‘Silly Stories for Kids’ Podcast Is Winning over Children Globally
Australian‑made children’s podcast “Silly Stories for Kids” has amassed 2.47 million listens and 1.37 million downloads in the past 30 days, generating over 21.8 million listening minutes. The audience is now dominated by North America, which accounts for 52 % of listeners, while downloads have jumped 84 % year‑on‑year to 1.306 million in January 2026. High repeat‑listening rates of about 98 % and strong performance on platforms like Yoto Player underscore deep engagement. The brand is expanding with a nationwide live‑show tour, a picture book, and music releases, signaling a move beyond audio.
Netflix Passes on NRL Broadcast Rights as ARLC Seeks $4b Deal
Netflix confirmed it will not bid for the National Rugby League broadcast rights as the Australian Rugby League Commission pursues a package valued at over $4 billion. The league aims to finalize a deal within three months, targeting both traditional broadcasters...
Medium Rare Expands Into Live Events with Flybuys
Medium Rare has launched its first experiential offering, "The Remarkable Show," a live event for Flybuys that gathered 150 of the program’s most active members alongside creators and brand partners. The activation produced more than 200 pieces of content across...
ABC Launches ‘Most Trusted News’ Campaign via Leo – Just Don’t Mention the War
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has launched the "Keep Asking" campaign with Leo Australia, branding itself as the nation’s most trusted news source. The rollout follows a swift correction of an analysis piece that mistakenly claimed the United States bombed...
news.com.au Ignites National Menopause Debate with ‘Fire Up’ Campaign
Australian news site news.com.au has launched the four‑week “Fire Up” campaign to spark a national conversation on menopause, partnering with Priceline Pharmacy. The initiative, informed by a survey of over 2,000 Australians, highlights that 37% of respondents know little about...
Australians to Be Restricted From Four Major Pornography Websites
Australia is set to enforce new age‑verification laws for online pornography on 9 March, requiring users to prove they are over 18 through facial scans, digital wallets or photo ID. In protest, Aylo, the Canadian owner of Pornhub, RedTube, YouPorn and...
Jacinda Ardern Calls for Stronger Social Media Accountability in Preventing Online Harm
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern urged treating social media platforms as publishers rather than neutral hosts, citing their role in amplifying harmful content. She highlighted the Christchurch mosque shooting livestream as a stark example of platform-facilitated harm and...
Inside ‘AutoBait’: DoubleVerify Exposes AI Slop Factory Sucking Ad Budgets
DoubleVerify’s Fraud Lab has uncovered AutoBait, a coordinated network of more than 200 AI‑generated lifestyle sites that churn out clickbait articles and hyper‑realistic images to harvest advertising revenue. The operation delivers tens of millions of ad impressions each month, with...
JCDecaux Launches Nurture for Country to Support First Nations Businesses
JCDecaux has introduced Nurture for Country, a new Reconciliation Action Plan initiative that gives First Nations‑owned businesses access to its national Out‑of‑Home network with matched media spend and strategic support. The program builds on a 2025 pilot with the KARI...
Millbray Appoints Bullet and Wonderful for Brand Refresh and New Digital Platform
Integrated land‑lease developer Millbray has hired brand studio Bullet and digital product studio Wonderful to revamp its master brand and launch a new digital platform ahead of the Ashcroft over‑50s community debut in Queensland. Bullet delivered the brand strategy, naming,...
Asembl Drops Raw C X Violet Crumble Coconut Water Crossover
Asembl has launched a limited‑edition 325ml Raw C coconut water infused with Menz’s Violet Crumble honeycomb flavor, now sold in selected Coles stores across Australia. The drink combines Raw C’s hydration benefits with the nostalgic sweet crunch of the iconic...
Zitcha Adds Former Meta Leader Phil Bonanno to Drive APAC Growth
Retail media platform Zitcha has appointed former Meta client partner Phil Bonanno as its APAC commercial director, based in Melbourne. Bonanno brings more than 11 years of experience developing insight‑driven retail advertising strategies at Meta, where he worked closely with...
Woolworths Reins in AI Helper ‘Olive’ After Unhinged ‘Mother’ Chats
Woolworths’ AI chatbot Olive, marketed as a conversational shopping companion, began sharing fabricated family stories such as memories of its mother and uncle, prompting customer complaints and media attention. The retailer disclosed that the off‑brand scripting was removed after feedback,...
Involved Media Celebrates Five Years of Growth
Involved Media marked its five‑year anniversary under the current brand, celebrating a milestone of over $100 million in billings. The Melbourne gathering attracted more than 50 media partners and highlighted recent wins such as CareSuper, Fever‑Tree, R U OK? and Animals Australia. Managing...
Greg Segal Joins TEG in Senior Sponsorship Role
Ticketek Entertainment Group (TEG) has appointed Greg Segal as Managing Director of Sponsorship & Premium Experiences. Segal arrives with over 30 years in brand partnerships, most recently leading a 50‑person team at Live Nation Entertainment ANZ. He will build TEG’s...
Forget the Full Season: Why Gen Z Is Ghosting Traditional Sports Sponsorships for ‘Vibe-Check’ Marketing
Gen Z’s relationship with sport is shifting from season‑long sponsorships to moment‑driven, digital‑first engagement. A Pureprofile study of 1,004 Australian 18‑29‑year‑olds shows 83% interact with sport, yet only 42% attend live events, preferring high‑impact tentpole moments. Merchandise consumption focuses on...
WPP Media Promotes Elliott Eldridge and Laura Fell in Strategy Shake-Up
WPP Media has elevated Elliott Eldridge to Chief Strategy Officer and Laura Fell to Chief Planning Officer, effective immediately. The duo will oversee strategic and planning products across Mindshare’s national accounts, including Unilever, NAB, MG, Foxtel Group, the Australian Labor...
Move over Music: Audiobooks Power Australia’s Workouts
Audible Australia’s new research shows audiobooks are eclipsing music as the preferred soundtrack for morning routines and workouts. Thirty‑two percent of Australians consider audio essential for setting the day’s tone, while 34% specifically choose audiobooks over playlists during exercise. Among...
5D Launches Nexus to Turn Market Intelligence Into Foresight
Strategic research firm 5D has unveiled Nexus, an AI‑driven market intelligence hub that consolidates internal customer data with external competitive and industry signals. The platform operates as a network of "cells" that ingest NPS scores, brand research, pricing shifts and...
IKEA Returns to Australian Survivor: Redemption as Major Brand Sponsor
IKEA is returning as the principal sponsor for Australian Survivor: Redemption, extending its partnership with Network 10 and Paramount+. The renewed deal deepens in‑show integration, featuring IKEA‑branded food rewards, sleep solutions, and daily gift‑card competitions during pivotal moments. The brand cites...
Perth Bears Adds Atlas Building in Landmark WA Jersey Partnership
Perth Bears have secured Atlas Building as their bottom back‑of‑jersey sponsor in a landmark three‑year partnership. The construction firm joins a growing list of foundation partners, including Cash Converters, IBM and New Balance, as the club prepares for its 2027...
New Study Identifies Three Behaviours Behind Health and Wellness Spend
Australia’s Growth Distillery released the “Signals of Intent: Health & Wellness” report, analyzing one million purchases and a survey of 3,000 consumers. The study identifies “high‑agency” shoppers—who believe daily choices affect health—as the most valuable segment, spending 50% more and...
Taboola Appoints Krishan Bhatia as Chief Business Officer
Taboola announced the hiring of Krishan Bhatia, former Amazon Ads and NBCUniversal executive, as its inaugural Chief Business Officer. Bhatia will oversee global go‑to‑market execution across Taboola’s Realize performance advertising platform, CTV offerings, publisher network and generative AI products. The...
What’s up, Doc? WBD Takes Looney Tunes Off-Screen and Onto the Pitch
Warner Bros. Discovery’s Global Consumer Products unit has partnered with Sport Star Academy to embed the Looney Tunes franchise into Australian grassroots soccer and basketball holiday camps. The program, aimed at children aged four to twelve, will launch across five...
CRA Poaches Nine Growth Executive Helena O’Dowd to Drive Audio’s Commercial Push
The Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) has created a new Head of Commercial Strategy role and hired Nine’s Director of Growth and Retention, Helena O’Dowd, to fill it. O’Dowd will steer industry‑wide initiatives under CRA’s 2030 Strategic Plan, aiming to expand...
