising their eyebrows to each other to suggest ‘we should get Maccas’. It’s fresh, it’s funny, it sold lots of burgers and it wouldn’t have been possible without decades of commitment to the Golden Arches brand asset.

McDonald’s whole business has been built on consistency, even the products have remained largely unchanged for decades. This means photography of Big Macs, Fries, Sundaes and Apple Pies also triggers just one brand in people’s minds, so these can be played with in fresh creative ways. Such as the ‘Aaaand’ campaign for the New Zealand market that won Bronze at the Media Lions. Digital billboards have an extra little screen where the billboard company puts their logo. The idea was to have big images of burgers ‘aaaand’ use the little screen for little images of add-ons like fries, sundaes, pies etc. All visual, one word, perfect for OOH and very effective at making people smile about adding a little extra to their order.

Coca-Cola’s logo has been largely unchanged for over 130 years. Around the same time, Mcdonald’s committed to the Golden Arches, Coke committed to their dynamic ribbon device. Now in 2024, Coca-Cola took out the print and publishing grand prix for their ‘recycle me’ campaign featuring the logo squashed like how it appears on a crushed can, yet immediately recognizable. Award winning art direction that wouldn’t have been effective without decades of prior consistency.

Ok, so your brand isn’t 130 years old yet. Why is this relevant? The lesson for marketers leading new brands today is to decide what brand assets you’ll commit to for decades so that eventually you too will have unmistakable brand playdough to smoosh around and grab attention with.

3. Creative ideas awarded today can have long-term potential. Can further freshness be squeezed from these?

To wrap up with an inspiring thought for marketers. This year there have been campaigns that have been highly awarded for creativity, which show promise of becoming long-term campaigns. The question is, will the marketers behind these great executions hang on to what they’ve got?

Cerave skincare won a Grand Prix in the social influencer category for their campaign featuring Michael Cera. It was launched at Superbowl and continued through social media.

Tide detergent won gold in the social influencer category for their ‘gonna need more tide’ campaign featuring comedian Kumail Nanjiani.

Magnum Ice Cream won a Grand Prix in outdoor for their ‘find your summer’ billboards.
 
The lesson for marketers is that when a short-term idea really takes off in a single channel, recognize that you’ve got a tiger by the tail and take this brief back to your agency: How can we extend this idea across other touchpoints over the long term?
 
Coming back to the levers of Creative Commitment, you’ve pulled the creativity lever and it’s working. Now get your agency’s advice on whether the same idea can pull on the multiple media channels lever and the long-term duration lever.
 
It might not be feasible to stretch the idea to meet all your objectives. But it’s certainly worth pausing to consider if it can before moving on to the next new thing. Don’t throw away the chance to establish an enduring icon that makes your brand famous for decades.
 
–
 
Top image: Carl Sarney

By James Rose, MD of Channel Factory Australia.

The ideas of ‘purpose’ and ‘doing good’ have taken a bit of a back seat in the marketing discourse in the last 12 months, as tougher economic times have focused minds on other areas. But that doesn’t mean people expect businesses to pack up their social agendas at the same time.

The recently released Good Study 2024 shows this in stark relief – a staggering 96% of Australians believe it’s essential for brands to make a positive impact. However, this desire for goodness comes with a clear caveat: steer clear of politics. Just 39% of Australians think brands should engage in social or political issues, and half would boycott a brand over its stance on current conflicts.

That’s a pretty big and scary caveat for any marketer. In today’s charged online environment it can be very easy for people to read the worst into a well-intended action, or call for a boycott over something that was seemingly harmless to the brand team. Just ask the people at Bud Light if you don’t believe me.

Of course, there are a few brands that will always wear their heart on their sleeve when it comes to doing good – Who Gives A Crap, Thankyou and Single Use Ain’t Sexy all stand for something as part of their core DNA. But for many brands finding a way into the ‘doing good’ conversation can be much tougher.

But, when you look at where people come together, it’s clear that movements that unite people are where brands can find a groundswell of support, with efforts to create social togetherness (+39%), actively stopping poor treatment of marginalised communities (+34%) and supporting First Nations Australians (+31%) the biggest movers in terms of expectation since the first study two years ago.

These last three points are all things most brands need to be addressing in their advertising campaigns – but not in the way you might expect.

You see, most businesses are unconsciously perpetuating these problems in the way they approach their media buys, which is creating genuine disparity and hardship in marginalised communities. The good news is it’s actually an easy enough fix once you understand the problem.

Current keyword blocklists often exclude content from posts or news stories by flagging words like “Black,” “Queer,” or “Muslim,” regardless of the content’s sentiment or suitability. It’s a problem for news publishers who deal with these topics every day. But it’s also a real tax on creators from these communities who are creating content to talk exactly about these topics. It means they are often defunded and penalised, despite often having the most rusted-on and hard-to-reach audiences for many brands.

It’s also a serious challenge for businesses as well. For us Aussies the word ‘bloody’ is a real part of the vernacular you’ll hear regularly on TV, radio and even kid-friendly YouTube content. In other parts of the world it’s a little more frowned upon, so suddenly blocklists will pull ads from content with the word ‘bloody’ in the title.

These blocklists get complicated when there are big news events. For instance, during sensitive events like the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it is still possible for brands to use keyword blocklists to avoid running ads against distressing content while still supporting reputable news organisations. But brands also need to go beyond the exclusion of the wrong content – leveraging inclusion lists to prioritise professionally produced news content ensures that brands are proactively supporting free speech and credible journalism.

The answer lies in getting more granular and understanding the consequences of these catch-all blocklists on your business. There may be things you don’t want to appear alongside, but this is different for everyone and these catch-all tools being employed have serious and unintended consequences.

Ironically, they are also bad at moderating where ads appear when it comes to harmful content and misinformation. It can be much easier for savvy purveyors of misinformation to game the system and get those dollars flowing into their coffers, because these tools don’t check for that. There is technology available which can catch these problems and ensure your advertising dollars do not support harmful narratives.

In the era of digital media, misinformation is a pervasive issue. Brands have a responsibility to ensure their advertisements do not fund or appear alongside misleading content. At Channel Factory, we use technology to continuously review and block content spreading misinformation. By maintaining a vigilant approach, we strive to protect the integrity of the media ecosystem and ensure that advertising dollars do not support harmful narratives.

The (often surprising) consequence of addressing the issues above is that it routinely leads to better results. So in a polarised world where customers expect you to be doing the right thing, but don’t want you to be political, there are some simple things you can do immediately to show them you are serious and show up in places your rivals probably aren’t.

That really is a win-win proposition.

–

Top image: James Rose

The Growth Distillery has unveiled Moments that Matter: Health, new research showing that while Australians are increasingly becoming more proactive with their health, most don’t have the knowledge or confidence to achieve their health goals.

For brands to have an impact, the research found they need to be part of the conversation at four critical steps of the purchase journey.

The research found that only 17% of Australians strongly agree they are in good health; 78% have made a proactive health purchase in the last 12 months; only 27% strongly agree they are knowledgeable about health, and 57% are not completely confident in purchasing health products

Four moments were identified as critical for brands in shaping what consumers end up buying:

1. The realisation of a need: The Growth Distillery describes this as a crucial moment for brands to be in the conversation with consumers turning to friends or family, health professionals, and advertising to start forming a perspective on their needs.

2. The search begins: 90% of health consumers conduct research before purchase, with the most popular search terms ‘where to purchase’, ‘best price’, ‘brands available’ and ‘benefits’.

3. Picking a winner: To make a decision, consumers have a list of key criteria they evaluate brands against including price, reviews, and benefits. It’s here that brands should demonstrate value for money.

4. Winning hearts, minds, and voices: The Growth Distillery says the voice of customers is critical, both for repeat purchases and to ensure they advocate for brands to their friends, family, and colleagues. Brands should ensure positive word of mouth to continue the purchase cycle and to recommend new consumers to the category.

The Growth Distillery research director Stephanie Forsyth said: “Australians need help now more than ever to achieve their health goals. Brands have a responsibility to help consumers, and can do so by understanding every moment of the customer journey.”

Sky News Australia will launch the Sky News Election Channel on Friday 28 June, a dedicated political news channel covering campaign trails across Australia and the world.

The Election Channel will provide coverage of the latest political news conferences, leaders’ debates, policy announcements, and events. The channel will provide insight into political issues as they unfold around the world and have access to international news services including Sky News UK, C-SPAN, CNN, Fox News, Reuters, AP, and AFP.

The launch of the channel will include the first US Presidential debate of 2024 as Joe Biden and Donald Trump go head-to-head in the CNN Presidential Debate Simulcast live at 11:00 am AEST. Sky News Washington Correspondent Annelise Nielsen will be reporting live from Atlanta, Georgia.

Coverage of France’s snap parliamentary election gets underway on Sunday 30 June as first-round voting commences, followed by second-round voting on Sunday 7 July. Just weeks out from the Paris Olympic Games, President Emmanuel Macron’s gamble could see his centrist Renaissance party defeated by Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally.

The Election Channel will also feature coverage of the UK General Election on Friday 5 July, live from 7:00 am AEST, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Conservative Party facing a wipeout by Keir Starmer’s Labour Party. Sky News Anchor Laura Jayes will be live on the ground in London for the latest results and implications for Australia.

Paul Whittaker, chief executive officer at Sky News Australia said: “As Europe and the United States face critical elections that will impact Australia’s international affairs for years to come, the Sky News Election Channel will provide Australians with the most comprehensive and dedicated live coverage.

“While closer to home, the focus will be on the Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory Elections, the Queensland and Western Australian State Elections and a Federal Election, all set to take place in the months ahead.”

The Election Channel will temporarily replace Sky News Extra and will be available on the SkyNews.com.au streaming subscription, Foxtel and Flash.

See also: Chris Uhlmann joins Sky News as political contributor

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Top image: Annelise Nielsen

DoubleVerify has revealed the launch of the DV Transparency Centre, a new educational portal designed to augment understanding and trust in media verification by providing greater insight and clarity into DV’s technology and measurement solutions. 

The DV Transparency Centre serves as a resource for advertisers, agencies, and other industry partners, offering educational materials that clarify the intricacies of digital ad verification and the wider measurement space.

DV’s Transparency Centre initiative aims to demystify key aspects of its technology and showcase its commitment to enhancing industry standards.

“It’s time to break open the perceived ‘black box’ and take on some of the misperceptions surrounding the digital ad space. Trust and transparency are foundational to a robust and thriving digital ecosystem,” said Dan Slivjanovski, DoubleVerify CMO and leader of Industry Education at the company.

“With the DV Transparency Centre, our goal is to equip our partners with the knowledge they need to maximise the benefits of our state-of-the-art technology and navigate the dynamic digital advertising landscape more effectively.”

Deva Bronson, EVO, global head of brand assurance at dentsu Media said: “As brands navigate a hyper-political environment, brand safety and transparency become even more top of mind for marketers.”

“We are proud to partner with DoubleVerify, and support their commitment to advancing industry transparency.”

At launch, the DV Transparency Centre will offer a collection of resources tailored to enhance understanding of DV and the verification category and address trending topics.

These include an exploration of Made for Advertising (MFA) sites according to DV’s measurement standards, detailed insights into the mechanics of independent social media measurement, and discussions on brand safety and suitability on social platforms.

DoubleVerify is also expanding its educational outreach by partnering with The AdTech Forum, a Marketecture Media company, and U of Digital, an educational platform for the adtech sector.

“DoubleVerify’s leadership in verification is well-established, and their commitment to advancing industry knowledge through the DV Transparency Centre aligns very well with our goals,” said Jeremy Bloom, co-founder of Marketecture Media.

“Education is crucial in digital advertising, and DoubleVerify recognises that,” said Shiv Gupta, founder of U of Digital. “Investing in educational initiatives sets a strong example for how, through learning, companies can contribute to the ongoing growth and improvement of the fast-evolving ad tech space.”

Queensland University of Technology (QUT) has unveiled its refreshed long-standing ‘The University for the Real World’ creative platform in collaboration with VML.

The work aims to address the category disconnect between academic learning and real-world application that students often experience.

QUT’s Real is campaign puts a spotlight on how its students are being prepared to shape the future, bridging the gap between classroom experiences and real-world challenges.

The campaign focuses on what it takes to shape the future and showcases the unfiltered university experience. It also addresses the disconnect between theoretical education and practical application.

Xavier Amouroux, QUT’s executive director of marketing and communication, said: “At QUT, we believe that education should be real, relevant, and reflective of the world we live in. The Real is campaign encapsulates our commitment to real world learning that prepares our students for the opportunities of the future.”

“The Real is campaign has the authentic journeys of our students and alumni at its heart, showcasing how QUT has helped them navigate and shape the real world.”

The campaign features unique QUT stories about real world impact, learning innovation with QUT You, QUT’s first-of-its-kind new Faculty of Indigenous Knowledges and Culture, the rise of new courses like vertical degrees, and a focus on eSports and sustainability.
 
Adam Kennedy, managing director of VML Brisbane, said: “It’s a privilege to work on such an enduring brand platform and give it new meaning for the next generation of students. This work reaffirms QUT as the leaders in real-world learning.”
 
The agency’s fully integrated campaign, which connects brand, faculty, discipline and course level communications, launches with a 30” film, high-impact out-of- home, social, and digital advertising.

CREDITS

Client: Queensland University of Technology (QUT)
Executive Director, Marketing and Communication: Xavier Amouroux
Associate Director, Marketing and Recruitment: Leanne Cain
Associate Director, Brand and Digital Communications: Merisa Ruvic Brigg Campaign Project Manager: Ash Cheah-Lord
Corporate Marketing Officer: Emma Alexander
Brand and Creative Studio Manager: Ashleigh Juers
Web and Digital Strategy Senior Manager: Deanne Mauch

Creative Agency: VML
Managing Director: Adam Kennedy
Head of Strategy: Andrew Kolb
Strategy Director: Dilip Garga
Head of Client Engagement: Janelle Shinners Client Partner: Ingrid Postle
Account Director: Natasha Kent
Executive Creative Directors: Stu Turner & Benjamin Davis
Creative Director: Guido Pecego
Associate Creative Director: Lisa O’Neill
Senior Art Director: Phil Vale
Senior Copywriter: Jessamy Ross
Head of Production: Mignon Van Weeren
Broadcast Producer: Stephanie Leddin
Studio: Santi Drane

Production Company: 13CO
Executive Producer: Charity Downing Executive Producer: Roy De Giorgio
DOP: Caleb Ware
Photographer: Joel Pratley
Offline Editor: Joe Morris
Post Company: Toybox Animation Composer: Brett Shaw
Sound Design: Squeak E.Clean Studios

Houston has promoted Gretel Maltabarow to managing director and Stacey Saunders to general manager.

Stuart O’Brien, CEO and founder of the brand strategy and design consultancy, said he was proud to recognise the talents Maltabarow and Saunders by expanding their remits further across the agency and their clients.

“Gretel and Stacey are two fiercely intelligent, collaborative and creative team members,” O’Brien said. “They have a proven track record in effortlessly making the seemingly impossible happen, in architecting some of the most integrated, innovative and effective work for our clients that keep us on the top of our game.

“But most importantly, their respective promotions demonstrate their ongoing commitment to our team and shows future Houston leaders, that we’ll nurture talent and create new opportunities and pathways for our next generation of leaders to grow. I can’t wait to watch Gretel and Stacey use their wealth of knowledge to drive the business forward and create the next era of Houston,” O’Brien added.

Maltabarow, who was previously group account director, has been with the consultancy for the past eight years. Her new role will allow her to expand on finessing Houston’s core capabilities, drive collaboration across business divisions, foster new business opportunities, and oversee current client relationships. 

She will also maintain her leadership of Houston’s account service team and will work closely with O’Brien and Saunders.

Maltabarow said of her new role: “Having watched the business grow and evolve over the past eight years, I’m excited by this next challenge. I feel further empowered to make a positive impact with our amazing team and clients by elevating the agency’s offering, and bring together the cross-function expertise of our teams to power client growth.
 
“I’m grateful for this opportunity, and couldn’t be happier to share the promotional limelight with the very well-earned step up for Stacey Saunders to general manager.”
 
Saunders, who has held various roles within the agency – most recently chief of staff – marks a decade at Houston. In her new role as general manager, her new responsibilities encompass pipeline delivery and management, business performance and agency culture, and driving innovation through system change, people, and talent development.
 
Saunders said: “Over the past decade at Houston, I have experienced all facets of our business and feel so excited to lead Houston into its next growth phase alongside the powerhouses that are Gretel and Stu.
 
“I am also very excited that my new role will allow me to broaden my impact and provide mentorship across the agency focusing on development and growth for the team,” she added.
 
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Top image: Stacey Saunders, Stu O’Brien and Greta Maltabarow

Thursday 20 June 2024: VOZ Total TV Ratings Overnight Top 30 – Programs ranked on reach

Total People TV Ratings

Nine’s NRL – U19 State of Origin recorded a total TV national reach of 1,206,000, a total TV national audience of 493,000, and a BVOD audience of 54,000.

Seven’s The Chase Australia recorded a total TV national reach of 1,367,000, a total TV national audience of 663,000.

Also on Seven, Home & Away recorded a total TV national reach of 1,381,000, a total TV national audience of 731,000, and a BVOD audience of 86,000.

10’s airing of Taskmaster Australia recorded a total TV national reach of 898,000, a total TV national audience of 444,000, and a BVOD audience of 20,000.

10’s airing of The Project recorded a total TV national reach of 917,000, a total TV national audience of 333,000, and a BVOD audience of 17,000.

See also: TV Report 20 June 2024: Taskmasters fight it out to create the next big conspiracy

People 25-54

Nine’s U19 State of Origin:
• Total TV nation reach: 429,000
• National Audience: 175,000
• BVOD Audience: 32,000

Seven’s The Chase Australia:
• Total TV nation reach: 322,000
• National Audience: 142,000
• BVOD Audience: 17,000

10’s Taskmaster:
• Total TV nation reach: 405,000
• National Audience: 243,000 
• BVOD Audience: 14,000

Seven’s Home & Away:
• Total TV nation reach: 419,000
• National Audience: 216,000
• BVOD Audience: 48,000

People 16-39

Nine’s U19 State of Origin:
• Total TV nation reach: 210,000
• National Audience: 94,000
• BVOD Audience: 20,000

Seven’s The Chase Australia:
• Total TV nation reach: 120,000
• National Audience: 49,000
• BVOD Audience: 9,000

10’s Taskmaster:
• Total TV nation reach: 171,000
• National Audience: 105,000 
• BVOD Audience: 8,000

Seven’s Home & Away:
• Total TV nation reach: 178,000
• National Audience: 97,000
• BVOD Audience: 28,000

Grocery Shoppers 18+

Nine’s U19 State of Origin:
• Total TV nation reach: 883,000
• National Audience: 353,000
• BVOD Audience: 41,000

Seven’s The Chase Australia:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,084,000
• National Audience: 530,000
• BVOD Audience: 27,000

10’s Taskmaster:
• Total TV nation reach: 702,000
• National Audience: 347,000 
• BVOD Audience: 17,000

Seven’s Home & Away:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,073,000
• National Audience: 577,000
• BVOD Audience: 68,000

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 23 June 2024:

Nine TV Report

Travel Guides

Nine’s evening began with Travel Guides.

The guides were on a bus tour in Canada which kicked off in Toronto where they learned how to play ice hockey. They also went to Niagara Falls as well as dinner and a show in Ottawa.

NRL – Tigers v Raiders

The Tigers v Raiders game on Nine saw the Tigers dominate, winning the game 48-24 at Campbelltown Sports Stadium in Sydney.

Seven TV Report

Dream Home

On Seven, with just hours to go on the final reno in QLD, a summer storm sent the couples scrambling. When the sun finally came out for the judges; arrival, what they saw wowed and equally horrified them.

7NEWS Spotlight

The program conducted an investigation into if someone got away with killing Amy Wensley. The team uncovered new evidence as it investigated one of Australia’s most famous cold cases.

10 TV Report

The Sunday Project

The Sunday Project looked into Peter Dutton’s continued push for nuclear power and spoke to Julia Morris, Robert Irwin and Tim Minchin.

MasterChef Australia

On 10’s MasterChef Australia, the show arrived in Hong Kong. The first challenge was a Hong Kong-style Mystery Box and the judges looked for the top three cooks to progress into the immunity challenge.

ABC

Spicks and Specks

Adam, Myf and Alan are joined by Montaigne, Nooky, Zoe Coombs-Marr and Greg Larson. They listened to some music, watched some videos and played some bells.

Austin

On a bonding tour with Austin, Julian starts filming a documentary about ‘father and neurodivergent son quality time’ to spring-clean his image. But Ingrid and Austin get wise to his Machiavellian ways.

SBS

Eiffel Tower: Building the Impossible

The Eiffel Tower came to be in 1889. A presence towering 300 meters in the Paris sky for over 130 years, a symbol of progress and grandeur, it attracts almost 6 million visitors every year. The documentary looked into the creation of the tower and it’s creator Gustave Eiffel.