Lisa Squillace has been appointed head of GroupM Motion Entertainment for Australia and New Zealand.

Squillace, who joins the company from Network Ten Paramount, will head up the media investment group’s Motion Entertainment division. She will be tasked with co-developing, co-producing, distributing premium content, and delivering bespoke brand opportunities.

GroupM Motion Entertainment is GroupM’s global entertainment division, headquartered in London and Los Angeles, and operating in over 35 countries worldwide. It has co-produced more than 2,100+ TV series and films in partnership with world’s leading talent, networks, and platforms.

Motion’s name appears alongside respected executive producers, including Morgan Freeman, Bradley Cooper, and Kevin Hart. Award-winning programming in the GroupM portfolio ranges from ITV’s Love Island and Netflix’s The Circle, to films, documentaries, and specials like Variety’s Power of Women, as well as live music and streaming events.

The introduction of GroupM Motion Entertainment provides a clear pathway for media partners, creatives, executive producers and brands in Australia to work more closely to deliver premium content for local audiences and provide an injection of capital into Australian productions, supporting the Australian entertainment industry.

As head of GroupM Motion Entertainment for Australia and New Zealand, Squillace will lead the launch of the business unit, working closely with agencies Mindshare, Wavemaker and EssenceMediacom to unearth opportunities and create unique long-term entertainment partnerships for GroupM clients. She will report to Melissa Hey, chief investment officer at GroupM.

Lisa Squillace and Melissa Hey

Squillace, who was most recently national sales director at Network Ten Paramount, has over 20 years of experience in media and entertainment, specialising in the development of new business models, commercial concepts and the implementation of multi-million-dollar brand investments in premium cross-platform content.

Her career spans Australia’s biggest broadcasters, including Seven, Nine and Network Ten Paramount where she built high-performing sales teams, launched digital channels, worked on sponsorships and commercial partnerships around top rating Aussie shows, has been chair of the Think TV board, and a recognised with trade media accolades..

Hey said of Squillace’s appointment: ”GroupM Motion Entertainment is our commitment to forging deeper, more meaningful connections between Australian consumers and our clients’ brands that go way beyond brand partnerships. Lisa’s expertise in entertainment and driving innovative partnerships makes her perfectly suited to lead the charge. She will work in collaboration with our agencies, as well as producers, networks, and publishers across Australia, to develop mutually beneficial partnerships that deliver premium entertainment experiences, ultimately driving brand growth.”

Squillace added of her new role: “Entertainment is a proven and successful way for our clients to connect with their consumers. We know that entertainment equals engagement, engagement equals attention and attention equals action. I’m thrilled to join GroupM to lead Motion Entertainment and unlock those opportunities for clients, help shape the future entertainment landscape and support local content production.”

GroupM Motion Entertainment will be operational in Australia and New Zealand in January 2025.

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Top image: Lisa Squillace

DDB Sydney has announced the end of its 13-year partnership with Westpac, effective from February 2025.

In a statement, CEO Sheryl Marjoram, chief creative officer Matt Chandler and chief strategy officer Rupert Price said it was “a bittersweet farewell.”

“Our time with the bank has resulted in some of the agency’s proudest moments,” the statement reads.

“Over the years we defied the banking category with emotionally charged work that connected with Australians.

“We saw the brand through leadership changes, a Royal Commission, the global pandemic, and a 200th anniversary; we co-created products, services and platforms, and had the privilege of shining a light on the brave men and women of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service.

“Saying we’re proud of this relationship would be an understatement, we loved shaping this brand and believe it always showed in our work.

“To our clients, past and present, many of whom have become lifelong friends: you always asked the best of us and fought for the integrity of the work when it counted – we say a sincere thank you. And to the many, many people of DDB, who over 13 years put their hearts, toil and talent into this long journey, we couldn’t be prouder of what we achieved together.

“For us, now a new chapter begins.

“With Australia’s most passionate, experienced and creatively-awarded financial services team, we are ready and looking forward to the new partnerships to come.”

DDB’s work for Westpac is below:

In June, DDB Sydney launched its latest spirited musical number State of Origin ad for Westpac.

The bank and creative agency teamed up last year for a commercial, starring a singing banker and referee bonding over both professions being maligned.

This time around, the singing banker returns to the field to sing about how much more can be done with “one single dollar.”

“One single dollar. It doesn’t seem like a whole lotta moolah,” the banker sings.

“Oi, I’ll give ya a dollar to shut up,” Phil Gould interrupts at the end of the spot.

See also: DDB and Westpac launch another musical State of Origin ad

Publicis Groupe has confirmed the departure of Nick Keenan as CEO of Starcom Australia.

In a statement to Mediaweek, Publicis Groupe ANZ CEO Michael Rebelo said: “After four and a half years, Nick Keenan has departed from his role as CEO of Starcom Australia.

“On behalf of the Groupe in ANZ, I would like to thank Nick for his contributions and wish him all the best for the future.”

Mediaweek understands Starcom is now in the process of searching for a new leader.

Keenan joined Starcom Australia as CEO in March 2020 and before beginning his tenure, spent two years as CEO of Red Rooster. He was also previously commercial director of CrownBet, and following that became CEO of the gaming company’s online lotto betting service, CrownLotto.

In June, Starcom appointed Scott McCaffrey as chief client and growth officer and promoted Jacqui Purcell to national head of planning.

See also: Starcom appoints chief growth officer and national head of planning

The annual MIPCOM TV market has just closed for another year. The organisers billed this year’s event as “the mother of all entertainment content markets”.

The numbers this year back up that statement. Attending across the four days in Cannes last week were 11,000 delegates and 3,500 TV buyers from 100 countries. In the various meeting rooms and at the 350 exhibitors stands those TV buyers and sellers compete for new series, source international production partners, and set development agendas for the coming year and beyond.

As the market likes to put it – “deals get done”.

ABC Commercial at MIPCOM

Australian TV execs in Cannes

There is always a strong local contingent working on deals at MIPCOM. This year exhibitors were ABC Commercial, ACTF, Escapade Media, Fred Media, Inverleigh, Melodie Music and Screen Australia.

Buyers from Australia swarmed over Cannes too. This year people were exploring deals for Fetch TV, Foxtel (4 buyers), Fred Media, LGI, Madman, Nine (4), Paramount ANZ, Samsung TV Plus, SBS (5), Seven (5), Stan (3), and Switch (3).

‘We need to be more discerning than ever’

Amongst the buyers from the ABC was Roberta Allan, ABC’s head of programming, acquisitions and streaming.

Mediaweek spoke with Allan about the MIPCOM marketplace in 2025.

As to an overall impression this year, Allan commented: “Every major distributor continues to have a strong slate. There’s a considerable volume of quality content being produced. It is always good to meet with programming peers and compare notes on trends and audiences.

“There was an abundance of choice, through both the volume produced and the windowing available. Which means we need to be more discerning than ever and smart with the deals.”

As to what the ABC was looking for, Allan explained: “Delivering a consistent and strong schedule is a complicated jigsaw. We are always looking to make the ABC’s offering work across a number of levels. We acquire content across a wide slate – drama, comedy, factual, documentary, lifestyle, entertainment, arts, music, science, children’s, family and movies.” Quite the shopping list!

Sharing learnings with the BBC, Allan noted that that BBC’s iPlayer and ABC iview perform in a similar way.

“We have a number of similar programming strategies, such as meeting audience demand by making more programs available to binge.”

Audience around the globe are choosing to binge on ABC programming. Allan reminded us of the impressive list.

Ludo Studio’s Bluey

“Bluey, an ABC commission, is the biggest show in the world, and just got bigger after launching in Japan in October. Our award-winning series The Newsreader is on the BBC in the UK. Also coming to the BBC will be our comedy Austin, starring Michael Theo, Ben Miller and Sally Phillips, as well as our new series, Return to Paradise.

“Fisk is streaming globally on Netflix. In children’s programming, Ginger and the Vegesaurs is one of the biggest shows on CBeebies, BBC’s preschool children’s channel.

Fisk

“There are also opportunities to co-produce, with programs such as Stuff the British Stole being made by ABC and PBS, allowing the scale of the storytelling to expand.”

As to stars from Australia on the global stage, Allan pointed to one in particular.

“Look at Maggie Beer being named Best Host of a TV Format at the C21 International Format Awards at the market. She won for Maggie Beer’s Big Mission, produced by Artemis Media for the ABC, beating industry legends like Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Fry in the category. What a brilliant win, to achieve global recognition.”

Maggie Beer

Art of the deal

Allan: “It’s a complicated business, with the competition and technology constantly changing and audience expectations evolving. It means constantly adjusting and staying agile. But the quality of the content and the impact on audiences makes it rewarding. Whether it’s scripted or non-scripted, there are amazing stories being told. We can see it in how much people talk about TV.”

Part of the challenge at the market is finding the hottest properties. “Anything with scale, known talent and gripping stories leads to high competition,” said Allan. “Premium dramas are always competitive and true crime has been a growing genre. The ABC acquires content to complement the commissioned slate. An example from earlier this year was the NZ drama After the Party, which received rave reviews and generated significant audiences on ABC iview.”

After the Party

Balancing the different options can be tricky.

“It’s about looking at how titles tie into the overall offering, building out genres and ensuring consistency. We ask ourselves -– will audiences enjoy it? Will the audience find it? Are the mechanics correct: price, date, rights? We are looking for projects where the story, topics and talent will cut through.”

Getting deals done can take time, explained Allan. “Every timeline is different. Some deals take days and others take months, depending on the complexity. As for how soon they appear on screen, it depends on if it’s a presale (buying ahead of the program being completed), when there will be a finished tape and when the commissioning broadcaster is putting the show to air.”

See also: Roberta Allen – ABC strategy behind the launch of ABC Family & ABC Entertains

Australia’s most prestigious media event, the Mediaweek 100 lunch, returns for 2024 at the Pearl Ballroom, Crown Sydney, on November 22.

The Mediaweek 100 celebrates the leaders who are at the top of their game, alongside the teams driving their success at Australia’s leading media companies.

After what has been a turbulent year, this annual event attracts the industry’s most influential people.

You can buy your tickets here. 

This year’s list is set to look quite different from previous years as there have been many big changes in the industry. In 2023, spots #1 and #2 were taken by former Seven CEO James Warburton and former Nine CEO Mike Sneesby, respectively and both are no longer in those roles. 

Warburton placed in the #5 spot on 2022’s list while Sneesby placed #1 that year.

Other execs who appeared in 2023’s top 10 lineup included Nova’s Peter Charlton, oOh!media’s Cathy O’Connor, Are Media’s Jane Huxley, Paramount’s Beverley McGarvey, ARN’s Ciaran Davis, SCA’s John Kelly, Foxtel’s Patrick Delany and News Corp’s Michael Miller.

See the full list of names for 2023 here.

James Warburton, former CEO of Seven West Media

You can view the full criteria and enter the Mediaweek 100 here.

While you don’t have to be nominated to make the list, our application portal is open to encourage submissions. 

KEY DATES

Submissions close: Tuesday, 12 November 2024 (11.59pm AEST)

Event Date: Friday, 22 November, 2024 (12pm AEST)
Location: Pearl Ballroom, Crown Sydney

Tickets are available here.

At Commercial Radio & Audio’s (CRA) event, The Audio Edge, Jo-Ann Foo, senior director, Analytic Partners, discussed how radio drove significant omnichannel uplift for brands like McDonald’s Australia and Dan Murphy’s. These case studies showcased the pivotal role brand-focused radio ads play in boosting campaign performance, transforming the media mix beyond traditional price-driven approaches.

CRA collaborated with Analytic Partners to conduct radio trials for McDonald’s Australia and Dan Murphy’s, measuring how the shift from value to brand messaging could amplify cross-channel impact. Both brands experienced compelling results that highlight radio’s ability to enhance synergy across media platforms. Particularly when paired with the use of consistent sonic assets.

McDonald’s Australia: Driving ROI Across Channels. For McDonald’s Australia, the trial focused on shifting to brand messaging within their Surprise Fries campaign. The result was a 13% boost in return on investment (ROI), with radio also lifting TV performance by 14%, social media by 12%, and online video by 3%. This demonstrated radio’s ability to amplify a brand’s message across multiple platforms.

Dan Murphy’s: Enhancing Synergy with Brand Radio. Dan Murphy’s, which had never run brand radio ads before, saw exceptional results by incorporating radio into its “Nobody Beats Dan Murphy’s” campaign. The trial produced a 19% boost in Out-of-Home (OOH) effectiveness, an 18% increase in TV impact, and a 14% uplift in online video performance, showing radio’s potential to enhance cross-channel performance.

Here are the highlights from Jo-Ann Foo’s presentation, in her own words:

“One of the key things that we wanted to have a look at was how did radio, the addition of more brand radio, add to the wider campaign. We saw a 13% uplift in overall performance with just a slight increase in brand radio.” [McDonald’s Australia results]

“Brand messaging outperforms performance messaging 80% of the time. Things like your big brand messages versus your value or promotional messages…This is consistent across markets globally.

“With Dan Murphy’s, we added radio to the mix, and similar to McDonald’s, the results were impressive. We saw a 19% uplift in Out-of-Home (OOH), an 18% increase in TV, and 14% in online video effectiveness.

“One of the things that we see consistently across market is the synergy radio creates. Multimedia campaigns, where radio is part of the mix, consistently deliver higher returns compared to single-channel approaches.

“Radio is accessible for most brands—it doesn’t require a huge investment, but it can really drive synergy across other channels. Incrementality is key, and radio brings that incremental reach to campaigns.”

Man of Many, Australia’s leading men’s lifestyle publication, celebrated a significant milestone by launching its first-ever Upfront event, themed Momentum on Tuesday.

The live-streamed event brought together industry partners to unveil an ambitious agenda for 2025, showcasing innovative offerings aimed at enhancing engagement and driving value for brands and media agencies eager to connect with discerning Australian audiences.

Frank Arthur, co-founder, Man of Many, said, “Momentum is about moving forward with purpose. This Upfront was our opportunity to commit to helping partners succeed in 2025.” Co-founder Scott Purcell emphasised the focus on creating impactful content and solutions that resonate with their audience’s interests.

Key Highlights from the 2025 Upfront:

Website relaunch: Set to debut later this month, the revamped website promises a transformative user experience with enhanced UX/UI features, improved content discovery, and richer advertising options tailored for targeted campaigns.

User sign-ins and premium memberships: A new streamlined sign-in system will be introduced, offering personalised profiles and exclusive content for subscribers, fostering deeper brand loyalty.

Advanced audience targeting: Leveraging advanced first-party data strategies, Man of Many will enable precise targeting through partnerships with platforms like LiveRamp and privacy-first technologies, ensuring secure and effective ad campaigns.

Innovative advertising solutions: The launch of advanced digital advertising tools will offer high-impact formats and refined targeting capabilities, all within a trusted brand-safe environment.

Flagship video content series: The original video series lineup for 2025 will provide brand partnership opportunities in key sectors like health, luxury, and automotive, complemented by a new Video Hub.

Quarterly digital editions: Following the success of previous editions, these will return in 2025, diving into major cultural themes with exclusive content and interviews.

Full-service branded content: Man of Many will expand its in-house production capabilities to deliver comprehensive branded content services, ensuring high-quality execution across all channels.

E-commerce enhancements: A new affiliate newsletter will bolster e-commerce capabilities, featuring exclusive discounts and curated shopping content to drive conversions.

Self-service platforms & reporting: Launching self-booking ad platforms and live reporting dashboards will simplify ad management and provide real-time insights for clients.

Introduction of podcasts: In 2025, Man of Many will venture into audio with a new podcast series, providing engaging content that aligns with its lifestyle themes.

Experiential activations: Building on the success of previous events, Man of Many will expand its in-person marketing initiatives, offering immersive brand activations throughout the year.

The publication reaches 2.5 million Australians across platforms like Apple News and Google News.

APRA AMCOS and the Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC) last night revealed winners for the 2024 Screen Music Awards. The annual event celebrates excellence in composition across the small and large screen.

Host Susie Youssef was joined at the Forum podium by co-presenters Elaine Crombie and Heather Mitchell.

Taking out Feature Film Score of the Year for the third time was Jed Kurzel with his composition from Monkey Man. He is a multi-award winner, with his score for Snowtown named Feature Film Score of the Year in 2011. He received his second win for Slow West in 2015.

The Best Music for Children’s Programming goes to composers Joff Bush, Jazz D’Arcy, Daniel O’Brien and Joe Twist for Bluey: The Sign. With the music for Bluey often described as the voice of the show itself, this season finale episode saw Bluey, Bingo and Chilli coming to terms with leaving their beloved family home and made headlines around the globe.

The new Emerging Screen Composer of the Year award was presented to Alex Olijnyk. With a background in contemporary classical and chamber music, Olijnyk specialises in multimedia/sensory works and blends orchestral elements with electronic textures, strong melodies and improvisation.

Composers Cezary Skubiszewski and Jan Skubiszewski have created the Best Music for a Television Drama for mystery drama series High Country. The award for Best Music for a Television Comedy went to Michael Yezerski for the series that is an irreverent reimagining of 1940s Australia, While the Men Are Away.

“Carry You” from RFDS is the Best Original Song Composed for the Screen, written by composers Amanda Brown, Damien Lane and David Lehā (Radical Son). First-time winner Stefan Gregory has created the original music for feature film The Rooster, which has taken out the Best Soundtrack Album.

Composer Piotr Nowotnik has received his first Screen Music Award for Best Music for a Documentary for War Tails, the extraordinary documentary that follows an intrepid animal rescue team amidst the Russia-Ukraine war, capturing the stark realities faced by volunteers rescuing animals on the front lines of conflict.

The successful music partnership of Adam Gock and Dinesh Wicks saw them receive three Screen Music Awards this year. Together they have been named Most Performed Screen Composer – Australia and Most Performed Screen Composer – Overseas for their scores spanning across television juggernauts Married at First Sight, MasterChef Australia, Stars on Mars and Travel Guides. Along with co-writers Anthony Ammar, David Bruggemann, Brontë Horder, David Huxtable, Richard LaBrooy, Adam Sofo, Mitch Stewart and Cassie To, Gock and Wicks have also won the inaugural award for Best Music for Unscripted & Reality Television Series for LEGO Masters.

The award for Best Music for an Advertisement was presented to Jeremy Richmond for Carlton Dry: Drylandia. Richmond’s music can be heard regularly on television and radio including work for Uber Eats, ANZ, NAB, Kit Kat, McDonald’s, Tourism Australia and NRMA.

The Distinguished Services to the Australian Screen Award went to writer, director and producer, Rachel Perkins, for her extraordinary contribution to film and television. The Award was presented by Missy Higgins, who, with the Screen Music Awards Orchestra, performed “Edge of Something” from Total Control (composed by Missy Higgins, Antony Partos and Matteo Zingales) in tribute to Perkins.

The Awards opened with a special musical tribute to the 2003 film, Japanese Story, with music composed by Elizabeth Drake. Erkki Veltheim led the Screen Music Awards Orchestra and the Consort of Melbourne to perform the four Feature Film Score of the Year nominated pieces, and the closing performance of the 2024 Screen Music Awards was “Carry You” from RFDS, performed by Radical Son.

Screen Music Awards complete list of winners

Feature Film Score of the Year

Title: Monkey Man
Composed by: Jed Kurzel
Published by: Universal/MCA Music Publishing

Emerging Composer of the Year

Alex Olijnyk

The team behind the music on Bluey: Joe, Joff, Jazz and Daniel

Best Music for Children’s Programming

Title: Bluey: The Sign
Composed by: Joff Bush, Jazz D’Arcy, Daniel O’Brien & Joe Twist
Published by: Universal Music Publishing

Best Music for a Documentary

Title: War Tails
Composed by: Piotr Nowotnik

Best Music for a Short Film

Title: Blame the Rabbit
Composed by: Michael Darren

Best Music for a Television Comedy

Title: While the Men Are Away: Furrowing the Fuhrer’s Brow!
Composed by: Michael Yezerski

Best Music for a Television Drama

Title: High Country: Season 1
Composed by: Cezary Skubiszewski & Jan Skubiszewski

Best Music for Unscripted & Reality Television Series

Title: LEGO Masters
Composed by: Adam Gock, Dinesh Wicks, Anthony Ammar, David Bruggemann, Brontë Horder, David Huxtable, Richard LaBrooy, Adam Sofo, Mitch Stewart, Cassie To
Published by: Universal Music Publishing obo Endomol Australia

Best Music for a Video Game or Other Interactive Media

Title: Solium Infernum
Composed by: Michael Allen

Best Opening Title Television Theme

Title: Night Bloomers
Composed by: Darren Lim

Best Original Song Composed for the Screen

Title: “Carry You” from RFDS
Composed by: Amanda Brown*, Damien Lane* & David Lehā
Published by: Kobalt Music Publishing obo Lillipilli IP*

Best Soundtrack Album

Title: The Rooster
Composed by: Stefan Gregory

Best Music for an Advertisement

Title: Carlton Dry: Drylandia
Composed by: Jeremy Richmond
Published by: Rumble Studios

Most Performed Screen Composer – Australia

Composers: Adam Gock & Dinesh Wicks
For: MasterChef Australia, Travel Guides, Married at First Sight 

See also: Listed for sale – Bluey’s iconic animated house

People have a higher sense of resilience, control and a greater sense of optimism to drive a desire for change, according to Havas’ 2024 Meaningful Brands survey.

The agency has measured Meaningful Brands since 2009 and Yannick Bolloré, chairman and CEO of Havas said: “We have been investing in our landmark Meaningful Brands study for more than 16 years, and these insights now take on even greater prominence in our work for clients through our shared Converged strategy and operating system.

“We launched Converged to transform the client experience by building even more strategic bridges between creativity, media, production, and technology, and a shared understanding of today’s consumers is essential to this vision and to unlocking more meaningful growth for our clients and their brands.”

 “The Rise of the Change Makers” survey, commissioned with YouGov, had more than 156,500 respondents. It found that while 70% of people feel the world is going in the wrong direction globally, 69% won’t let the tough times keep them down. Across 24 markets and more than 2,600 brands, 67% of respondents reported being happy today, and 59% felt optimistic about the future.

The Havas Meaningful Brands study revealed people are feeling more in control of their lives (56%) and have a strong sense of personal agency, with 69% trying to be physically and mentally healthy and 63% trying to be environmentally responsible. This spells the dawn of a New Era of Agency.

Mark Sinnock, Havas’ Global chief strategy, data and innovation officer, Havas Creative Network explained: “We’ve entered a New Era of Agency where the only way to survive is to adapt. We see people take a step forward. They still expect help, and consumer centricity from brands, but they also feel a new sense of optimism and empowerment to affect change and build the future they want.”

The study highlights the new times of hyper-change are affecting people in different ways. Havas distinguishes six different psychographic portraits to reveal how the desire and the need for change are manifesting across the general population – the Faces of Change. This illustrates a range of expectations for the changes people want to see in their lives, in society and for the planet.

This includes committed citizens, progressive optimists, carefree pragmatists, pressured advocates, challenged sceptics, and disengaged pessimists.

The report noted that while there are different ways to respond to adversity, the faces of change are united by the expectation for brands to act decisively, understand their personal needs, and, most importantly, put them in the driving seat.

The results revealed 73% of those surveyed believe brands should show more humanity and generosity when time are tough, 71% should do more for the good of society and the future of our planet, and 70% should improve support in local communities/causes.

Meanwhile, 68% of respondents said brands should help them save money, 63% said brands should make their day-to-day life easier, and 61% said they should help them save time.

The report also highlights key insights from their analysis of the Most Meaningful Brands in 2024. It concludes with five guiding principles for how brands can address people’s new expectations, empowering them to become Change Makers themselves:

• Invest in pragmatism to support essential needs of saving time/money and simplifying lives.
• Lead with tech optimism, yet also care and caution.
• Boost holistic health and quality of life across generations and populations.
• Promote purpose and the greater good with act and impact to drive change.
• Celebrate communities and foster connections for a more inclusive future.

Olly Taylor, chief strategy officer of Havas Creative Network Australia, said: “Rather than focusing on ‘changing the world,’ Australians are looking to improve their everyday lives. In a market dominated by duopolies and stifled by competition, the desire for change is turning into action.

“Across major categories—finance, auto, and retail—we see the rapid growth of brands successfully delivering a superior experience and better value to consumers. The growth of IKEA, BYD, Aldi, and Up Bank are prime examples.”

Kathleen Gunther has launched Gunther Consulting, a new fractional marketing service that empowers agencies and marketing partners to scale their brand presence and drive sustainable growth.

The consulting service, based in Melbourne, offers agencies and tech partners targeted, project-based strategies—delivering the impact of a seasoned marketing strategist, without the commitment of a full-time hire.

Gunther has over 20 years of experience building brands across Australia and New Zealand and held senior marketing roles at agencies including Omnicom, Social Soup, and YoungShand. She was most recently marketing director at ICON Communications.

Founder of Gunther Consulting, Gunther said: “Agencies, especially independents, rarely have the bandwidth or budget to focus on their own brand. This means they’re often missing the chance to stand out in a competitive market.

“As agencies face tighter budgets, the rise of in-house teams, and the growing influence of AI, many are embracing fractional and project-based work as a flexible solution. If you don’t invest in your brand at the top of the funnel, you’re left competing only on price.

“In B2B, creativity is more critical than ever, yet recent reports report found that 77% of B2B ads aren’t likely to drive business growth. Brand strategy and performance marketing need to work in tandem, or else performance marketing becomes just noise.”

“When brands try to be everything to everyone, they can lose their way,” added Gunther. “By leaning into the gig economy, I’m here to help agencies and marketing partners carve out a true point of difference.”

Gunther Consulting’s offer includes Competitor and Content Audits; Thought Leadership and Digital Marketing Strategies; Content Calendars and Social Strategies; and Custom Channel and Awards Planning. Her previous work contributed to nine Agency of the Year Awards and an ABA 100 Award for Business Excellence.

In addition to strategic direction, Gunther Consulting connects clients with top-tier content creators and industry partners to help bring their brand story to life, ensuring agencies have the tools to succeed without the need for sunk salary costs.

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Top image: Kathleen Gunther

Priceline Pharmacy has unveiled a new visual identity, in partnership with strategic and design agency, Houston Group, which embodies the retailer’s refreshed brand strategy marking a new chapter for the Wesfarmers Health retailer.

The new brand positioning, the heart of health and beauty, celebrates Priceline Pharmacy’s combination of health expertise and beauty experience – and is underpinned by exceptional value. Pharmacists have always been the heart of their local communities playing a critical role in their customers lives, offering customer service and care from the heart– and now the Priceline Pharmacy brand promises to make customers feel great from the inside out and the outside in.

The refresh modernises the iconic elements of the current brand – the pink colour, the graphic language and is spearheaded by a new logo featuring a stylised ‘heart and cross’, with the green cross synonymous with pharmacy as a community health hub.

“Priceline has been a major player in the Australian pharmacy market for decades, it’s been an exciting process to leverage their strong heritage and evolve their positioning and brand assets to ensure continued future success,” said Stuart O’Brien, founder and CEO of Houston Group.

Wesfarmers Health’s head of retail marketing, Corrina Brazel said, “This rejuvenation of the brand reflects our position as a leading health and beauty retailer with new and exclusive products and exceptional Pharmacist-led services.

“Nobody else in the market offers the combination of health expertise and beauty experience – at an affordable price point – that Priceline Pharmacy does.

“Priceline is known for its network of 1400 Pharmacists and we also have Beauty Advisors in every store who are highly trained and skilled, so customers are given a high level of service,” she concluded.

Credits:

Houston Group
Stuart O’Brien – Founder and CEO
Cara Meade – Executive Strategy Director
Alex Toohey – Executive Creative Director 
Kyle De Raedt – Group Account Director 
Michelle Teh – Design Director 
Hamish McRae – Designer

Priceline Pharmacy
Corrina Brazel – Head of Retail Marketing 
Sophie Harris – Senior Manager – Brand
Grace Eadie – Senior Manager, Marketing
Brooke Thomas – Marketing Manager, Campaigns
Paige Skelley – Brand Manager

72andSunny have teamed up with Peach PRC to take on an Aussie bush doof in a TikTok content series to launch and demonstrate the new Google app features for iOS.

In the series, audiences follow PeachPRC as she navigates the cultural nuances of her first Bush doof with the help of the Google app.

The TikTok campaign aims to promote Google’s range of new features such as Google Gemini AI, Google Lens and Google Hum to Search. The hyper-local 6-part social video series tapped into doofing culture, popular with Aussie Gen Z audiences.

Fans followed Peach on every step of her doof journey, from designing a doof stick to translating doof trolleys to finding a song with just a hum, thanks to the help of clever new Google Gemini technology.

This unexpected pairing, or as fans have coined it: ‘The crossover I couldn’t have imagined in my wildest dreams’, has been a social success story for Google, building momentum with Peach PRC’s audience and beyond. Not only have fans internationally been positively engaging with the series, but they’ve also been generating their social content to add to the conversation around Peach PRC’s Google bush doof story.

“To resonate with Gen Z, a typically cynical and anti-ad audience, we had to play into their culture with a surprising IYKYK set up and find a creator that speaks to them, giving them a relatable and authentic reason to use the new Google search features,” Shadi Sarreshtehdarzadeh, strategy lead 72andSunny, said.

Leah Ferris, head of consumer marketing – YouTube, Apps and Platforms Google Australia, said: “Right from the start, it was important that the content produced met young Australians in conversations they were already having, on platforms they were already on.

“With this content series, we’re proud to continue partnering with local artists, like Peach PRC, to demonstrate the everyday helpfulness of the Google App on iPhone amongst the backdrop of a hyper local rite of passage.”

The campaign follows 72andSunny’s recent campaign for Google Pixel featuring former AFL star, Nic Naitanui.

See also: Nic Naitanui fronts Google Pixel 9 campaign by 72andSunny