Australia’s top financial brands increased advertising spend by 16% year-on-year, according to Nielsen’s latest Ad Intel data.
From July 2024 to June 2025, the sector’s total spend rose from $600 million to $696 million, led by brand advertising, superannuation, and credit card categories.
The top ten financial advertisers during the period were Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, ANZ, NAB, Aware Super, American Express, Bankwest, Square, REST Super, and Afterpay.
Digital channels dominated spend, with social media and general display advertising each accounting for 23%. Metro TV followed at 21%, with Out of Home at 18%.
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Rose Lopreiato, Nielsen Ad Intel’s Australia Commercial Lead, said: “The significant increase in advertising spend reflects the strong competition within the financial services sector and underscores the industry’s focus on digital transformation.
“Financial brands are also increasingly engaging consumers through digital channels – a trend we expect to continue as they target tech-savvy, digitally connected Australians.
“The financial sector’s increased investment, particularly in brand-building and superannuation, demonstrates confidence in the Australian market and a commitment to long-term customer relationships.”
Earlier this year, Nielsen has published its 2025 Annual Marketing Report that highlighted how marketers are adapting to shifting technologies and economic pressures.
The seventh iteration of the report surveyed 1,400 global marketing professionals between February 25 and March 6, 2025, all overseeing annual marketing budgets of at least USD$1 million.
Three core trends emerged from the findings: investment reallocation in media channels, shifts in strategic priorities, and challenges in cross-media measurement.
Alison Gensheimer, SVP of Marketing at Nielsen, said of the findings: “Despite difficult economic uncertainties, marketers are demonstrating their inherent agility by embracing new touchpoints like Retail Media Networks and CTV.
“Reliable and comprehensive measurement is paramount and, at Nielsen, we are committed to ensuring measurement solutions keep pace with the complexities of modern cross-media advertising, supporting growth now and well into the future.”