Neil Mitchell was on air at 3AW after 5.30am today. Three hours before he normally starts broadcasting. Today was different. “This is an amazing day in the history of this station,” proclaimed Ross Stevenson at the start of the 3AW breakfast show. “There are three of us in the studio,” he explained as Mitchell joined Stevenson and his breakfast co-host Russel Howcroft.

Mitchell told Mediaweek Stevenson is Australia’s best broadcaster (see below). Stevenson was also effusive in his praise about the station’s morning host, mentioning that while Howard Stern brands himself King of All Media in the US, it’s a title Mitchell deserved in Australia as he’s successfully tackled all mediums.

Neil Mitchell has been sharing more of himself than ever in the past week as he ends his 34 years as 3AW morning host. That forms the majority of his 54 years of daily journalism.

Speaking to Mediaweek between his penultimate and last programs, he admitted the audience has probably learned more about him this week than in the previous 34 decades.

“And my son has interviewed me on my podcast too and they will find out even more there.

“I’m not comfortable with doing a lap of honor,” he explained, referring to the tributes and commemorations that have been coming Mitchell’s way since he announced he was stepping away from the daily program.”

See also: Neil Mitchell quits 3AW live on morning show, reveals new role

Retirement plans

Mitchell said he had thoughts about quitting in the past, but not recently. “Once I was established I didn’t really think about it. A couple of times I had a disagreement with management and I got close to it. Either them sacking me or me walking away.

“I stayed because I liked it too much. This recent decision was hard to make and it took me a long time. 3AW was very keen for me to keep going and I thought, ‘No.’ I felt I needed a change.

“I have always worked at 120%, and I realised that 110% is no good. And I’m starting to run out of energy to do 110%.”

Neil Mitchell’s broadcast routine

Apart from Covid interruptions, Mitchell always broadcast from the 3AW studio. Looking at his schedule you’d be forgiven for thinking he was hosting breakfast.
Alarm goes off: 4am
Arrives at work: 5am
Show prep: Until 8.30am he’d devour the newspapers, speak with contacts and research online and work the emails. There was a program conference daily at 6.30am. “I’d start writing and the producers would start chasing and we’d have another conference at 7:50 and then start at 8:30am.” Russel Howcroft this morning revealed Mitchell was a prolific texter.
Showtime: Mitchell said the format of the show had changed dramatically over the years. He used to do an interview and then a block of calls, repeating that formula across the program. “It became far more dynamic. We now take calls at any time about anything which has become my slogan – anytime, any issue.”

Broadcasting during Covid

What always angered 3AW management?

The broadcaster has always steadfastly refused to do live reads of ads in his program. “Many managements have tried to get me to [read ads]. They told me it cost me a lot of money, but I don’t care. I’m a dinosaur, I accept that.

“Journalistically I always thought it an impossible conflict. For example, over the years Qantas several times asked me to do ads for them. Imagine if I had been reading Qantas ads as they were on the nose for the past year? How would that go down with the audience?

“Other people are entitled to do it, I just didn’t.”

Taking it on the chin

Mitchell has been in a few stoushes during his years as a broadcaster. Although he gives as good as he gets. When asked if any hurt, he replied: “Probably, but none really stand out to me. I have always thought you only take criticism seriously from people you respect. Much of the criticism I have copped has come from radio people or drongos. I don’t like some of the personal stuff I have copped over the years from various radio people in particular.”

Mitchell was unbeatable in morning radio ratings

Changing stations…almost

“I nearly went to 3MTR all those years ago,” Mitchell reminded us. The brave talk radio launch in 2010 featured Steve Price and Steve Vizzard among the hosts, but it failed spectacularly before closing down. “They offered me double what 3AW was then paying me. I was telling then 3AW management about it. I said I didn’t want to take it, but I was thinking about it. The manager at the time said to me, ‘Well you should fuck off then.’

“I then rang my manager and said, ‘I’m out.’ He called me an idiot and told me to calm down. I made up with the 3AW manager, but it almost drove me out.”

Although the station had a handful of owners over the years, Mitchell said they never interfered with him. “We have had some strange owners over the years going right back to Warwick Fairfax. I have always felt that if you rated they left you alone.”

With regard to the current management, Mitchell volunteered: “The Nine people and Tom Malone are easily the best I have worked with.”

Neil Mitchell in 2024

“I’ll still be working, but I’ll be doing it at a different pace. I’ve been working to half-hourly deadlines for 50 years.

“For example, I wrote a column for the Herald Sun for 10 years. With a column you think about it all week and then you write it. I’d spend two hours writing after one of my shows and I’d be buggered. Now I will hopefully spend most of a day researching and then writing it.”

“My podcast will go weekly. I will do a radio spot on 3AW and I have a couple of offers to write a newspaper column that I’m looking at. [Offers from the Herald Sun and The Age.] I have an offer to write online [Nine.com.au] and talk on TV. If there’s any TV work it will be just commentary pieces.”

As to how long he might have in this new stripped-back work program, Mitchell replied: “I will always work. I have a two-year contract with 3AW. I love doing the podcast and I enjoy the freedom. I got 80 minutes with Albo, who gets an opportunity to spend 80 minutes with a prime minister.

“I love writing so I’ll probably be writing somewhere. I hope I can always work to some extent.” But he’s not planning an autobiography. “I’m an observer, not a participant,” he told Ross Stevenson this morning.

His unkept look at one stage got plenty of feedback

Salaries for radio stars FM v AM

“From what I read about the money being paid to Kyle and Jackie O there is a huge discrepancy between FM and AM salaries. In the end, it comes down to competition. In Melbourne, there has been very little commercial competition for 3AW. Why would they pay me money to stay if no one is offering me money to go elsewhere.

“Don’t get me wrong, I have been well paid, but nowhere near some of the [FM] figures being quoted.

“The ABC for a long time was the only talk competition in Melbourne. Now there’s more talk on FM. The [3AW] breakfast program was always competition for me because we’d compete for stories and interviews.”

What about internal competition? “There was internal competition with Hinch, and also a bit of unpleasantness. It’s a bit easy to sit on drive and snipe at the morning program. A few people have done that over the years. There’s been a bit of tension with the breakfast program, but not much. There are a lot of egos running around and disagreements happen.”

Where did it go wrong with Dan Andrews?

“The clash of his style and my style. They are mutually exclusive. I don’t cop crap and I ask questions and I don’t back down from them and he doesn’t answer them.

“Andrews has said to cabinet ministers, ‘I told you we didn’t need Mitchell, we won the election.’ That’s true, but I can say, ‘We didn’t need Andrews, we won the ratings.’

“Andrews ran a style of government that was unaccountable. It was against everything I stand for.”

Banned: Who wouldn’t talk to Neil Mitchell?

“Dan Andrews banned me about seven years ago,” Mitchell said about his longest exile. “Also Bill Shorten banned me and wouldn’t talk to me for the whole time he was opposition leader. [Shorten interviewed Mitchell on air during his final week.] I tried to ask him why he banned me for three years. I did manage to embarrass him a couple of times. He replied: ‘You just weren’t the risk.’”

Here’s the list of how Mitchell got on with Australian prime ministers.
“Scott Morrison banned me for a while before he was prime minister.

“Paul Keating and Bob Hawke banned me for a while.” Mitchell this week noted on air that “Keating wasn’t as good as he thinks he is.”

Relationships were mixed with subsequent Labor PMs: “Julia Gillard banned me, but Kevin Rudd didn’t.”

He was on steadier ground with recent Liberal PMs: “John Howard and Malcolm Turnbull didn’t, and Tony Abbott didn’t.

“Anthony Albanese hasn’t [so far]. The most recent one I had trouble with was Julia Gillard. She thought I was sexist.”

Mitchell with Anthony Albanese

Interviews and confidence

Any Mitchell show is packed with callers plus breaking news and interviews with people from all walks of life. Some made him more nervous than others.

“Before speaking to Nelson Mandela I was very edgy. I still get a bit on edge if I’m interviewing a prime minister. You have to be right on your game. I have Anthony Albanese on my last day. Even though it’s my last day I will be fired up and edgy because you can’t embarrass yourself or let your audience down if you are dealing with the prime minister. I often get nervous still and that is not a bad thing.”

Political outlook

Mitchell explained to Mediaweek his politics have softened over the years. “If I go back to my days as a young industrial reporter I would have been considered left-leaning. Some people say if you are not left wing at 20 then you haven’t got a soul. If you are still left wing at 40 you haven’t got a brain.

“I have certainly become more conservative. I like to think I’m a bit unpredictable and I also like to think I was representing the audience on issues rather than just a political line.”

What’s on Mitchell’s playlist?

“To be frank I watch very little TV and I don’t listen to much radio. The best broadcaster in Australia is Ross Stevenson. He’s massively underrated…look at his ratings for heaven’s sake. He has a touch of genius about him. He’s fresh and innovative continually and that is the challenge for any broadcaster, yet Ross always finds a way.”

The other 3AW broadcaster stepping down this week

Mitchell also had kind words for his morning show colleague Jane Holmes who steps away from a daily role at 3AW after 17 years. “She’s been great and is a delight to work with. I reminded her this week we have brutalised her a bit by dropping her segments sometimes at the last minute. She’s a real strength on radio and TV in Victoria.”

Holmes started at 3AW in 1979 before moving to stations across the AM and FM bands, arriving back at 3AW and Mitchell’s show in 2007.

Gender stereotypes in Australian media and advertising are set for greater scrutiny as a major research project prepares to examine their impact on society.

The catch? This study explores the representation of men and masculinity and its potential negative impact on gender equality.

It’s a turn for the books when you consider the number of recent studies that have explored the depictions of women in media and advertising. However, that is precisely why it is necessary, argues Jasmin Bedir, the chief executive of Innocean Australia and founder of fckthecupcakes, an organisation that aims to fight gender inequality by bringing men into the conversation.

Bedir has teamed up with The 100% Project, an organisation that aims to achieve 100% gender balance in Australian leadership, to conduct the 18-month research study, which will delve into how the portrayals of masculine stereotypes in media and advertising are contributing to broader social issues such as toxic masculinity and rising male suicide cases.

“A lot of work around the narratives and messaging within marketing and advertising has been focusing on women, but not on men,” Bedir tells Mediaweek.

“If we’re only focusing on one gender, and in particular, on women and telling them constantly how to be better or improve themselves, we’re never going to make anything better – especially if we’re not getting men engaged in the conversation at all.”

“It sounds strange when I say it, as a feminist, but it’s not an easy time to be a man. Usually, when I say that, everyone says, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, what are you on about?” The narratives have been around the need to invest more in women for equality, which I understand, but at the same time, we also need to invest in men. We need to invest in men’s mental health and development because they have got inclusion needs too.”

There is an emerging narrative around this topic, which Bedir said is evident by the likes of feminist powerhouse Caitlin Moran’s recent book What About Men? which points to the need to have a broader conversation about these issues. According to Bedir, the media and the ad industry have a huge responsibility in this discourse.

“We’ve reached the point where International Men’s Day needs to exist, because we need to get men to a point where they are having the same conversation as women are having about their vulnerabilities, discussing what modern progressive masculinity should look like, so we don’t have these horrible suicide rates in this country.”

“I believe the media, as well as the advertising industry – which is now worth $53 billion – have a huge responsibility in this. Agencies love walking around going, ‘Oh, we influence popular culture’, but we’ve also got a huge responsibility to actually do the right thing, and maybe just investigate what we’re putting out there collectively?”

Bedir is quick to point out that the research project is not a magic bullet solution, but she hopes it does help to start a conversation – among brands and agencies, as well as men and women.

“I’m not saying by any means that we do a little bit of a research study and we’re gonna come up with solutions, and everyone can just implement them. I’m not naive by any stretch of the imagination. But maybe if this is the beginning of us, showing the status quo or beginning a dialogue that we can help inform and educate.”

“It’s not an ‘either / or’ situation, it’s an ‘and’ we need to do both. We need to focus on all of the genders – if you want to talk in a binary way – male and female, and until now we’ve forgotten to include one gender,” she said.

The research project will run throughout 2024. It began earlier this year with a literature review that found the most prevalent male archetypes depicted in Australian media are “the Hero,” “the Provider,” and “the Hedonist”.

According to the research, these archetypes reinforce the traditional gender roles and stereotypical behaviours that the study claims lead to “poor health outcomes for men and women and perpetuate gender inequality”.

See also: Research by Innocean & The 100% Project explores media’s impact on masculinity and gender roles

The last day of 2023 radio ratings [survey wraps tomorrow] and the arrival of summer is always exciting. The FM teams around the country have extra spring in their step with the anticipation of six weeks leave.

AM radio continues with most broadcasters on for at least another week. Except for 3AW’s Neil Mitchell, who is out of here today.

Nova summer schedule

At Nova, Sydney Fitzy and Wippa promised a massive show with Coldplay tickets and Dr Chris Brown and Isla Fisher in addition to the usual Nova 969 Friday mayhem.

In Melbourne, Nova’s Ben, Liam and Belle revealed research showed much of the audience don’t actually know their names! Something to work on for 2024.

Taking over Nova summer breakfast for two weeks from December 4 is Smallzy and his team led by the award-winning Zach La Cava. He will broadcast into all markets except Perth.

Smallzy and Zach La Cava

From December 15, Nova breakfast will be piloted by workday host Mel Tracina until the regular shows return mid-January.

Smallzy’s Surgery will become Shazam Summer Nights hosted by Nova’s Maddy Rowe and Aaron Rich.

At Smooth FM Melbourne, Mike Perso continues in breakfast for an extra few weeks, while in Sydney the show will be fronted by Byron Webb with help from Ron Wilson.

ARN summer plans

There has been excitement at ARN of course as the company plans to reshape the commercial radio sector. The ARN summer programming plan is simple though:

The KIIS network’s Late Night with Zach and Dom becomes Summer Drive with Zach and Dom.

Expect summer breakfast shows in Sydney and Melbourne to maybe be a mix of music and Kyle and Jackie O highlights.

At KIIS 101.1 is wasn’t only the last show of the year for Jase and Lauren…it was their last show ever. They have been swept aside by the force that is Kyle and Jackie O who will take on Melbourne next year.

Jase and Lauren capped a final week by programming all the music on their final show. The morning kicked off with Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes with (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life. The second tune was a surprise package though – a farewell rap from the production team who joined the hosts in the KIIS studio.

At WSFM Jonesy and Amanda pushed The Magnificent Seven towards 6.30am today with the producers worried it may not wrap by the end of the first half hour. “What’s coming up,” asked Jonesy. “Is the world going to end if we don’t play Fleetwood Mac?”

The ever-reliable Phil O’Neil will be fronting WSFM’s Ugly Phil Summer Breakfast.

It’s not Xmas without Ugly Phil

Xmas fever at SCA, despite the predator

Triple M stations were today offering listeners Foo Fighters tickets, and on some shows, Christmas hams.

In Melbourne, Loren and Troy Ellis were again joined by Lehmo as management bravely continue to call the program The Marty Sheargold Show. With a brawl over who will own the station in 2024, just what shows are called and who will host them seems a minor detail!

A network summer show at Triple M for two weeks will be hosted by Harley Breen, Candice Warner and Tom Tilley who are joining forces each weekday morning from 6-9am for Triple M’s Summer Breakfast show.

The program runs from 4 to 15 December in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and streamed live on the LiSTNR app, with a promise of two entertaining weeks of radio comedy, sport and news.

Rallying the troops at Triple M is head of metro content Matthew O’Reilly who said: “We are thrilled to bring Candice, Harley and Tom back together for another innings of Summer Breakfast. They are the perfect combination of sport, comedy and news and therefore the perfect choice to kick off summer for our listeners on a range of our Triple M metro stations.”

No one knows what will become of the Hit Network in 2024 with an ownership brawl still to play out. Meantime the staff are soldiering on.

From Monday, 4 December the Hit Network will start the day with The Jimmy & Nath Show (pictured above), Hamish & Andy podcast highlights in drive, and then nights with Seany B and special return celebrations for Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.

Head of Hit metro content and 101.9 The Fox content director Amanda Lee said: “As we wrap another fantastic year, there’s no slowing down for the Hit Network; in fact we are just starting to heat things up with our summer programming.

“It’s so exciting to have Jimmy and Nath on national breakfast radio and we know everyone will love to hear even more from them over the next few weeks. Likewise, we’re always proud to bring the Hamish & Andy podcast back to radio for our listeners and it is fantastic to welcome back Seany B and Nic Kelly for the night-time shift. With this amazing line-up, summer can’t come quick enough!”

Essentially, we have waved goodbye to traditional marketing (as to what we knew when we first stepped into the industry) with brands now itching their way onto social media feeds via influencers.

We have had sponsorships, testimonials, and product placements for a long time. In the past, these tools were controlled by the marketers, and they were the ones who decided what was said and how. The medium was somewhat limited in terms of access to the customer, giving a lot of power to brands.

What social media has done is idealistically shifted power from the brand to the customer. Marketers can’t control the brand message as they once did with the shift to customers who have the power to inform the perception of the people in their network about a given brand. Birth of the influencer…

One major difference between influencer marketing today is the authenticity and familiarity that can be conveyed to customers. As opposed to watching a commercial with a celebrity in an idealistic location, now potential customers can follow the influencer on Instagram and see the product in that person’s everyday life.

However, what we are seeing is that it is no longer enough to simply pay an influencer to sponsor your product or service. Social media users today know they will be sold to on social media, oftentimes with the help of influencers, but they expect creativity and a genuine connection from your brand in the process. The trouble for brands is now how they can remain authentic and credible while leveraging influencers in an increasingly aware consumer.

2023 saw new changes taking place to protect consumers from misleading information from social media platforms affecting influencers and brands alike, with new penalties in place for not correctly tagging and using the right disclaimers – gone are the days of that grey social media space.  The ACCC and governing bodies now placing legal liabilities and ramifications to businesses as well as influencers and UGC creators.
 
Brands and businesses are now legally liable for:
 
• All business’s posts on its own social media accounts
• All advertising on other social media platforms
• Any social media posts that a business pays for
• All social media posts that a business offers incentives to influencers to make – paid or unpaid. Full disclosure needs to be given so consumers are aware of the business relationship between brands and influencers.
 
As a brand in 2024 it will be important to understand the influencer landscape, where it’s headed and questions your brand should consider as it begins or scales its influencer strategy. I urge brands to equip themselves with enough knowledge about the influencer market regarding rates, use of content and vetting the correct influencer to represent their brand.
 
To succeed in today’s market, businesses need to successfully find those influencers that align with their brand’s values and goals, create a strategy of budget allocation and decode the metrics that matter to your brand.
 
See also: Diane Markovski discusses Lit Agency’s growth in Australia and expansion into the US

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Top image: Diane Markovski

More than three-quarters (78%) of Australian marketers work with an in-house agency, and 80% of marketers are considering or already using AI for content creation, according to a new report.

The findings from the second ‘In-House Agency Landscape Report’, created by the In-House Agency Council (IHAC) and Kantar reveal a growing Australian in-housing sector, which is just behind the US and Europe in terms of in-house agency penetration.

The research revealed 78% of marketers use a hybrid model of both in-house and external agencies and almost all marketers (93%) believe in-housing has a “positive effect” on the bottom line.

The average Australian in-house agency has between five to 25 people and covers seven different capabilities, predominantly creative, social media, content marketing, strategy, and video production. Three-quarters (74%) of these anticipate increasing workloads in 2024. 

Half of Australian marketers (51%) believe AI can simplify content creation, with four out of five marketers  currently exploring the incorporation of AI into their marketing creation processes. However only one-quarter think it will directly lead to more cost-effective campaigns.   

IHAC executive chairman Chris Maxwell said the report revealed the local market was maturing quickly with the economic pressures helping to accelerate growth. 

“17% of IHA’s have launched in the past two years, demonstrating that the shift is gaining momentum with adoption of the model growing at nearly double the rate seen in 2021.”

“With broader remits and continued economic pressures, IHA’s foresee their workloads increasing while reducing the amount of work they procure through external agencies. However, for marketers with an IHA, the list of benefits is long, and goes well beyond just cost efficiency and into better knowledge of brand, speed and agility, along with having dedicated staff,” said Maxwell. 

Kantar Australia manager director Jacqui Brandt, said the research reveals the “important interplay and role that internal and external agencies play and how best to leverage the strengths of each – be that around the work produced, the way media is planned and bought, and the tools used to inform business outcomes.
 
“The spotlight on AI is particularly fascinating and we’ve learned that 80% of marketers are considering or already using AI for content creation. While cost effectiveness is yet to be understood, AI is here to stay and embracing AI and seeing it as complementary to the agency toolkit is essential.”

The report, which aims to provide a snapshot of the local in-house agency landscape, includes data from client-side marketers, in-house agency personnel and marketers that use both internal and external agencies. 

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A new Children’s Advertising Code, which comes into effect today, will apply stricter rules to all advertising that is directed at children, including influencer activity. 

The new code is the result of a public review by the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) which aims to safeguard children from all forms of advertising – particularly emerging areas such as ‘kidfluencers’ and influencer advertising directed at children.

AANA CEO Josh Faulks said the rules aimed to provide “a robust framework for the advertising industry”.

“The Code is no longer limited to advertising for children’s products and will provide critical protections around any advertising directed at children,” Faulks said.

“It places a clear ban on directing advertising of hazardous products to children such as vapes, kava or highly caffeinated drinks. It also prohibits the encouragement of unsafe practices, including bullying or promoting unhealthy body image, and the use of sexual appeal or imagery when communicating to children.”

“The rules go beyond Australian Consumer Law recognising the subtle, embedded nature of influencer advertising directed at children which research says lowers children’s ability to recognise it as advertising. It must now be immediately clear to a child that they are interacting with advertising content,” Faulks said.

See also: AANA dismisses calls to ban food and beverage advertising amid concerns about childhood obesity

The Code complements the AANA’s Food & Beverage Advertising Code which bans the advertising of occasional food and beverages to children. This applies to all advertising, across all media channels at all times of the day.

The new Code was initially announced in August giving the industry three months to prepare and ensure compliance with the rules. The AANA has provided comprehensive training to the industry through an industry-wide webinar, in addition to providing a Practice Note to explain the practical application of the Code.

With three brand new Bachies, the eleventh season of The Bachelors Australia promises triple the sparks, triple the butterflies and triple the jitters, with smitten suitors, Wesley, Ben and Luke all searching for the one. 

BVOD has proven to be a match made in heaven for The Bachelors Australia, with season 10 earlier in the year becoming the #1 commercial show on BVOD during its run as well as being 10 Play’s #2 show of the year.

Channel 10 knows the show’s demographics, and head of creative production and entertainment at Paramount Australia, Tamara Simoneau says the network is trying something different in order to capitalise on the strong BVOD audience they have gathered. 

“We are chasing the audience where they are because this show really plays to the 18 to 49-year-old demographic. Superfans or anyone who is interested can stream brand new episodes of the show on 10 Play, the night before they’re broadcast on Channel 10,” she said.

Tamara Simoneau

“A huge portion of the audience is watching this show exclusively on 10 Play, so we are leaning into providing for that core audience and also appealing to those who want to binge and not wait each week for new episodes.”

For the first time in the show’s long-running history, the program was filmed in Melbourne and Simoneau reveals that the decision to set up shop in Victoria came from the drive to try something new every season. 

“Victoria and Melbourne itself hasn’t really had a chance to shine, and this season is a real love letter to the city,” she said.

“As soon as viewers start watching, they’ll understand what I mean by ‘love letter’ and it just makes Melbourne look like the coolest spot in the world.”

Simoneau says that the thought process behind the casting of this year’s Bachelors involved having variety because someone’s prince charming is not someone else’s. 

“They are quite different from each other and we do that because we want our bachelorettes in the mansion to have choice. They’re not choosing from three similar people.”

This year, there are 24 bachelorettes entering the show and similar to the bachelors they will be competing for, they are all quite different.

“Viewers will see friendships developing amongst the girls, and also the opposite of that.

“It’s always just so interesting to put a bunch of people together in a house and see what happens, and they’re from all over the country also, as far as Perth. 

“One main thing that also sets this show apart as well as the girls apart is that they are all really invested. Like they are just real people who are looking for love, they’re not just chasing fame and followers.”

The new season of The Bachelors is staying fresh by fully leaning into something that baffling, has gone missing from dating shows in the past decade.

“One of the big things we have done, following on from the success of shows like Bridgerton, is really leaning into the romance aspect. You’ll find on dating shows that the romance isn’t necessarily real and the drama most times takes over, but this season the success of the true romance will be on show.”

The Bachelors Australia is produced by Warner Bros. Television Production Australia for Network 10.

The Bachelors Australia premieres on Sunday, December 3 at 7:30 pm on 10 and 10 Play.

See also: The Bachelors Australia: Meet the women looking for love in 2023

Whether it’s a childhood jingle that you can still sing word for word, or a campaign that influences the way you work today, everyone has an ad that has really stuck with them.

Mediaweek has been asking the industry to take a trip down memory lane, to find out all about the ads that made us.

Will Harms – Co-founder and Head of Product at Half Dome

Canadian Club’s ‘Over Beer’

“For me, this is the definition of a simple insight executed well. It’s an ad that manages to satire Australia’s beer drinking culture whilst simultaneously hijacking the ultimate category entry point for males – having a beer.

“We know consistency matters, so I particularly love how Canadian Club has stuck with the ‘Over Beer’ platform for 13 years but evolved it over time to ensure it remains fresh. Genius.”

Matt Geersen – Creative Partner, Connecting Plots

Not Happy Jan

“For a magical period of time you couldn’t go a week without hearing the phrase ‘Not. Happy. Jan.’ uttered by someone after a screw up. I still say it from time to time, but with each passing year I receive more and more blank stares, as the memory fades away into obscurity.

“I can remember the ad being parodied countless times, well before the days of YouTube. It was truly viral before viral was ever a thing.’

Josh Halling – Commercial Director, NOVA Entertainment

Marina Voncina Lawyers; Little & Rabie Retravision

“We went to the local Penrith cinemas growing up, and these two ads were on every time, to the point where we would eagerly anticipate them and be disappointed if they weren’t part of the pre-movie credits. At ten years of age, I was in the market for neither product, and had no idea that 15 years later I’d be getting my first role in media as a rep for The Edge 96.ONE, a western Sydney based station whose original office was next door to the very cinema we attended.”

See Also: The Ads That Made Us: Slash, Schmackos, and Snappy fish

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Top Image: Will Harms, Matt Geersen, Josh Halling

Triple M Gold Coast has been officially renamed to 92.5 Triple M Gold four years after the station was launched as part of the network‘s national rollout.

92.5 Triple M Gold is made especially for Gold Coast audiences every day, and the station’s revamped name will see Flan, Ali & Spida in the Breakfast slot, South East Queensland’s very own local drive home with The Rush Hour’s Leisel Jones, Liam & Dobbo, and the Goldy’s biggest sing-along favourites direct from the Gold FM playlist past.

See Also: Bryce Crosswell joins SCA as head of digital sales in Melbourne

Dave Cameron, SCA chief content officer, said that now was the perfect time to add “Gold flavour back into the station again.”

Cameron said the network is excited to see the evolution of the station with more of the Gold variety of music the local listeners know and love, “alongside an acknowledgement of its heritage, while keeping it a part of the highly successful, national Triple M brand,” he added.

“We know our other bespoke versions of Triple M are some of Australia’s most successful digital radio stations.

“In a similar approach, we are excited to bring a version of the iconic Triple M brand to the Gold Coast that’s made specifically for Gold Coast radio fans, and we’ve changed our name to celebrate this. Today, 92.5 Triple M Gold is launched as the Gold Coast’s very own,” Cameron added.

See Also: ARN signs Christian O’Connell to new long-term contract: Will he move from Gold to Triple M?

Breakfast announcer Spida Everitt said: “The gold is back where it belongs, right there in our name. Every morning Ali, Flan and I broadcast straight out of Broadie to Bundall and Benowa, Coolangatta and Coomera, up the mountains to the green behind our beloved gold at Tamborine and all in between, and we love it.

“We love the Gold Coast, we’re passionate about its people and places and now we can all celebrate that the gold is back!” said Spida.  

“This station has and always will be the heartbeat of the Gold Coast. From supporting junior sporting teams to the Gold Coast Suns, rebuilding RSL Clubs, running school tuckshops, and staging rescues and major fundraisers, and being there through major moments, from disasters to celebrations like Magic Millions, Blues on Broadbeach and Cooly Rocks, our commitment to community has never wavered and it never will.”

See Also: As battle for Triple M rages, Jars celebrates 21 years at Adelaide’s #1 station

Automotive site Drive has announced plans to expand Drive TV in addition to a raft of AI, tech and data features as it seeks “to create the future of automotive”

The Drive Upfront saw Nine announce it has continued to help Drive support its broadcast TV expansion, with five new formats available to cater for the range of car topics consumers engage with – from deeper reviews, awards and new car launches, to aspirational escapes and lifestyle themes.

The Drive TV announcements include:

• Drive TV’s first prime audience slots across both Nine and Nine Rush (Q1 2024)
• Drive FAST Channel: 24/7 automotive video on demand channel (H2 2024)
• Drive TV and Getaway: An integrated Drive segment within travel program, Getaway (Q1 2024)
• A new Drive TV series dedicated to editorial reviews (Q1 2024)
• A 2024 Drive Car of the Year Special featuring and promoting award winners at scale (Q1 2024)
• Drive TV will also complete its Electric documentary series and conclude with the buyer’s guide in Q1 and Q2 respectively.

Drive CEO Simon Halfhide said, “The Australian car market has seen unprecedented change in recent years with new brand entrants and electric vehicle sales growing each month. For most consumers, it’s been years since they last changed their car. Navigating the evolving market, the new technologies and brands can be daunting. Drive’s vision is to create the future of automotive in Australia and help consumers navigate what can at times seem like a challenging purchase.”

Further Drive 2024 Upfront announcements include:

• A new Drive Marketplace (H1 2024): A data-driven, integrated, and reimagined quality cars for sale marketplace.
• Nine Data Partnership (H2 2024): Nine and Drive will partner in 2024 to introduce a new Customer Data Platform across the Nine group. This partnership will look to provide Drive with greater capabilities and data solutions for advertisers looking to reach car buyers across the Nine family of brands.
• Drive Brand Studios Expansion: Automotive brand-funded content has seen growth in volume and engagement in 2023, with further growth on the horizon. Drive now has an upscaled video production team to create a range of video products to help brands tell their own story, regardless of the channel.

Growing the Brand Studios offer further, Drive has announced:

• Discover 360: A new car viewing platform from Drive brand studios (Q1 2024)
• Brand content landing pages: A collation of each brand’s content in one page (Q1 2024)
• Drive digital out of home: In Partnership with Vista, amplified automotive content available on a national scale (available now)
• Drive and Fabulate influence network partnership: Drive and Fabulate talent helps brands reach TikTok and Instagram audiences (Q1 2024)
• Drive Brand Studios Attention Engine: Data-driven content briefs developed by an A.I. Analytics and Insights department to support advertisers in reaching their audiences (H1 2024)

Coca-Cola‘s Christmas campaign, “The World Needs More Santas”, directed by Pontus Lowenhielm of Pulse Films, launched in Australia and over 80 international markets, and celebrates the power of kindness this festive season.

The advertisement shows a cityscape teeming with numerous Santas, all helping and supporting each other. The concluding scenes reveal that these portrayals represent people embodying their “inner Santa”  through acts of generosity and goodwill, concluding with the slogan: “The World Needs More Santas.”

The company has a historical association with Santa Claus imagery, dating back to its initial use in Christmas advertisements during the 1920s. In 1931, Coca-Cola engaged Haddon Sundblom, a Michigan-born illustrator, to craft images of Santa that were worked into the brand’s holiday campaign.

See Also: Coca-Cola Australia launches creative campaign for new flavour co-created by humans and AI

The Christmas campaign involved a comprehensive above the line strategy across TV, cinema, out of home, social, and digital channels. Additionally, Coca-Cola is collaborating with Australian influencers to amplify the festive spirit through a “12 Acts of Kindness” initiative. Influencers will urge their followers to embrace their inner Santa and participate in their acts of kindness.

Kate Miller, marketing director for Coca-Cola South Pacific, described the campaign as, “a celebration of the magic of Christmas.

“Small acts of kindness can make a big difference and that’s what Santa, and Coca-Cola, are all about. We’re encouraging everyone to bring out their inner Santa this holiday season.”

SurfStitch has unveiled a new brand position, identity, and summer campaign titled “Ready for Everywhere.”

The brand, known for embodying the quintessential Australian coastal lifestyle, has repositioned itself to reflect its objective to offer styles that adapts to the life its customers lead across a broad range of categories including surf, snow, skate, outdoor, activewear and street style.

Sacha Laing, chief executive officer of Alquemie Group, remarked on the brand’s evolution, stating, “Our new brand identity and campaign embraces the effortless transition of our customers between work, life and play. Curated with real life in mind, our products are not just fashion, but gear for living.”

The campaign is lead by a nine week outdoor and transit commitment with JCDecaux. Additionally, a launch spot will air across connected TV and YouTube, accompanied by a series of activity across digital and social.

Luke Williams, creative director and head of marketing, spoke of the brand’s confidence in a “reductive” identity evolution.

“With that refinement comes clarity, and in this case it takes the form of a new logo that reinforces the brand’s online presence, flexing in digital and animated formats as a tool to communicate the broad range of categories in which we play. 

“Paired back with a more elevated approach to imagery, our new visual identity marks the beginning of a new chapter for SurfStitch.”

Annalect, the data and analytics division of Omnicom Media Group, has partnered with global data collaboration platform InfoSum to create a neutral clean room solution for Asia Pacific clients with impending privacy-centric policies set to have profound impacts on marketing.

The objective of the is to future proof through enhanced measurement accuracy and unhindered access to customer insight and segment profiling capability.

This initiative centres on sustainable, effective, and privacy-safe data collaboration, overcoming challenges posed by fragmented data sources and breaking down data silos to gain a holistic view of clients’ consumers.

InfoSum capabilities will be integrated into Omni, Omnicom Media Group’s industry-leading marketing orchestration operating system, and will enable privacy-safe utilisation of data across the entire marketing workflow, from planning to activation and optimisation.

This partnership balances data privacy with data utility through distributed insights generation, i.e. relying on moving code and sharing the algorithm that extracts insights rather than moving or copying the data.

Annalect launched this initiative in Australia and, together with InfoSum, developed collaborative partnerships with the Australian loyalty programme FlyBuys and data provider Experian to form a rich and practical view of customers.

Audience profiling is crucial to this project as it enables brands to move from claimed data profiles to authentic consumer data. InfoSum’s platform, which acts as a neutral clean room, creates a statistical replica of the purchase, behavioural and location data provided. No vendor data is copied or moved onto InfoSum’s platform, thereby protecting consumers’ privacy and reducing operational risks. Each party controls its own data while still being able to collaborate.
 
InfoSum maximises match rates across data sources, resulting in the introduction of lookalike audiences and the identification of new opportunities for offline media buys through location data insights, among others. The proof of concepts conducted in Australia spanned industries such as FMCG, alcohol, telco, and automotive.
 
With these addressable audience segments, Omnicom Media Group’s clients can improve their communication strategies and unlock competitive advantage through practical applications, including adaptive creative messaging, channel selection, and data partnerships.
 
This initiative has laid the foundation for a complete evolution of audience profiling, planning, measuring, optimising, and activating through secure data collaboration. Annalect and InfoSum plan to expand this initiative across multiple brands and markets for a sustainable, long-term approach.
 
Schalk van der Sandt, COO of Annalect Australia, said the strategic move not only ensures data privacy but optimises data utility through distributed insights generation.
 
“This approach allows us to extract meaningful intelligence from diverse data sources, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of consumer behaviour while safeguarding individual privacy.”
 
Richard Knott, InfoSum GM, ANZ said InfoSum is looking forward to seeing Annalect use their technology with their clients to safely scale and leverage their consumer data through privacy-first, multi-party data collaboration.
 
“Pioneering organisations like Annalect are leading the industry in this transition, harnessing that concept and turning it into real-world, actionable benefits.”

The Paramount ANZ Consumer Products Team have partnered with Adairs on a PAW Patrol children’s range ahead of the 2023 holiday season.

The 12-piece range launched this week, and includes a selection of home décor for children’s rooms including a night light, sleeping bag, wall art, bedlinen and more.

Rebecca Jenkins, senior director retail and new business, Paramount Consumer Products ANZ, said: “This partnership with Adairs is a wonderful extension of the PAW Patrol universe, allowing children to be surrounded by their favourite pups every day.

“We can’t wait to see these beautiful items bring joy to kids all over Australia and New Zealand this holiday season.”

Alex Liebelt, senior product manager, Adairs said: “We’re excited for our first ever collaboration with Paramount Consumer Products to introduce PAW Patrol to Adairs Kids.

“Exclusively designed by our inhouse design team, the collection showcases beloved characters in hand-drawn illustrations with subtle pops of colour.

“We’re offering a wide range in our beautiful quality to help complete a bedroom makeover or to offer those unique special, stand out pieces that both the parent and child will love.”

With prices from AU$24.99 to $199.99, the new range includes:

• PAW Patrol Pals Quilted Bedlinen
• PAW Patrol Text Pillowcases
• PAW Patrol Pals Sheet Set
• PAW Patrol Basket
• PAW Patrol Wall Art
• PAW Patrol Ultra Soft Blanket
• PAW Patrol Night Lights
• PAW Patrol Soft Toys
• PAW Patrol Flip Out Sofa
• PAW Patrol Shaped Sleeping Bags
• PAW Patrol Cushion
• PAW Patrol Hooded Towel

Produced by Spin Master Entertainment, the PAW Patrol franchise is available on Paramount+.

The new Adairs PAW Patrol children’s range is available now in store and online via adairs.com.au.

See Also: Why bringing Nickelodeon to FTA has been a good slime for Paramount

Snap Inc. has welcomed a slew of new appointments to its local team as the technology company grows in Australia.

The expansion of its sales force represents a further investment in the company’s vision for the Australian market as it looks to build upon the successes of this year and go to market with a beefed-up team that’ll drive impact for partners in 2024. 

Joining the team are Dina Bailey, ANZ agency lead; Daniel King, senior client partner; and Elise Keeling, who’ll support the sales team in a new role as ANZ product marketing lead, all of whom hail from Meta.

Senior client partner Rob Fitzpatrick and Bethany Rao-Davies, senior account manager, both ex-TikTok and Sarah Ding, account manager, who joins from Pinterest. 

The appointments come after Tony Keusgen joined Snap Inc. in Australia and New Zealand six months ago as managing director.

Keusgen said Snapchat’s local community is bigger and more engaged than he imagined before joining the company, with more than 8 million Australians on the platform every month.

He noted that the most savvy marketers and global advertisers know the power of Snapchat to deliver results across brand and direct response campaigns, and connect them with hard-to-reach audiences that cannot be found anywhere else. 

Keusgen shared that his goal is for every brand in Australia is serious about getting the attention of under 40s is partnering with Snapchat. He said: “Unlocking more opportunities for brands and agencies to engage with our happy and growing audience, guided by some of the industry’s best and brightest.”

Snapchat reaches 80% of 13-24 year olds and 75% of 13-34 year olds across Australia. While Snapchat is loved by Gen Z, almost 45% of Australian Snapchatters are 25 years or older. Australian Snapchatters open the app an average of 40 times per day and 60% of the app’s Australian community interact with Augmented Reality (AR) Lenses on Snapchat daily, to express themselves creatively, have fun, and buy products from their favourite brands.

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Top image left to right: Dina, Beth, Sarah, Rob, Tony, Daniel and Elise

This week lots of Aussie drama with Paper Dolls and Faraway Doens. But first The Artful Dodger (Disney+) has done a magnificent job in transporting classic characters Dodge (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) and Fagin (David Thewliss) to an Australian setting. With such incredibly crafted characterisation from Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist, a sequel should be sacrilegious, but incredibly, it’s crazy good.

Disney+ got off to a rocky start with its first local drama, The Clearing. That was depressing and pointless, but The Artful Dodger is wild and fascinating. The cast is incredible, and many of the Aussies are unrecognisable, given it took a moment or two to recognise some of my favourite actors, like Susie Porter and Luke Carroll.

While not quite buying that the Artful Dodger is now a surgeon, it’s worth remembering that the character is a charmer and a conman. The operating room scenes might be too gruesome for some, but hang in there for Miranda Tapsell, Damon Herriman, Damien Garvey, Kym Gyngell and Andrea Demetriades. How on earth are we going to pick the best Aussie drama for 2023 after a late entry is this good?

Paper Dolls (1984, YouTube) was once a fabulous short-lived 80s nighttime soap about the modelling industry starring Morgan Fairchild and Lloyd Bridges. Now Paper Dolls (Paramount+) is about a fictional girl group from a reality TV show, but who are they kidding about the fiction?

Harlow is based on Aussie girl group Bardot, and reality series Pop Rush is meant to be Popstars (Seven, 2000).  Former Bardot member Belinda Chapple is an executive producer of Paper Dolls and it would appear she has lots to say about the music industry, and she has a lived experience to draw from.

Ditch Davey is suitably sleazy as the label boss and Emma Booth is sensational as the record executive dealing with the teenage girls in her charge. Although its origins are very clear in the first episode, future instalments may go in a different direction as each member of the group gets their own individual backstory. Paper Dolls is off to a great start, can’t wait to see more.

Now to Faraway Downs (Disney+), allegedly a TV series, but actually just a longer director’s cut of the movie Australia. Hacked into six episodes, of varying length, there’s new scenes (to be expected given there is so much unused footage) and there’s a new ending. Sadly, the end result is the same.

Australia was a hot mess of a movie, and Faraway Downs is too. It’s pretentious, lacks authenticity, and it fiddles with history. Baz Luhrmann, who is clearly obsessed with 1939 Hollywood classics, inserts The Wizard Of Oz into Faraway Downs before the film has even opened in the US. Who knew that a remote open-air cinema in Darwin was the first in the world to see it. LOL. 

Luhrmann has always claimed he was making a local version of Gone With The Wind, and that’s a ludicrous take given how cartoonish it is. Last month he told SXSW Sydney that his aim had been to “take the melodrama but flip it, and tell it from this First Nations child’s point of view”.

While Nullah (Brandon Walters) is indeed the best thing about Faraway Downs, it’s questionable as to whether the GWTW narrative has really been flipped when Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman are playing white heroes. What I’d rather see is a juicy making-of that tells the real story behind the scenes, because that’s a melodrama waiting to be told.

• Bill Bailey’s Wild West Australia a winner for ABC
• Border Security: Australia’s Front Line Seven’s top program

Overnight TV Ratings, November 30

Primetime News
Seven News 740,000 (6:00pm) / 730,000 (6:30pm)
Nine News 659,000 (6:00pm) / 659,000 (6:30pm)
ABC News 497,000
10 News First 186,000 (5:00pm)/ 124,000 (6:00pm)
SBS World News 117,000 (6:30pm)/ 88,000 (7:00pm)

Daily Current Affairs
A Current Affair 584,000
7.30 411,000
The Project 128,000 6:30pm / 217,000 7pm

Breakfast TV
Sunrise 220,000
Today 197,000
News Breakfast 156,000

Share summary

Nine has won Thursday night with a primary share of 20.5% and a network share of 28.8%.

7Two has won multi channels with a 3.7% share.

Seven received a primary share of 18.9% with a network share of 28.7%.

10 took a 7.5% primary share and a network share of 13.9%.

Nine

Nine’s A Current Affair (584,000) put the spotlight on a Victorian woman who has spoken out about losing her leg after a four-hour ambulance delay, as the human impact of the ambulance ramping crisis mounts.

Then, it was another night with the emergency services as 427,000 watched RBT which topped prime-time entertainment. The double episode was titled Please Forgive Me and Country Pills.

Emergency followed for 315,000 as Dr Terry Kane faced the worst trauma he’s dealt with. 

A repeat of Big Miracles followed for 127,000.

Seven

384,000 began their evening with Border Security: Australia’s Front Line where two brothers from Thailand claimed they were “just tourists” but after talking to their sister, Border Force discovered something that made their story likely to be a lie.

296,000 stayed on for Code 1: Minute by Minute which detailed how shortly after the commencement of the annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, a ‘supercell’ storm stirred up massive seas in the Bass Strait with thirty aircraft taking part in the rescue operation.

The Front Bar was up next for 286,000 as Sam Pang, Mick Molloy and Andy Maher talked about the world of cricket.

152,000 also watched The Test: The Feature Length Special. 

ABC

411,000 watched ABC’s 7.30 explore the controversy brewing at this year’s UN climate summit, COP28. Sarah Ferguson also interviewed Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen.

403,000 then watched Bill Bailey’s Wild West Australia. This week, Bill Bailey explored Perth and the Margaret River region.

A repeat of Grand Designs followed for 227,000 as Kevin McCloud met architect Iain and his wife, Jenny, who intended to build an enormous black minimalist house right in the middle of a 19th-century Scottish country estate.

10

On 10, The Project (128,000 6:30pm / 217,000 7pm) welcomed Fallout Boy’s Pete Wentz and Patrick Stump as well as British singer Jessica Ware who recently spoke with Princess Eugenie on her podcast Table Manners. 

Jamie’s 5 Ingredient Mediterranean followed with host Jamie Oliver packing the episode full of clever tips, tricks, and inspiration to make cooking at home quicker, easier, and more affordable.

SBS

105,000 saw The Secret World Of… on SBS. This week it was a look at ‘sweets’, unpacking the historic rivalry between Rowntree’s and Bassett’s, before the cosy British sweet market gave way to a bitter battle after the arrival of Mars and Haribo.

68,000 also watched Adam & Poh’s Great Australian Bites as Adam Liaw and Poh Ling Yeow headed to Tasmania on a quest to put together a not-so-humble version of a classic Aussie Pie.