Amazon has taken its local media account to pitch, Mediaweek can reveal, as the tech behemoth reviews its media agency relationships globally.

According to multiple industry sources, local pitch meetings began across the past week. Incumbent, Mediabrands’ bespoke Amazon agency Rufus, declined to comment. Amazon did not respond to a request for comment.

Overnight, the global pitch’s shortlist was announced: WPP, Mediabrands, and Omnicom Media Group. The pitches are being conducted globally at a holding company level. WPP’s proposal is a bespoke solution comprising teams across the hold, while OMG is also offering up a bespoke team.

Last week locally, WPP bespoke solution OpenMind won Nestle’s media account, after the agency powered by WPP and GroupM won the business in EMEA.

Amazon last reviewed its global media account in 2017.

Amazon reported an annual advertising spend of USD$20.6bn in 2022, up from 2021’s USD$16.9bn in 2021.

Key industry leaders have reflected on TrinityP3’s inaugural State of the Pitch report, with national managing director at Initiative, Sam Geer, telling Mediaweek: “In a lot of cases, from a media perspective, that behaviour is even worse than the research suggests.”

While the research’s findings – an average agency pitch score of 3.13 out of 5, pitch lists of up to 45 agencies, and 89% of agencies not being paid for their time – is “not reflective of the entire market.”

Some clients and pitch consultants “buck the trend” and “make a concerted effort to conduct pitches respectfully at every stage in the process,” Geer acknowledged. “When calling out the bad, we must also reinforce the good.”

The State of the Pitch report also set out the reality of agencies being on the receiving end of no clear objective or direction, no clear communication with the marketer or procurement team, and a lack of adherence to the duration of pitches.

Darren Woolley, founder and CEO of TrinityP3, told Mediaweek that the marketplace is buzzing with reactive discussions and “generally negative” opinions about the pitch process.

Clemenger BBDO chief growth officer and former TrinityP3 consultant, Anita Zanesco, said the report is an “accurate representation of the state of pitching” in Australia.

“I think holding the mirror up, we haven’t moved on with the pitching process is a sad truth but one that we can address as an industry,” she added. 

Nick Hunter, founder and CEO of Paper Moose, told Mediaweek that many of the report’s pain points reflect his agency’s experiences.

“Over the last year or so, we’ve spent time learning how to avoid or pull out of pitches run by an organisation that isn’t running a respectful pitch process, as this will most likely reflect what working together will also resemble.

“Looking at our internal data, we’ve identified a handful of things that must be part of a pitch to make it a worthwhile investment.”

Nick Hunter

Interestingly, all three highlighted the ease and organisation of being part of pitches run by consultants, rather than those led by marketing or procurement teams.

“Pitches are not a marketer’s day-to-day activity, so why would we expect them to be good at them? Running a good pitch is hard, which is why pitch consultants exist,” Hunter said.

Zanesco shared a similar sentiment: consultant-run pitches “feel more organised and structured.”

“There is a clear process, timings and better communication in terms of feedback and clarity around expectations,” she added.

Among the industry pitch consultants that have been doing well are TrinityP3 and Tumbleturn Media, according to Geer.

“TP3 and Tumbleturn Media are two pitch consultant groups that have been strong in this area and should be publicly recognised,” he said.

Woolley noted that the large majority of marketers (70%) feel that it’s their job to run a pitch, which can work and lead to a good result.

“But when they don’t, it has a huge impact on the agencies and the whole industry to the point that we’ve seen almost hysteria about how the pitch process is broken. The pitch process is broken when it’s not run properly.”

Eric Faulkner, partner and chairman of media consultancy Madclarity, unsurprisingly said, “our view is that consultants should be involved in all pitches.”

‘No one likes to be left hanging’: Bringing respect to the process

In the State of the Pitch report, one agency was quoted as saying: “We were notified by email that we lost the pitch, we didn’t even receive a phone call to notify us, and to date, the client has not responded to our requests for a post-pitch feedback session.”

This response did not surprise Hunter, who “has found the types of prospective clients that understand what they need to invest in a creative pitch are also those that will help you learn and improve if they choose another agency.”

Zanesco, however, was surprised by the “lack of respect.” While she acknowledged the difficulty of making a ‘thanks, but no thanks’ call, she said the time, money, and resource drain that pitching requires means it’s the least an unsuccessful agency deserves.

“Clients need to think about how they would like to be treated, and no one likes to be left hanging.”

Anita Zanesco

What agencies want

Zanesco wants marketers to truly acknowledge the time and money involved in pitching.

“Be aware of how much it costs agencies to participate. Don’t waste their time, and don’t ask for things you don’t need. Create a tailored pitch process that will help marketing teams select an agency right for them,” she said.

Zanesco also noted marketers should not “ask incumbents to pitch if you aren’t going to stay with them.”

Hunter added that procurement teams need to understand that buying a creative-led solution is not the same as pricing a widget.

“Ideally, procurement provides the ability to engage directly with the stakeholders during the pitch process to achieve the best outcome,” he said.

Zanesco said procurement teams should clarify the scope of work. She explained, “The clearer procurement teams can be on the SOW and the size of the prize, the better agencies can scope out how best to resource it.”

For Geer, it feels as though clients who have been paying attention “have evolved their behaviour” while others have been left in the “doldrums with little change in decades.”

“I worry this research will only be heard by the former, which is why we must continue to have this conversation at an industry level until the tide turns.”

Sam Geer

Faulkner wants marketing teams to allow consultants to challenge them on the necessity of a pitch. “In many cases, the client is as much at fault as the agency, so they will encounter the same problems with their new agency.

“We have been doing this for over 20 years – since Ford asked us to run a pitch to find a replacement for Mindshare. We explained that they should look at a number of areas like structure, process, resource, communication, quality of briefing and much more. We helped them address all these areas and as result, client and agency continued to work effectively together for the next two decades.”

‘100%. Let’s do it’: Australia’s version of Pitch Positive Pledge 

TrinityP3’s State of the Pitch study recommended the local industry establish its version of the UK’s Pitch Positive Pledge, designed to improve mental health, cause less wastage, and reduce costs.

Both Hunter and Zanesco backed the initiative. Hunter said Paper Moose has developed its own pledge.

“But it needs to be adopted industry-wide, so I would be very happy to be part of something like this,” Hunter added.

Zanesco said she was “100%” behind establishing a pledge, which would educate clients on the process, and “find new ways for clients to pitch their business and find long-term partners to help them execute their marketing requirements.”

Faulkner, though, issued a word of warning: “Unscrupulous clients and desperate agencies will not be influenced by pledges or pleas to be sensible and reasonable.”

See also: 89% of agencies not paid pitch fees: TrinityP3’s inaugural State of the Pitch report
See also: Pitch process ‘same one that’s seen in Mad Men’: Darren Woolley dissects pitching’s ‘bad name’

–

Top image L-R: Nick Hunter, Anita Zanesco and Sam Geer

Paul Sigaloff, chief revenue and growth officer at oOh!media, has taken a jab at linear TV, suggesting the digital evolutions causing problems for other mediums are not disturbing out-of-home.

“Now it’s important to point out that free-to-air television may be under structural, terminal decline, and you’ve got changes happening with cookie depreciation,” he said, speaking at IAB and OMA’s Powering Digital Out of Home event held late last week in Sydney.

“When you think about the way that people have been targeted with digital, that’s changing enormously. From an out-of-home perspective, we don’t have cookies, so we can be advantaged by that.”

Sigaloff also gave a wider view of the industry: GDP grew about 2.5% percent, largely underpinned by population growth. The ad market contracted by 2.7%, with what Sigaloff called “a pretty good three quarters but Q4 was a little bit turbulent”. In that same period, out-of-home grew by over 12%. 

Digitisation

Sigaloff spoke about four mega-trends shaping the industry. The first he contextualised with the quote from John Wanamaker – “half the money I spend in advertising is wasted. The trouble is, I don’t know which half.”

“When I’m talking to marketers, they want to have a single audience view of their advertising spend. Now through omnichannel, they can start to see the elements that are working and dial up the channels that are, but in real time dial down those channels that aren’t,” Sigaloff said.

“This is leading to an opportunity for out-of-home, because through programmatic, we can play in omnichannel. And we’ve also got that great momentum, that sector growth.”

Sigaloff also touched on generative AI, which he said “is shaping media in totality”. 

“If we think about the role that that’s going to play through technology, that’s absolutely a trend that we can leverage.”

Brand Fame

The second megatrend Sigaloff brought to the room was brand fame, introducing this trend by saying, “nobody gets famous in private.”

Pointing to both the recent Barbie campaigns and the work of Les Binet and Peter Field in their book The Long and the Short of It, Sigaloff told the room that the definition of a fame campaign is a campaign that inspires people to share their enthusiasm, both online and offline. 

“The interesting thing about fame campaigns,” Sigaloff said, “is that they can be four times more effective at generating share of voice.

“When you look at the research, it says the best way to get the perfect outcome is to put about 60% of your activity in brand building, and 40% into your short-term campaigns. When we go back to brand fame, it’s really important to understand that metric, but the thing that really underpins that is critical reach. As we’ve seen through some of those structural shifts, out-of-home is really, really good at delivering mass awareness and reach.”

Data-Driven

The third trend was the industry’s continued efforts to be data-driven. Sigaloff gave the room three reasons why out-of-home in particular is the perfect medium to capitalise on this trend. 

The first is Move 2.0, which Sigaloff argues is “the best global measurement system,” promising that will be launching “imminently”. 

The second is around how businesses leverage data. “We’ve got that rich, first-party customer data, and what we’re doing is building a lot more sophistication in how we leverage the data partnerships we have.”

Most importantly, according to Sigaloff, is how you deliver greater ROI, which leads to point three, which is about measurement. “It’s full measurement right through the funnel, from brand awareness to sales attribution – understanding who our new customers are, how we upsell, cross-sell, and who lapsed customers are.”

Customer Centricity

Finally, he touched on customer centricity, joking “It’s very important to remember whilst we – that’s a big assumption, I mean me – may wake up in the morning and we think about out-of-home, and we go to bed at night and think about out-of-home, customers don’t always share that same perspective.”

In speaking to marketers, Sigaloff said there are generally two major challenges he’s found them to be facing, which can be tackled by customer centricity. 

“Challenge one is that they’ve got a bit of an awareness problem. We’ve got a new product, how do we get mass reach? How do we get it to cut through? 

“The other thing is there might be an existing product in a highly competitive marketplace, but they’ve got to sell more stuff.”

Using the case study of PepsiCo’s Bubly – off the back of the company’s announcement that they would no longer be advertising on free-to-air television – Sigaloff credited customer centricity for the drink’s increased sales and marketing penetration in three key ways, and the fact that it had more than doubled their customer base. 

See Also: IAB’s DOOH Working Group names two co-chairs

Mediaweek has promoted Brittney Rigby to editor. The seasoned industry journalist and editor will lead the editorial team, drive editorial growth for the publication, and ensure Mediaweek is the must-read record for those working across the media, marketing, and advertising industries.

Rigby joined the Mediaweek team in February as news and features editor. She has held leadership roles across newsrooms and agencies, including as head of communications at DDB Group Australia and deputy managing editor at Mumbrella.

She has written for industry titles including Campaign UK, Campaign Asia, and AdNews, and she freelances regularly for mastheads including The Guardian, The Sydney Morning Herald, and SBS. She is also qualified as a lawyer, and worked in law firms before joining the media and marketing industry.

“Brittney has already made a huge impact in her short time at Mediaweek, so this promotion is incredibly well deserved,” said Mediaweek publisher Trent Thomas. “She is a considered editor who knows the market and has a great news instinct. I’m looking forward to seeing how she’ll lead the team and shape the publication, as we continue to grow our brand, including our marketing and agency verticals.”

Rigby added: “I’ve spent the last couple of months reconnecting with the wider industry, building on Mediaweek’s momentum, and getting to know the team. They’re a great bunch and I can’t wait to see what we’ll achieve together as I step into the editor role.”

Rigby’s team is made up of Tess Connery, Alisha Buaya, Amy Shapiro, and Jasper Baumann.

She will report to Thomas, and work closely with the wider Mediaweek team, including chief growth director Ricky Chanana, general manager Sarah Chapman, chief revenue director Andrew Mulready, and Chattr editor Anita Annabel.

Rigby can be contacted at [email protected]. If you have news to share – across hires, wins, work, launches, and capabilities – please reach out to her and the wider team at [email protected].

Specsavers is inviting interested agencies to pitch for the media account across Australia and New Zealand as it reviews its agency partnerships.

The brand is looking to select one media agency partner which can service national needs and bring local knowledge to the Australian and New Zealand markets.

Expression of interest for the optical and audiology brand open today (8 April 2024) and is expected to take five months.

Specsavers has worked with Mediabrands’ Initiative in Australia since 2016 and with GroupM’s EssenceMediacom NZ in New Zealand since 2010.

After expressing their interest, media agencies will be required to respond to a short RFI. After submissions are reviewed, suitable agencies will be invited to a chemistry session to assess team and cultural alignment.

Workshops will follow for up to three agencies plus incumbents to assess each agency’s ability to respond in a simulated live environment.

Agency contracting is expected to be completed in August 2024, allowing for a transition period before the appointment takes effect from 1 March 2025.

Specsavers said both Initiative Australia and EssenceMediacom NZ have helped shape the brand’s channel selection, media buying strategies, and overall performance.

Shaun Briggs, director of marketing planning ANZ at Specsavers, said: “We value the contributions both incumbent agencies have made over the long term and are looking forward to the involvement of both in our upcoming pitch.

“Having spent over eight years with our current agencies, we really value the benefit we get from agency teams that understand us.

“By the same token, we have to challenge ourselves with fresh ideas and new perspectives, and after so long a tenure with our current agencies, the only way to be certain that we’re thoroughly exploring all avenues is via a pitch process.”

The first creative work from +61, the joint agency venture built for Telstra, has launched: ‘From Space to Your Place’.

The creative partnership, initially announced in October last year, unites independent creative studio Bear Meets Eagle On Fire (BMEOF), helmed by founder and CCO Micah Walker, with the integrated capabilities of TBWA and Telstra’s existing media agency, TBWA’s Omnicom stablemate, OMD.

The first work is for Telstra’s satellite home internet, with a significant focus on remote and regional areas that will benefit most from the connectivity solution. Its rollout will feature across OOH, radio, in-store, press, social digital and experiential activations.  

According to +61 managing director Blake Crosbie, the model was ambitious from the start.

“So it’s great to have our first campaign in market with work that sets the bar for what this partnership can produce,” Crosbie said to Mediaweek.

To bring ‘From Space to Your Place’ to life, +61 teamed up with Cream Studios, photographer Nadav Kander, and the renowned Australian prosthetic specialists at Odd Studio (known for their work on Prometheus, Alien: Covenant, and Thor: Love and Thunder), who crafted the surreal, uniquely local yet paradoxically otherworldly creatures that accent the campaign.

Reflecting on the first work, Telstra’s chief marketing officer Brent Smart said +61 was but a brainchild just months ago.

“I love how ambitious, yet simple this work is. And of course it’s beautifully crafted, like everything Micah and his team does. We are just getting started,” said Smart.  

While Walker added: “It’s a distinctive campaign that lets Australians in more rural areas know that now there’s something floating around in space, just for them.” 

Earlier this year, Paul Bradbury, president and regional CEO of TBWA Australia and New Zealand, described +61 to Mediaweek as upholding the “built for creativity first” hallmark of TBWA’s existing bespoke offerings: Media Arts Lab for Apple and Nissan United for Nissan.

See also: 
Telstra announces new agency partnerships with +61, Bear Meets Eagle On Fire and TBWA
Procurement ‘don’t value creativity’: TBWA, Sportsbet, and IHAC on bespoke vs in-house debate

The BBC chief executive for global media and streaming Rebecca Glashow (pictured above) has been in Australia this past week.

During her trip she connected with the Australian and New Zealand head office in Sydney. The head of BBC Studios ANZ, Fiona Lang, reports to Glashow.

Glashow joined BBC Studios in 2020 as president of the Americas and was named CEO of Global Distribution in 2022. She is based out of the New York office and runs BBC international direct-to-consumer streaming platforms, international TV channels, global content monetisation and global digital news (ex UK & Ireland).

Her remit includes content sales, channels business, BBC News International and streaming services including BritBox plus audio services.

See also: As BBC takes control of BritBox International, will the service soon be added to Hubbl?

Mediaweek spoke with Rebecca Glashow while she was in Sydney.

“My job is to commercialise the BBC content whether it be audio, video, or editorial,” she explained.

“Much of the push for growth at the BBC comes from new business models. That includes the streaming business models where we have recently acquired BritBox which is a big driver of our growth strategy internationally.”

Streaming strategy: BritBox is profitable

Media companies are still feeling their way through streaming business models. As now the owner of 100% of BritBox outside the UK, how confident is Glashow about its streaming model?

“I have been on the board of BritBox for the last couple of years. As a JV between the BBC and ITV, I was able to understand the fundamentals of the business. BritBox is a profitable business and is growing at quite a clip. A lot is reported around large-scale streaming services and the cost for those businesses.

“BritBox plays in a very specific lane. We know our audience. They are very sticky and very committed. There is low churn because of the engagement we have with our subscribers.

“It is a speciality service which we have been able to grow primarily through the US market and also in Australia.

“What is underreported though is that we are not trying to compete…we are not a mass scale business. We have a distinct British proposition, and the consumers know what they are getting.

“We are very confident about the health of the business and it is coming off a tremendous year.”

BritBox has reported growth of 300% in the past four years, surpassing 3.75 million subscribers globally.

Streaming levers

BritBox might have a little more flexibility with content spend and pricing strategy, given it is a niche player.

Glashow explained: “The most important thing is how we keep new customers. Some platforms have looked at price rises to drive profitability. We have been very measured and for many years there was no price rise at all. That is not the solution to these businesses. You must have a sticky solution and understand the audience.

“Our audience is not price sensitive as of yet and we feel there is still a lot of growth in the model we have.”

Commenting on the future strategy around content supply and the possibility of an ad-supported tier, Glashow said: “We are not trying to be all things to all people. We know what content brings people in and what content they continue to watch. We have a healthy supply of that content. Both via the BBC and a continued content relationship we have with ITV and other British producers.

“We will explore other paths. But because we are profitable we don’t have the urgency to do that. We remain committed to British creatives. Advertising is not a path we have to pursue at this point.”

BritBox drama originals and exclusives are key to its success

Giving the audience options

People consuming the best of British television can consume it in several ways. Including the BBC-controlled BBC First and BritBox in Australia. Will there continue to be room for both?

“There is a large appetite for content under the BBC brand. The team in Australia has done a tremendous job to be on all platforms, reach audiences and maximise the commercial opportunity.

“It is a changing marketplace though here and in other territories. In addition to the growth of streaming there is the growth of FAST TV, the growth of BVOD and declines in linear. We are lucky that we can flex in a lot of those different models and we have done that tightrope dance for some time.

“We will continue to lean in with partnerships with all the big broadcasters and platforms in Australia. Media companies do need to have a mixed economy to make sure they are reaching the audience.

“BritBox is a tool in what I would call a grab bag of ways to get to audiences here and monetise them effectively.”

The BBC news app got a makeover earlier in 2024

BBC News app and BBC.com

Glashow said since BBC News and BBC.com came into her international portfolio it allowed investment into their respective products. Both have had recent makeovers.

“I work very closely with Deborah Turness, the CEO of BBC News. We have a distinct proposition in that we have journalists reporting around the world at a level that none of our competitors are able to pull off. Our purpose is to bring a free press around the world and we are 100% committed to that.

“There is a new app and new website that shows we are putting money behind the global news reach. We also have the global news channel, BBC World News, which is a consolidation of what was the BBC News channel and an international news channel.

“We work hard to tell UK stories that are relevant around the world. And we are also reporting from all markets around the world.

“We see places like Australia and the US as places where there is a strong affinity for our content. At present what you see is uniform. What you see here is what you will see in the US and what you will see from a channel perspective in the UK.”

To help fund this, Glashow said advertising will continue to be a focus outside of the UK.

“An important part of having an app that is fit for purpose is that it allows us to more effectively monetise the audiences. The app is built for commercialisation and allows us to have advertising. It allows us to collect [user] data that we didn’t have access to before. All of these are things our competitive set does.

“The more that we can enhance and know our customers the stronger we can build relationships with our ad partners.”

See also: BBC Studios launches new website and app for audiences beyond UK

Keeping BBC online news content free

When asked about the chance of the BBC experimenting with a subscription tier for the app and/or web news access, Glashow said: “It is important to us to make sure that the BBC remains an impartial news source around the world. We will however look at various models in each market. If there is an opportunity to monetise it in a more effective way [we will look at it]. But it is not something we are rolling out at the moment.”

See also: BBC Studios Productions Australia acquires Werner Film Productions

Jonathan Fox, Nine’s former director of effectiveness, has joined marketing analytics scale-up Mutinex as director of client services. 

Fox was first an econometrician at Holmes & Cook before joining Ebiquity in early 2015. At Nine, he helped key customers shape their marketing measurement and effectiveness strategies. 

“I have always been sceptical of MMM providers making big claims about high speed and granularity of insights,” Fox said. “Once I looked past it being an attack on the traditional MMM approach, I started to see these benefits come to life using more modern approaches.

“Mutinex has built an impressive data-driven decision making engine in GrowthOS. They’ve applied data science and engineering to some of the key pain points of MMM, such as data collection, the lengthy journey to potentially outdated insights or and the lack of action taken off the back of the insights.

“Throughout my career in marketing analytics, I have been searching for how we scale high quality analytics to truly turn businesses into growth powerhouses, and at Mutinex I’ve found a company that shares that vision and is executing on it.”

Henry Innis, Mutinex’s global CEO who recently relocated to New York to continue its expansion, said the appointment indicates where the company is going with its growth strategy.

“[The strategy being] appointing highly credible experts who can interrogate where we are, and bring us to people who want to grow their business through improving their market mix in a credible and authentic way,” he said. 

“As a leader, I’ve noted the rise of automated econometrics platforms that are increasingly poorly engineered, having pioneered the SaaS analytics category across APAC.

“It’s important to us that we are bringing credible people who understand what they sell, as increasingly this space will be about deep domain knowledge rather than selling simple digital solutions.

“Long-term, it’s going to be the business that cares the most about causal inference and building robust AI that will win – not the businesses that have gimmicky features.”

Tourism Australia’s latest Off Season campaign, inviting Australians to become “winter people”, is the biggest winter campaign yet.

Now in its fourth year and created by creative agency BMF, Off Season positions Tasmania as a must-visit winter destination, aiming to boost tourism during the traditionally quieter travel period between May and August.

This campaign marks Tourism Tasmania’s largest advertising investment in a winter campaign, featuring an Off Season first with 30 and 60-second films directed by Kyra Bartley.

The films follow the step-by-step transformation of a regular Australian tourist into a cold-water plunging, winter holiday enthusiast.

“Winter is when Tasmania is most different to the mainland,” said Tourism Tasmania’s CMO, Lindene Cleary.

“In partnership with our tourism  industry, the Off Season is fast becoming a must do holiday experience; one that is unlike other winter destinations.” 

Alongside the films, the campaign also features a series of black and white hero images set against wintery, quintessentially Tasmanian backdrops.

In Tasmania, the Off Season represents a significant collaboration with the local tourism industry to reshape Australians’ idea of a winter getaway. More than 400 businesses across the island offer exclusive, seasonal experiences during the cooler months, which have been depicted in BMF’s campaign.

Rees Steel, creative director at BMF, said through the work, “we wanted to show just how rewarding winter in Tasmania can be, even if you have to earn that fun a little.

“As a reformed lizard person myself, I can vouch that nothing is as life affirming as an ocean swim that close to Antarctica. Hopefully we can turn a few more mainlanders into winter people too.” Mina Savjak, business director for the campaign’s media agency, Publicis Groupe’s Starcom, said this year, the team would be introducing new channels and executions to the iconic campaign.

“We will be going to market with a total screens campaign extending for the first time to FTA TV to enable storytelling at scale and connect travellers emotionally to Tasmania.”

She continued: “Our outdoor campaigns have been some of the most talked about in market and once again we are driving innovation in this space, this time with UV printing. We are utilising this technology for the first time on large format billboards for additional cut-through and sensory immersion.”

The Off Season work comes on the heels of a content series partnership between Tourism Tasmania and Starcom, launched with Guardian Australia.

‘Tales from the Island’ showcases Tasmania as a cultural hub and highlights the state’s paddock-to-plate food and drink offering, range of wilderness adventures, and strong arts and festival scene.

See also: Tourism Tasmania, Starcom, and Guardian Australia launch ‘Tales from the Island’

Credits:

Client: 
Tourism Tasmania  

Creative Agency 
BMF 

Film production  
Director: Kyra Bartley  
Production company: FINCH  

Stills and Motion production  
Production company: ARTBOXBLACK  
Photographer: Jo Duck  
DOP: Jack Birtles 

Media Agency 
Starcom  

Digital Agency 
Orchard 

PR Agency 
Havas Red

Nicole Bardsley, the new head of marketing at Uber, Uber Eats, and Uber Car Share ANZ, has opened up about the point in her career that she “found really tricky to manage.”

“I started that year [2015] doing the Marketing Academy and getting married, and I finished it having my first son.

“There was a lot of growth and personal development that happened over that period of time. I really got to a point where I was like, I need a new challenge when I come back from mat leave, but is it the right time to do that?”

Bardsley was making the move from Virgin Mobile to Westpac when she found out she was pregnant with her second son. “I felt like I was really letting them down by doing that at this point in time, and I felt quite apprehensive about telling them,” she admits.

“I met with Adrian, my new leader at Westpac – that was a time that I saw what a great leader is, because the reaction that I received was amazing. He was happy for me as a person, the fact that I was having a baby, he didn’t care about the timing and actually had an attitude of, ‘don’t apologise, this is amazing news. I’m so happy for you.’”

Bardsley was speaking to News Corp Australia’s director of the Growth Intelligence Centre and independent think tank The Growth Distillery, Dan Krigstein on The Growth Distillery vodcast.

Dan Krigstein and Nicole Bardsley

Those experiences shaped how she leads her own team. Bardsley told Krigstein that soon after she started as Cashrewards CMO, a team member came to her with news she was pregnant. 

“They came to me and they were almost apologising, that it was an inconvenience that they were going off to have a baby. I don’t think anyone having a baby should ever see it as an inconvenience.

“I imparted the same piece of advice that I was given, which is ‘don’t be sorry, take as long as you need’. It’s important to realise that it’s not just about what we do during the day and what we do for work, it’s about our full self and I think as a leader, it’s very important to bring that full self to work.”

Speaking with Mediaweek, Bardsley added that her best advice for those looking to move into leadership roles in 2024 was to “make sure that you got the time to focus on it, and be fully present in those mentoring conversations.”

“You can gain a lot from it. Sometimes I’ve come away from a conversation where I’ve been the mentor, and I feel like I’ve gained more from the experience than the mentee. It gives you a great sensation to be able to help someone in their career and journey, and being really, really honest and vulnerable with people is powerful.”

For those tuning in, she hopes that her story can provide an example of what it looks like to balance a family and a career. 

“There are like women – or even men – who are thinking about starting a family and what that means for their career, and how they balance and juggle. I hope that sharing my experience provides some guidance, to know that you can still achieve great things. 

“You don’t have to give up one or the other. It is a juggle, but it’s about balancing both.”

–

Top Image: Nicole Bardsley

Daniella Kenney has been appointed as Foxtel Media’s head of programmatic, moving to the business after her previous role of head of digital partnerships – Amplifi, Dentsu ANZ in Melbourne.

Kenney has over a decade of leadership experience in advertising and media, having also held senior roles at Yahoo!7 and Fairfax Media. She has moderated and participated in industry forums including The Women in Programmatic Network, Melbourne Programmatic Collective, and Future of TV Advertising. 

Reporting to the chief sales officer (CSO) Nev Hasan and based in Melbourne, Kenney will develop and implement short and long-term strategies with agency programmatic channels to identify and sell sponsorship and advertising solutions across video within Foxtel’s programmatic channel. 

Hasan said Kenney has “a proven track record in leading commercial digital partnerships across Australia, and is a renowned industry thought leader in digital programmatic.

“Her extensive knowledge of not only the agency programmatic landscape but also of demand and supply side platforms will enable her to deliver the best advertising insights and outcomes across Foxtel Media channels for our clients. We welcome her to the team and look forward to the contribution she’ll make to our business.”

Speaking of her new role, Kenney said: “It’s a hugely exciting time to be working in streaming, and to join Foxtel Media – the leaders in this space – is a dream role. 

“I’m working with an amazing team and great clients, developing cutting edge technologies and advertising strategies of the future. Being industry leaders is both a responsibility and an opportunity to pioneer innovation in this space.”

In March, Foxtel Media revealed the foundation of a new media industry think tank after leaving ThinkTV: the Video Futures Collective, to spark conversation, solve issues, and shine a spotlight on the Australian digital video and streaming landscape.

Initial members include Foxtel Media, YouTube, Samsung Ads, Disney Advertising and SBS. 

See Also: Foxtel Media launches the Video Futures Collective, a think-tank championing streaming and digital video

Hot on the heels of Foxtel’s Hubbl, Australia’s first entertainment search and guide software application, Searchr.TV, has launched. 

The software helps users sort and access their content in one app and aggregates all five free-to-air and 10 local and international paid streaming providers in one software application. No hardware needs to be plugged in. 

The app has also integrated LeadStory, which includes 16 global publishers providing breaking news content and dedicated sports and kids zones in one interface. 

The software includes movies, TV shows, and news and sports content with IMDb user ratings. It is currently available on all devices, including mobile phones, tablets, and computers, through all browsers and is on TVs using the Google Play application and Google Chromecast. 

The company is touting the software as a TV-led application, with Android variations for LG and Hisense, Samsung Tizen, and Apple TV variations currently in development. 

Tim Wheeler, managing director at Searchr.TV, said that while the company started out as a TV platform, it has evolved to include all mobile devices and laptops and computers, across all browsers.

“Searchr.TV solves the problem of knowing where to watch certain TV shows and movies across the many free-to-air broadcasters and content providers. However, as the entertainment landscape evolves, so do customers’ expectations,” he said.

“Through our partnership with LeadStory, there are 16 news publishers, a dedicated sports zone, and we are building an audio proposition to listen to podcasts, music, and your favourite radio stations.

“Our wide range of search filters sets us apart from our competitors. At the end of the day, when you are tired with only 1.5 hours to watch something with a user rating greater than 8, Searchr.TV will serve up the options and is a key point of difference, we take the hard work of searching away from the user.”

Searchr.TV said it actively promotes and highlights Australian-produced content and will contribute a percentage back to the Australian media landscape.

“With a diverse library of movies, TV shows, and dedicated sports, news, and kids’ zones, we’ve got something for everyone, and it’s all in one place. Beyond convenience, we’re fostering a sense of culture and community, allowing you to discover new content tailored to you and share suggestions with friends,” Wheeler said. 

The application is available now and costs $2.50 per month. 

The launch of Searchr.TV comes as Foxtel’s CEO Patrick Delany told a Senate committee considering proposed prominence laws that the company’s new streaming box, Hubbl, gives free-to-air networks prominence, without compromising or interfering with consumers’ choice. 

Foxtel supports the bill, which is designed to ensure that FTA channels are easy for audiences to find on smart TVs, but disagrees with the legislation mandating that certain apps appear higher than others, either in search results, or on the home screen.

See also: Hubbl already gives FTA prominence: Patrick Delany

Squarespace has launched its first Trans-Tasman brand campaign, The Ditch, via its in-house creative team, led by chief creative officer, David Lee. The work comes as the website building and hosting company names Australia as one of its fastest-growing markets.

The Ditch centres around Captain Kev and his business idea, ‘Hitch on the Ditch,’ offering his boat as a halfway point to Aussies and Kiwis who can’t decide which country to get married in. Naturally, the wedding cake is a Pavlova.

Squarespace’s senior marketing manager for Australia and New Zealand, Alex Neilson, said the brand campaign aims to challenge the standard definition of entrepreneurship, encouraging more Australians and New Zealanders to see what untapped opportunities lie in front of them.

“A good idea can come from anywhere, and at Squarespace we believe that a website can really help bring your idea to life,” said Neilson.

Ben Hodgin, Squarespace’s senior creative manager, added it was a special campaign to work on as the company enters its third decade, harnessing the talent of its in-house creative team.

“While Australians and Kiwis have many similarities, there’s also a friendly rivalry that exists between the two which tends to lead to some cheeky banter,” said Hodgin.

“We decided to lean into that as the core of the idea and started by looking at the halfway point between the two countries. Or, neutral territory if you will. Turns out, it’s in the middle of the Tasman Sea. We asked ourselves, who would start a business here? Enter Captain Kev.”

From today, the campaign will be rolled out across TV, online radio, digital, video and social across both Australia and New Zealand.

Earlier this year, Squarespace made headlines with its 10th Super Bowl campaign, directed by Hollywood legend Martin Scorsese, Hello Down There.

The work shows people engrossed in their screens, unaware of the aliens’ attempts to make contact. Frustrated by their lack of success, the aliens turn to Squarespace, creating a website in hopes of connecting with Earthlings for the first time.

“At my age, it’s a stretch finding a directorial debut. When Squarespace first approached me to create a spot, I thought this was my shot,” said Scorsese at the time. 

See also: Martin Scorsese makes Super Bowl debut directing ‘Hello Down There’ campaign for Squarespace

As with Squarespace’s model, the number of Australian businesses establishing in-house creative agencies has seen a surge in recent years.

The In-House Agency Landscape Report, produced by the In-House Agency Council (IHAC) and Kantar Australia, revealed that 78% of marketers in Australia were working with an in-house agency, compared to 63% only two years prior.

Australia now surpasses mainland Europe in terms of the percentage of businesses with an in-house agency offering, sitting only behind the United States.

See also: Procurement ‘don’t value creativity’: TBWA, Sportsbet, and IHAC on bespoke vs in-house debate

Credits

Client / in-house creative: Squarespace
Chief creative officer: David Lee
VP, creative: Ben Hughes
Senior director, Creative: Gui Borchert 
Senior creative manager: Ben Hodgin
Staff copywriter: Adam Bailey
Staff art director: Bart Graziana
Brand designer: Jaycee Masucci
Senior motion designer: Jon Sudarkasa
Senior director, creative production and operations: Erica Kung
Staff producer: Marisa Wasser
Head of business affairs: Kiersten Bergstrom-Pavlik
Business affairs manager: Luke Richard
Staff video editor: Sarah Harvey
Senior director, creative and brand strategy: Nate Skinner
Brand and creative strategy manager: Olivia Cohen
Social media strategist: Celeste Scott
VP, international and GTM: Jacqueline Gonzales
Director, international marketing: Michael Stocks
Senior marketing manager: Alex Neilson

Production: Academy Films
Bulgaria service company: B2Y
Director: Gui Borchert
Director of photography: Stuart Graham
Production designer: Kristian Lekov
Line producer: Megan Porche
Executive producer: John Nguyen

Post: Blacksmith
Colorist: Mikey Penanich
VFX Supervisor: John Shirley
Online artist: John Shirley, Louis Schacte
Compositor: Dylan Nett
Producer: Therese Mayer
Colour producers: Adam Vevang, Dan Butler 
Managing director: Meghan Lang Bice

Music: Epidemic Sound
ES_Meet Me in Montmartre – The Fly Guy Five 

Mix + Sound Design: Lime
Audio mixer: Jeff Malen
Audio assistant: Jeremy Nichols
Associate producer: Cassie Underwood 
Executive producer: Susie Boyajan 

IKEA has launched its latest brand campaign, ‘Do Try This at Home’ locally, through global agency McCann Worldgroup.

Rolling out in Australia this week, the campaign marks a first for IKEA Australia, as it debuts the same creative used in the 31 markets also within the Ingka Group, IKEA’s largest franchisee and co-creator of the campaign.

Directed by Filip Nilsson from Sweden and featuring the track Come On! by Swedish band The Hives, the campaign encourages audiences to try new experiences within the comfort of their homes. Its tagline playfully subverts the traditional “do not try this at home” warning.

The campaign’s room settings were designed by the IKEA Spain home furnishing and retail design team, based on real homes.

The campaign also draws inspiration from insights found in IKEA’s Life at Home Report.

For the Australian market, the report highlighted 43% of people are concerned with household finances and disposable income, while 38% worry about the state of the economy.

However, the report shows Australians will prioritise spending on at-home entertainment, as indicated by an 8.6% year-on-year increase.

The work also comes off the back of IKEA Australia’s commitment to invest $125 million over the past year to reduce the prices of over 3,000 items to pre-pandemic levels, addressing the cost-of-living crisis.

Some of its most popular products have seen price reductions, resulting in savings of up to 20% for customers, according to the home furnishings retailer.

Licca Li, growth and marketing manager at Ingka Group, said, “Do Try This at Home brings a bit of rebellious spirit and allows us to inspire people to view home in a different light – to see it as a driver of happiness without it being connected to increasing costs.”

Erin Falconer, head of marketing communications at IKEA Australia, said the campaign is a reflection of the brand’s longstanding ethos.

“For more than 80 years, IKEA has been a home furnishing rebel, helping people to break the rules and constantly look for new ways to create better homes.

“Our affordable, quality and functional products offer endless possibilities for people to create homes that bring excitement to everyday life, even when times are tough.” 

Automotive manufacturer JAC Motors has chosen the Sydney-based earned-first creative agency We Are Different as its earned, social, and influencer agency partner in Australia following a competitive pitch process.

We Are Different, with a client portfolio including brands such as Brown-Forman, Kimberly-Clark, HelloFresh Group, Big Red Group, Bayer Australia, and Hipages Group, has been tasked with introducing the Chinese auto brand to the Australian market. The focus will be notably on the launch of JAC Motors’ first Australian-delivered passenger vehicle, the JAC T9 Ute.

Danny Lenartic, deputy managing director at JAC Motors, said despite the company’s strong global growth rate, the Australian auto market poses its unique challenges.

“We know cracking the Australian market relies on the ability of our team and agency partners to deliver exceptional brand and product marketing that resonates with a ute-loving audience,” said Lenartic.

Stuart Terry, founder and director at We Are Different, stated, “Australia’s auto market is ripe for something different.”

“We’re energised by the opportunity to help introduce a challenger ute brand to the Australian market, working with JAC Motors to build brand affinity and salience across earned, social and influencer.” 

Meanwhile, competitor Kia has also been making waves in the fiercely competitive Australian ute market with a blockbuster campaign, through creative agency Innocean.

The campaign assembles a star-studded cast including Ash Barty, Dylan Alcott, Alexander Volkanovski, Steve Waugh, Darren Lockyer, Buddy Franklin, and John Aloisi, to announce Kia’s “most Australian product ever,” slated for release in 2025.

Dean Norbiato, Kia’s general manager of marketing, previously reported to Mediaweek the campaign generated over 1.3 million organic views and 82 million media impressions in just four days.

Volkswagen has also had a long-term focus on its Amarok ute, via creative agency DDB Sydney.

See also:
82m impressions in four days: How Kia’s big ute ad exceeded CMO and Innocean’s expectations
Kia enlists Australian sports icons to name its upcoming ute in latest TVC

OMD Australia has continued its partnership with the Leukaemia Foundation for a second year, supporting the charity’s largest annual event, World’s Greatest Shave, which sees Australians shave, cut, or colour their hair in support of those living with blood cancer.

This year, the Leukaemia Foundation opted for a creative campaign overhaul, shifting from its famous upside-down chins to a new tagline, That’s Bloody Beautiful.

Monique Cerreto, head of communication and media at Leukaemia Foundation, said: “Working with OMD has not only helped elevate and amplify our new brand campaign and tagline nationally, but connected the dots so beautifully between the way Australians consume media, and what will inspire them to take that next step of signing up. Put simply, it’s bloody beautiful.”

Zeroing in on the campaign’s call-to-arms brief, OMD united two rival radio networks, Nova Entertainment and ARN, to come together and promote the campaign on air. A Bondi Beach activation was led by OMD Create, the agency’s creative content division, and hosted by Smallzy and Mitch Churi.

Laura Henry, head of OMD Create Brisbane, said it was “bloody beautiful” for the rival radio networks to “bury the hatchet” for the campaign.

“This is such a special campaign and we’re thrilled to be able to bring it to life in a new and distinctive way this year. Every day, 53 Australians will hear the words ‘you have blood cancer’, so we are passionate about bringing attention to this important cause.

“The campaign is a great display of OMD’s diversified media capabilities in action and it’s wonderful to work with a client who is willing to do things differently to make a positive impact.”

OMD’s media approach for the campaign has also included the roll out of custom bar coasters with QR codes to sign up, gym screen media, dynamic out-of-home countdowns, a TikTok influencer campaign, and Today Show integration, including a weather cross with former NRL football star Sam Thaiday.

Also new to the media mix is oOh!media’s ‘barber shop’ bus shelters, located across Australia’s Eastern Seaboard.

Chris Tanti, Leukaemia Foundation’s CEO, said the campaign celebrates the everyday heroes in the community who are shaving, cutting, colouring, or donating.

“It is a clever play on words and nod to Aussie colloquialism, but it also creates a mutual connection and shared goal between those living with blood cancer and our incredible participants.”

As an agency, OMD expanded on its inaugural 2023 fundraising efforts and hosted World’s Greatest Shave events in its Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney offices.

OMDers and media partners from ARN, Nova Entertainment, and oOh!media joined forces to shave, cut, or colour their hair and cheer on 18 participants. Together, they surpassed last year’s total to raise $44,394.60 for Leukaemia Foundation.

See also: Leukaemia Foundation tackles lagging interest in World’s Greatest Shave with brand overhaul

Google has launched its first native TikTok campaign in Australia, aiming to engage TikTok’s Gen Z users with its search app. Produced by the Sydney independent Emotive, the campaign theme centres on independence, portraying the Google app as a tool to unlock new experiences for Gen Z.

The work follows recent research by Adobe Express, indicating that 10% of Gen Z individuals in the US are inclined to use TikTok over Google for their search needs.

Similarly, in Australia, TikTok is gaining traction as the preferred search platform for Gen Z, attracting approximately 4.6 million users seeking educational, entertaining, and concise content.

See also: TikTok killed the Google search bar: Is the video platform taking over as the search engine of choice?

Google and Emotive brought in 10 popular Australian Gen Z content creators for the native TikTok campaign, who used the Google search app to conquer a first-time task: musician Avneesha Delulu composed a song in Hindi (a language she doesn’t speak), conservationist Robert Irwin made a mocktail (when he’s never made one), Bridey Drake navigated a day in Japan (a place she’d never been to), and comedian Luke Donkin learned how to use gym equipment.

Other participating creators in the campaign include magician Ash Magic, food enthusiast Michael Finch, and comedian Mille Ford.

The campaign is intended to showcase the Google search app’s versatility beyond conventional text-based searches. Users can use their phone’s camera and microphone for tasks such as visual searches with Google Lens, instant text translation, or using ‘Hum to Search’ to identify songs.

However, Laura Pope, head of consumer marketing for apps and platforms at Google ANZ, stated the company wanted to immerse Gen Z in the app’s experience rather than just inform them about its features and capabilities.

“We wanted them to see it and feel it, through authentic stories from people they trust,” said Pope.

Emotive’s head of social, talent, and partnerships, Rhian Mason, described how the campaign benefited from a cumulative effect, stemming from a singular idea that could be applied authentically across a diverse array of creators.

“We have found that generating and amplifying real-world value can be far more effective than traditional advertising when it comes to reaching Gen Z audiences,” said Mason.

“Furthermore, by working closely with creators during the briefing and production process we ensured that the value and usefulness of the Google app was quite literally integrated into the entertainment in a relatable way.”

This approach led to numerous shares, saves, and rewatches on TikTok, that Mason believes illustrates the campaign’s success. To date, Emotive said the campaign has reached 13.3 million users on TikTok and generated $1.5 million in earned media value.

Triple j has partnered with Music Australia to bring back the One Night Stand festival after a five-year hiatus. The festival will head to a currently unannounced regional town, and raise funds for Australian music industry charity, Support Act.

ABC managing director David Anderson said: “The ABC is one of the biggest supporters of Australian music and live performance. At a time when the local music industry needs support, the ABC is thrilled to come to the party with the return of triple j’s One Night Stand. 

“We recognise the festival landscape in Australia has changed since we last put on a One Night Stand.  

“triple j and the ABC is working with Support Act and Music Australia on how best we can use this event to increase much needed investment in the Australian music industry, while staying true to One Night Stand’s core mission of delivering a one-of-a-kind event, accessible to the public, based in regional Australia.”

The one-day, all-ages, drug and alcohol-free live music event has previously been held in places like Alice Springs (2010), Port Pirie (2006), Dubbo (2013), Geraldton (2016), Mount Isa (2017), and St Helens (2018). Throughout the years, the festival has featured artists like Flume, The Jungle Giants, Rufus, Tash Sultana,  Pnau, Silverchair, Tkay Maidza, Ocean Alley, Meg Mac, A.B Original, and Matt Corby.  

The first triple j One Night Stand kicked off 20 years ago in the small town of Natimuk, Western Victoria.   

Applications are now open for location suggestions, with the station asking people to tell them about their town and why hosting the One Night Stand will make a difference to people in the community.

It’s been a tough few years for Australian music festivals, with many big names cancelled over the last few months – including Splendour In The Grass, Groovin’ The Moo, Falls Festival, ValleyWays, Coastal Jam, and Vintage Vibes. Even Hobart’s Dark Mofo has been “paused” for 2024. 

See Also: Triple j’s Hottest 100 of 2023: Doja Cat and G Flip break records

Ogilvy PR’s latest Believability Index shows a clear divide in how Australians perceive the nation’s clean energy future, how its benefits are communicated, and who can be believed. 

Australians identified climate experts as the most believable in relation to clean energy information (56%), followed by established climate groups (38%), and climate-related industry groups (37%). 

Those surveyed favoured information supported by science (71%), with hard and proven facts (58%), which cited credible sources (52%).

Only 14% selected local community groups as one of the most believable voices, followed by local councils (10%), journalists (9%), national business leaders (8%), local business leaders (7%), social media influencers (6%), and politicians (5%). 

More than one in five (22% or approximately 4.4 million Aussies) think that ‘no particular group’ is believable on this topic. 

Nino Tesoriero, Ogilvy’s chief counsel and sustainability practice lead, said this was proof of a communications gap that needs to be filled by credible experts. 

“The results of this year’s Believability Index clearly show that the voices of experts, backed by science, are the most believable in this important conversation,” he said.

“This presents a great opportunity to make these trusted voices more prominent in communicating clean energy issues. It’s encouraging to know that accurate information based on scientific facts still matter to most people.”

Although the majority of Australians support energy transition, nearly 9 in 10 (86%) are concerned with how renewable energy projects are communicated on the path to net zero.

With 3 in 10 Australians (30%) still sceptical about the immediate threat of climate change, Tesoriero said a more collaborative communications approach is needed.

“The results show that the renewable energy transition is vulnerable to disinformation, community concern and division unless science-backed experts step up and get louder,” he said.

“We need these experts to speak openly, honestly and regularly about energy transition and what it means for specific communities.”

See also: Fran Clayton leaves DDB Sydney for Ogilvy AUNZ CSO role

The top traits brands seek from influencers is honesty (67%), followed by creativity (47%) and charisma (38%), according to research conducted by Snapchat and MAGNA Media Trials for its Influencer Marketing Playbook. 

The study, ‘Unleashing Influence: A Marketer’s Guide to Influencer Success,’ revealed that media spend on the global influencer market is expected to approach $6 billion in 2024.

With such growth forecast for the year ahead, the report explored users’ perceptions and preferences in five countries: Australia, France, Saudi Arabia, the USA, and the UK, and revealed how content creators and brand-sponsored content could push the industry even further.

Hannah Rook, head of intelligence and insights from MAGNA Australia, said that Australian social media users are increasingly drawn to and engaging with product-related content, from tutorials or product reviews, which she said makes the influencer market an “attractive proposition for brands.”

But she noted that rules of influencer engagement are important.

“This research explored influencer qualities that are preferred by Australians to help establish a set of criteria brands should seek when selecting influencers to work alongside,” she added.

The study also noted that creators who routinely shared personal experiences (58%) and engaged with their audience’s comments (56%) fared well on being perceived as honest and authentic.

Transparency went together with trust across countries. Brand-sponsored content should be clearly identified as such, especially here in Australia, where 92% of research participants ranked this as very to somewhat important. Moreover, transparency about sponsorship increased the likelihood of brand engagement (+63%).

“Overall, this natural alignment made the content and influencer come across as trustworthy and authentic, which led to positive outcomes for the brand including +51% interest in researching the brand and +49% product purchase intent,” Rook continued.

Australians were in support of brand participation in social content, with research showing Australians were highly receptive to brand-sponsored influencer content, with an average of 88% receptiveness, and this was true for Gen Z, millennials, and Gen X participants, all of whom were over 80% receptive. A further 61% agreed they were primarily on social media to follow influencers (61%).

Tony Keusgen, managing director of Snap Inc. Australia and New Zealand, said Snapchat has “always been different to traditional social media. It’s where 8 million Australians come to express themselves authentically and connect with people they care about.”

He explained that for creators, “Snapchat allows them to build real relationships with our community by showing a unique and more behind-the-scenes look at their lives. The power of genuine connections creates a positive environment for advertisers on Snapchat.”

Matterworks, Australia’s challenger health content creator, and the AFL have teamed up to launch AFL GOALS, a creative mental health initiative for classrooms nationwide.

AFL GOALS is a national resource that aims to entertain, engage, and harness the power of AFL to help teachers across the country educate students about mental fitness and resilience. 

Spearheaded by AFL Schools, the content series targets students aged 10 to 15, and is made up of video-led lessons and interactive activities crafted to destigmatise mental health dialogues and instil confidence.

Fronted by TikToker JasmineTXO, the series showcases a collective of content creators alongside AFL luminaries, including AFLW personalities like Georgie Prespakis, Mikayla Bowen, and Elaine Grigg.

AFL head of mental health and wellbeing Dr Kate Hall said she was thrilled to see this initiative come to life.

“We’re incredibly proud to launch AFL GOALS. It’s a highly innovative program that will help change the way teachers educate students about mental fitness, building resilience and enhancing mental health literacy,” Dr Hall said.

“Working closely with the creative team at Matterworks has been a joy – their skill in translating health information, based on decades of research from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, into a digital series that is vibrant, engaging and creative, is truly innovative.”

Matterworks is an official partner of the AFL’s Mental Fitness Charter.

Co-founder and CEO of Matterworks Sarah Wyse said: “Our collaboration with the AFL signifies a transformative stride in mental health education. By intertwining creative storytelling with evidence-based research, we’re reshaping the narrative surrounding mental wellbeing for young Australians.

“The significance of this partnership is underscored by our inclusion in the AFL’s Mental Health and Wellbeing charter as a designated partner alongside Headspace and Movember.

“Positioned as a B2B partner, our focus is on delivering credible, engaging, evidence-based learning resources to industries. Programs like AFL GOALS present a step in the right direction towards creating a healthier next generation.”

The Brand Agency has successfully retained its Tourism Western Australia account. Additionally, Tourism Western Australia has awarded the Perth-based full-service agency, owned by WPP, to its new creative services contract to continue promoting the Walking On A Dream brand platform to global audiences.

The contract, effective from 20 March 2024, will remain in place for up to five years.

The Brand Agency’s managing director, Nick Bayes, wrote on LinkedIn of the news: “Proud and excited that The Brand Agency has been re-appointed to the Tourism Western Australia business.

“I truly believe that WA is not only the best place to live, but also to visit in the world. And it is an honour that our agency continues its partnership with Tourism WA in helping to tell the world about (and to get them to visit!) our wonderful state.”

Roce Herceg, president, Australia and New Zealand at WPP, added in the comments: “I’m thrilled about this news. It’s a great honour to sell WA to the world. Thank you, Tourism Western Australia, for your faith in The Brand Agency team.”

Tourism Western Australia and The Brand Agency, along with media agency Initiative, first introduced the Walking On A Dream platform in 2022, with assistance from the WA Government’s $195 million WA funding package following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tourism WA’s managing director, Carolyn Turnbull, said in a press release announcing the creative service contract, “Walking On A Dream has been truly embraced by the tourism industry in Western Australia, so we will be proud to again work in partnership with The Brand Agency to continue to deliver this inspiring and unified brand and bring even more visitors to Western Australia, the Dream State.

“The Brand Agency will strengthen Western Australia’s global brand to drive awareness, consideration, and conversion, and help us achieve our vision for Western Australia to be recognised as a world class destination, immersing people in our unique cultures, communities, and environment.”

The Brand Agency’s business director, Brendon Lewis, added: “Knowing we can continue to evolve the brand is exciting, we can’t wait to see where we take it. We thank Tourism WA for their confidence in us as we continue this very important work for the tourism industry in Western Australia.”

Also in Western Australia this week, the Department of Education in WA has taken its creative account to pitch, with an initial tender closing on 12 March.

See also: Nestlé hands local media account to WPP bespoke solution, OpenMind

The Chase Australia will introduce what Seven is touting as the most “devious, brilliant and unstoppable” Chaser the program has ever seen. 

The new chaser, The Professor, will make his debut at 5:00pm today, 8 April, on Channel 7 and 7plus.

Australian game show royalty, 67-year-old David Poltorak aka The Professor brings a lifetime of quizzing experience to The Chase Australia, having served as an adjudicator and question writer on numerous Australian quiz shows.

Poltorak has appeared as a contestant on iconic shows like Sale of the Century, and the Seven Network’s Quiz Master and Beat The Chasers.

He joins a lineup of Chasers including Goliath, The Beast, The Governess, The Smiling Assassin, The Shark, The Supernerd, The Tiger Mum, and recent addition The Lightning Bolt. 

The late afternoon slot remains a crucial set-piece for the networks heading into the nightly news and primetime slots. Last month, Mediaweek asked media buyers if the launch of Deal or No Deal on 10 or The Tipping Point on Nine will give either network the edge over Seven.

Peter Stowe, senior trading director at UM Australia, told Mediaweek that since its debut in 2015, The Chase has consistently dominated its 5pm timeslot in metro markets and developed a core loyal audience.

Part of the quiz show’s strength is its host of three years, Larry Emdur. Stowe said: “A lot of media buyers would have grown up watching him. He’s been around for a very long time. He’s a household name and a trusted family man.”

Michelle Hartley, investment director at Half Dome, said the new shows could “initially” threaten The Chase’s dominance but did not foresee it as long-term. “People might try all the other programmes, but they’ll return to The Chase.”

Thomas Macerola, Sydney head of investment at Zenith Media, called The Chase “a behemoth that dominates” in the genre in the Australian market and has created a loyal cult following with its viewers.

“Will the new entrants impact the program’s dominance? We may see fluctuations early in the year as new entrants are introduced. Still, I don’t believe it will significantly impact the viewership in the long run,” he said.

See also: Can Nine and 10 steal share from Seven with new shows?

• This weekend, the Australian box office made $12,737,137, down -17% from last week’s $15,419,623.

TOP 5

1. Kung Fu Panda 4 – $3,675,302 (2)

Jack Black returns to voice Po, the Dragon Warrior in Universal’s fourth outing of martial arts madness. The film has already made $132.9 million domestically in the US. Jumping to first place this week, Kung Fu Panda 4 took $3,675,301 in its second week, averaging $7,921 over 464 screens.

Synopsis: Po goes on a thrilling journey as he dives into the wonders of ancient China. His passion for martial arts and insatiable appetite collide in the most unexpected ways.

2. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire – $3,234,928 (1)

In the latest entry to Warner Bros.’ Monsterverse, Godzilla and King Kong have decided to put aside their differences from their last battle to team up to take on an undiscovered threat. It hasn’t been too favourable with critics, currently holding a 54% score on Rotten Tomatoes, but on the flip side, holds a strong 93% audience score. The film took $3,234,928 in its second week, averaging $7,173 over 451 screens.

Synopsis: The almighty Kong and the fearsome Godzilla confront a colossal, undiscovered threat that challenges their very existence and ours.

3. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire – $1,649,565 (3)

The film is a sequel to 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife and serves as a continuation of the 80s films, featuring the return of the original Ghostbusters from the 1984 film. The film took $1,649,565 in its third week, averaging $4,318 over 382 screens.

Synopsis: The Spengler family and the original team are back at the iconic NYC firehouse, unveiling a cutting-edge lab to kick ghost-busting up a notch. 

4. Dune: Part Two – $1,325,808 (4)

Originally scheduled for release at the end of 2023 but delayed due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, Dune: Part Two opened exclusively in theatres, compared to the first film, which opened day and date in theatres and on HBO Max in 2021. The film took $1,325,808 in its sixth week, averaging $4,769 over 278 screens.

Synopsis: Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the universe, he must prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.

5. Monkey Man – $787,268 (debut)

Universal’s Monkey Man was originally going to release as a streaming movie on Netflix, however, producer Jordan Peele saw the film and pushed for a theatrical release at Universal. Dev Patel stars, writes, produces and directs the film and it brought in $787,269 for its first week in cinemas, averaging $2,660 over 296 screens.

Synopsis: A recently released ex-felon living in India struggles to adjust to a world of corporate greed and eroding.

Top 6 – 10

6. Wicked Little Letters
7. The First Omen
8. The Tiger’s Apprentice
9. Crew
10. Immaculate

Sunday 7 Apr 2024: VOZ Total TV Ratings Overnight Top 30 – Programs ranked on reach

Total People TV Ratings

Nine’s Married at First Sight recorded a total TV national reach of 2,910,000, a total TV national audience of 1,706,000, and a BVOD audience of 364,000.

Nine’s 60 Minutes recorded a total TV national reach of 2,112,000, a total TV national audience of 734,000, and a BVOD audience of 88,000.

Seven’s The 1% Club recorded a total TV national reach of 1,727,000, a total TV national audience of 853,000, and a BVOD audience of 28,000.

Also on Seven, AFL – the Gold Coast Suns vs Greater Western Sydney Giants recorded a total TV national reach of 904,000 and a total TV national audience of 297,000.

10’s airing of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! recorded a total TV national reach of 1,140,000, a total TV national audience of 564,000, and a BVOD audience of 55,000.

See Also: TV Report April 7, 2024: Chaos during MAFS Reunion as Ellie and Jono debut controversial relationship

People 25-54

Nine’s Married at First Sight:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,198,000
• National Audience: 769,000
• BVOD Audience: 235,000

Nine’s 60 Minutes:
• Total TV nation reach: 845,000
• National Audience: 269,000
• BVOD Audience: 54,000

10’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!:
• Total TV nation reach: 490,000
• National Audience: 271,000 
• BVOD Audience: 33,000

Seven’s The 1% Club:
• Total TV nation reach: 514,000
• National Audience: 248,000
• BVOD Audience: 15,000

Seven’s AFL – GC Suns vs GWS Giants:
• Total TV nation reach: 257,000
• National Audience: 93,000

People 16-39

Nine’s Married at First Sight:
• Total TV nation reach: 566,000
• National Audience: 365,000
• BVOD Audience: 154,000

Nine’s 60 Minutes:
• Total TV nation reach: 367,000
• National Audience: 104,000
• BVOD Audience: 31,000

10’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!:
• Total TV nation reach: 207,000
• National Audience: 116,000 
• BVOD Audience: 22,000

Seven’s The 1% Club:
• Total TV nation reach: 209,000
• National Audience: 99,000
• BVOD Audience: 8,000

Seven’s AFL – GC Suns vs GWS Giants:
• Total TV nation reach: 115,000
• National Audience: 42,000

Grocery Shoppers 18+

Nine’s Married at First Sight:
• Total TV nation reach: 2,250,000
• National Audience: 1,344,000
• BVOD Audience: 291,000

Nine’s 60 Minutes:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,661,000
• National Audience: 578,000
• BVOD Audience: 71,000

10’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!:
• Total TV nation reach: 854,000
• National Audience: 431,000 
• BVOD Audience: 44,000

Seven’s The 1% Club:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,320,000
• National Audience: 658,000
• BVOD Audience: 12,000

Seven’s AFL – GC Suns vs GWS Giants:
• Total TV nation reach: 670,000
• National Audience: 219,000

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 April 8, 2024:

Nine TV Report

Married at First Sight

Nine’s evening began with the Reinion Commitment Ceremony on Married at First Sight. 

The drama of the night went to couple Tori and Jack, who have not been looking forward to sitting on the couch to watch their relationship highlights reel. 

As the reel begins, Tori holds a couch pillow to her face, cringing at the scenes of Jack’s ex-girlfriend scandal, his muzzle comment, his whale comment, his flirting scandal with Sara and his confusing Final Vows.

As the credits on the film roll, Tori uttered, “I want to leave.”

Even though the reel showed all the red flags, the pair defended their connection as they have from the beginning. 

“In my mind, I know who Jack is and I don’t want to hear it,” Tori says. “I’ve never experienced someone with so much logic. He’s got sometimes too much logic.”

The couple end up storming off the set and do not return. 

A Current Affair

Over on A Current Affair, an online troll faces court after a rugby referee receives a torrent of abuse and the program met with a car customer who had a dodgy paint job.

Seven TV Report

Highway Patrol

On Seven, Highway Patrol saw a group of tradies go ballistic when they were caught without seatbelts and with an unsafe load. 

Home & Away

Before Highway Patrol was Home & Away, as Leah snooped where she shouldn’t, Stevie is at the end of her rope and Cash faced a challenge.

10 TV Report

The Project

The Project on 10 looked into the supermarket code of conduct, a TikToker sharing vacant houses for squatters and chatted to Chris Isaak.

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

On 10’s I’m A Celeb, 12 celebrities are still surviving in the jungle, all in the hope of winning money for their chosen charity.

ABC

7:30

On 7:30, the program met with the family of the Alice Springs fatal crash victim, Sarah Ferguson interviewed Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner from the IDF and Australian companies are allegedly being used to launder stolen funds and send them offshore. 

SBS

Finding Your Roots

Henry Louis Gates revealed the unexpected family trees of activist Angela Y. Davis and statesman Jeh Johnson, using DNA and long-lost records to redefine notions of the black experience – and challenge preconceptions of America’s past.