BMW Marks 40 Years of the M3 with Nostalgic Campaign via Betty Wants In
BMW is commemorating the 40th anniversary of its iconic M3 with a new campaign produced by Betty Wants In. Directed by Max Greenstein, the film was shot on Australia’s Phillip Island circuit and uses visual effects to glide through six generations of the model. The spot revives the early‑2000s BodyRockers track “Like The Way You Move,” linking nostalgia with modern performance. It will launch across broadcast, cinema and digital platforms such as YouTube and Instagram.
Got Milk? In Nova’s Case, No Thanks
Sydney’s Nova radio network marked its 25th anniversary, reflecting on a quirky branding backstory. Former programming boss Dean Buchanan revealed that ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi initially proposed the name “Milk,” complete with milk‑filled meeting rooms. The team rejected the...
TAC and Taboo Launch Road Safety Platform ‘Vanessa’s Place’
The Transport Accident Commission (TAC) partnered with creative agency Taboo to launch Vanessa’s Place, a transportable tiny‑home road‑safety platform aimed at young Victorians. Inside, more than 200 behavioural nudges are hidden in everyday objects to address drink‑driving, distraction, speeding and...
IAG Restructures Marketing Leadership, Putting Four Senior Roles Under Review
IAG has launched a review of its marketing leadership less than six months after naming Emily Roberts as chief customer and marketing officer. The company plans to merge four senior executive‑manager roles into three, requiring the incumbents to reapply for...
‘Another C*** Has Entered the Chat’
Australian morning‑show host Kylie Gillies inadvertently uttered the C‑word on The Morning Show, joining a notorious list of live‑TV slip‑ups. The profanity was broadcast without delay, prompting immediate social‑media chatter and brand‑safety alarms. Media commentator Dr Mumbo highlighted the incident, noting...
Voyages Tourism Unveils Mural Celebrating 10 Years of Field of Light via Spark Foundry Australia
Voyages Tourism Australia has launched a large‑scale mural in Melbourne to mark the 10th anniversary of Bruce Munro’s Field of Light installation at Uluru. The artwork, designed by First Nations creators Valerie Brumby and Alex Kerr, blends Anangu storytelling with...
OMG Group Names Today the Brave as Brand, Retail and Media Agency Partner
OMG Group has appointed Today the Brave as its full‑service agency partner to drive end‑to‑end brand growth. The agency will oversee brand strategy, social and paid media, as well as trade and retail activation for existing brands like Blue Dinosaur...
Droga5 ANZ Wins Qantas ‘Project Sunrise’ Pitch
Droga5 ANZ has been awarded the creative lead for Qantas’ “Project Sunrise” campaign, which will market the airline’s upcoming non‑stop flights from Australia’s east coast to New York and London. The win follows the final ground‑testing phase of the first...
Virgin Australia Moves to Build Retail Media Network
Virgin Australia has appointed former McKinsey and VML executive Scott Moore as head of a new Travel Media Network, signaling the airline’s move into retail media. The initiative will leverage Virgin’s digital properties and Velocity’s 80 commercial partners and 300...
Brian Florido Joins Linkby as Chris Wirasinha Gets Band Back Together
Brian Florido, former managing director of Val Morgan Digital, has been appointed commercial product director at Linkby. He will lead the Pubfeed platform, which distributes editorial content to publishers and charges brands on a cost‑per‑click or cost‑per‑impression basis. Florido’s hire...
‘Inaccurate’: ACMA Raps Four Corners over Cotton Fire Coverage
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) ruled that the ABC’s Four Corners episode “Water Grab” breached the broadcaster’s code of practice on accuracy and impartiality. The program alleged that Claravale pastoral station illegally used fire to clear land for...
Aldi Australia Embraces Zen of Low Prices in New BMF Campaign
Australian discount grocer Aldi has launched the “Aldi Prices” campaign, created by BMF, featuring a guru‑like figure reassuring shoppers that prices are already low. The ad rolls out across TV, digital, radio and social, positioning low price as the brand’s...
Australia’s Creative and Media Sectors Unite at Parliament House to Make the Case for Licensing in the Age of AI
Australia’s creative and media industries convened at Parliament House to press for a licensing‑based approach to AI training data, reaffirming the government’s decision to reject a broad Text and Data Mining (TDM) exception. Speakers from Universal Music Group, The Guardian,...
Private Media Appoints Isentia Exec Russ Horell as CEO
Private Media, the publisher behind Crikey and SmartCompany, has appointed Russ Horell as its new chief executive, succeeding Will Hayward. Horell arrives from Isentia, where he spent over 20 years and most recently served as chief revenue officer. The leadership change follows...
ChatGPT Advertising Launches in Australia
OpenAI will introduce advertising within ChatGPT for Australian users in the coming weeks, following positive early signals from its U.S. pilot. Ads will appear only for logged‑in adult users on the free and go tiers, while Plus, Pro, Business and...
ABC Workers Strike, Kyle Strikes with a Lawsuit, and AI-Generated PR Strikes the Wrong Chord
ABC employees ended a historic 24‑hour strike – the broadcaster’s first in 20 years – but negotiations remain unresolved, leaving the threat of further action alive. Meanwhile, radio personality Kyle Sandilands filed a Federal Court suit against ARN, publicly revealing...
Supply Shock Coming, Consumer Confidence Rock Bottom: Warnings From the CommsCon Stage
The Business Council of Australia warned that a looming supply shock and accelerating inflation will put corporate trust to the test, as consumer confidence falls to its lowest level since the index began in 1973. ANZ’s head of strategic communications...
The New Broadcast Is a Great Ad
The article argues that linear TV advertising is losing relevance with Gen Z, who now consume content primarily on creator‑driven platforms like YouTube. Jordan Schwarzenberger’s Sidemen collective reaches roughly 70% of UK Gen Z, dwarfing traditional TV audiences. Creators are...
Meta ANZ Sales Chief Naomi Shepherd to Depart After 14 Years
Meta’s Australia‑New Zealand advertising head Naomi Shepherd announced her departure after a 14‑year stint at the company. She rose from an IC5 client partner in 2012 to group industry director in 2017, overseeing Meta’s ANZ ad sales and marketing. While Meta...
Maxibon ‘Goes Full Cookie’ for Choc Chip Cookie Launch Campaign via Sickdogwolfman
Maxibon has introduced the Choc Chip Cookie Bon in Australia through an integrated campaign created by SICKDOGWOLFMAN. The hero film features a person transformed into a fully prosthetic cookie suit that even performs a TikTok dance. Social‑first content on TikTok...
Vodafone Australia Launches ‘Comeback’ Campaign with Howatson and Ali Wong
Vodafone Australia has launched a high‑profile "comeback" campaign fronted by US comedian Ali Wong, marking the first major brand work since the TPG merger and a reshuffle of its marketing leadership. The multi‑channel effort spotlights Vodafone’s expanded network, now covering...
Nine Radio Rebrands as Tapt Media
Nine Radio will rebrand as Tapt Media once its $56 million sale to the Laundy Family Office closes at the end of April. The corporate name change leaves the flagship talkback stations—2GB, 3AW, 4BC and 6PR—intact. CEO Tom Malone says "Tapt"...
Davidson: It’s Time for Naked 2.0
AI and automation are driving down the cost of media execution, exposing a mismatch in traditional agency billing that bundles strategic thinking with operational work. The article argues for separating these functions: pricing execution on measurable outputs while charging a...
Cindy Rose to Net A$26.5m Payday for Successful WPP Turnaround
Cindy Rose, WPP's chief executive, could earn up to A$26.5 million by 2030 if the ad‑tech group meets its financial targets and its share price climbs 50%. The remuneration package dwarfs her predecessor's, with a base of £2.13 million already paid for...
NT Tourism Hunting for Sweeping Brand Refresh
The Northern Territory’s tourism agency, now rebranded as Tourism and Events Northern Territory (TENT), has launched a tender for a sweeping brand refresh to be delivered by February 2027. The initiative replaces the seven‑year‑old "Different in every sense" platform and...
New Platform Launches to Help Independent Podcasters Reach Their Potential
Podtential, founded by veteran radio executive Wade Kingsley, has launched a growth platform for independent podcasters. The service centers on a proprietary diagnostic tool called PRO that evaluates 100 data points across ambition, concept, audience, content, marketing and commercial strategy....
ADMA Launches New Podcast Unpacking How Marketers Can Harness AI to Lead the Next Era of Marketing
ADMA has released a new podcast episode that explores how marketers can ethically harness artificial intelligence to drive the next era of marketing. The discussion draws on findings from ADMA’s State of AI in Marketing Survey 2025, which shows 75%...
Make It Stop: Unmade Index Loses for 8th Session in Row
The Unmade Index posted its eighth consecutive loss, slipping 0.12% after an after‑hours correction and settling at a new low of 350.4, down 0.79%. Leading decliners were ARN (-2.94%) and Vinyl (-6.25%), with Vinyl’s market capitalisation hovering just above $100 million....
CEO Will Hayward Leaving Private Media
Private Media announced that CEO Will Hayward will depart within weeks to launch a new media venture that does not compete with the publisher. Hayward, who has led Private Media’s portfolio—including Crikey, The Mandarin and Smart Company—for five years, will...
‘Many Media Agencies Operate Similarly’: Spark Foundry CEO Moves Past ‘the Ehrenberg-Bass Approach’
Spark Foundry has introduced a new positioning called “intelligent disobedience,” urging clients to embrace responsible provocation rather than rely solely on data‑driven, Ehrenberg‑Bass style media planning. CEO Matt Turl argues that many agencies follow similar, predictable patterns that limit true...
President Donald Trump Is Being Regularly Cold-Called by Journalists
The Atlantic reports that President Donald Trump has taken more than three dozen cold calls from journalists since the recent U.S. strikes on Iran. At least a dozen major news outlets, including CNN, The New York Times and Fox News,...
Ticker and Leadstory: The Startups Taking Different Paths to Video News
Australian video‑news startups Ticker and Leadstory are charting distinct paths away from legacy media. Ticker, founded by former Sky News reporter Ahron Young, abandoned ad‑supported TV in favor of commercial interview clips, leveraging AI to produce and distribute short‑form video...
Mumbrellacast: Media Apocalypse Right Now
Tim Burrowes’ Unmade Index, which monitors 14 Australian listed media firms, has recorded a more than 60% drop in total market value since its launch in early 2022, underscoring a deepening media apocalypse. The latest Mumbrellacast episode also dissects the...
VFL Inks Broadcast Deals with Foxtel, Seven, ABC, and SEN
The Victorian Football League has secured broadcast agreements with Foxtel, ABC, Seven and SEN, promising the competition’s biggest audiences in decades. Foxtel will stream 16 matches on Kayo Sports across the first 13 rounds, while ABC returns to VFL TV...
Media Federation of Australia Appoints New Chair and Deputy Chair
The Media Federation of Australia (MFA) has named WPP Media ANZ CEO Aimee Buchanan as its new chair, with Spark Foundry ANZ CEO Imogen Hewitt stepping in as deputy chair. Both leaders replace long‑time chairs Mark Coad and Virginia Hyland after six...
Seven Sells Its Community Sports Streaming Platform
Seven West Media has sold its community and junior sports streaming platform Streamer to Sideline Sport. The 2023‑founded Sideline Sport, which already streams grassroots competitions such as NSW Rugby Union and Netball NSW, will integrate Streamer’s catalogue and add up...
Ex-Cheil Australia Staff Launch Fair Work Claims Against Samsung In-House Agency
Samsung’s Australian in‑house agency Cheil is facing Federal Court action after two former senior leaders, former group director Trent Ellis and head of digital Peter Bojanac, filed Fair Work Act claims alleging breach of general protections following their dismissals. Both...
Giddy Up: The Most Syndicated Radio Show in Australia Is Expanding
Craig Hutchison’s Sports Entertainment Network has expanded its flagship Giddy Up program, now broadcasting live for four hours, five days a week on Racing.com via 7plus. The show, hosted by Gareth Hall, is Australia’s most syndicated radio show, airing across...
‘Mediabrands’ and ‘Magna’ on the Chopping Block as Omnicom Merger Bites
Omnicom is dismantling the Mediabrands and Magna brands in Australia as part of the post‑merger integration of its $13 billion IPG acquisition. The company will retire the Mediabrands name, migrate staff email addresses to OMC domains, and has already seen senior...
TV Wiped Out in Latest Vic Gov Ad Spend Figures
Victoria’s government advertising has dramatically shifted away from television, with TV accounting for just 9.4% of the $103.2 million media budget in 2023‑24 – roughly $9.7 million. The TV share fell from a peak of $32.4 million in 2020‑21 to half that amount...
‘Strategy without Pain Is Just Cosplay’: What BrewDog’s Decline Teaches Us About Marketing
BrewDog was sold to Tilray Brands, prompting the abrupt termination of 500 staff and closure of 38 pubs. The deal erased the value of the “Equity for Punks” scheme, leaving roughly £75 million invested by fans worthless. The article argues that...
Howatson Releases In-House AI Creative Platform as ‘a Moat Around Our Core Work’
Australian agency Howatson has launched Unicorn, an in‑house AI platform that automates the rollout of master creative into hundreds of digital and out‑of‑home formats. The service costs $5,000 per campaign—roughly a 95% reduction from traditional $100,000 rollouts—and delivers assets within...
Nine Cops the Worst of It on Historically Bad Day for Unmade Index
Nine Entertainment saw its shares plunge 6.97%, wiping out over $95 million in market value as the ASX200 opened down nearly 4% on an oil‑price shock. The broader Unmade Index fell to a record low of 378.3 points, reflecting heightened cost...
The Aunty Donna Podcast Returns to Acast in New Partnership
Acast has inked a multi‑year agreement to host The Aunty Donna Podcast and the newly created Grouse House Podcast Network on its platform. The deal consolidates Australia’s leading independent comedy collective under one roof just as Aunty Donna prepares to...
Out-of-Home Measurement System Move Is Finally Live
The Outdoor Media Association (OMA) has launched the upgraded Move measurement platform, replacing Move 1.5 as the official out‑of‑home (OOH) standard from March 16. Move aggregates data from over 180,000 sites, modeling a synthetic audience of 2.2 million Australians based on 5,000...
AI Voice Start-Up Elevenlabs Shifts to Australia
AI voice startup Elevenlabs has appointed former Conversant Media executive Michael Costa as its go‑to‑market director for Australia and New Zealand. Costa, who has held senior roles at Salesforce, Twilio and Mixpanel, will lead the company’s expansion despite still being based...
Amazon Gives Aussies Permission to ‘Spend Less on the Ones They Love’ in New Droga5 Campaign
Amazon has rolled out a new Australian advertising push featuring comedian Steph Tisdell, created by Droga5 ANZ. The campaign spotlights Amazon’s low‑price promise, encouraging shoppers to spend less on gifts for family, friends and pets while still showing love. It...
Chatime Names GYG’s Alison Walsh as CMO Amid Marketing Restructure
Bubble tea chain Chatime has appointed former Guzman y Gomez marketer Alison Walsh as its new Chief Marketing Officer for Australia. The hire follows the departure of global CMO Jeff Chang and national marketing manager Rachel Druce, marking a shift...
Australian Retail Council Launches New Identity
The Australian Retail Council (ARC) has been launched as a new national peak body, merging the Australian Retailers Association and the National Retail Association. Developed with branding agency FABRIC, ARC’s new visual identity aims to give retailers a single, unified...
RSPCA Approved Evolves Into RSPCA Certified, Powered by Nature and The Thrills
RSPCA Australia has rebranded its farm‑animal welfare program from the 17‑year‑old RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme to the new RSPCA Certified label. The refresh, driven by strategic firm Nature and creative agency The Thrills, introduces a streamlined brand architecture, a distinctive...