By Bruno Rodriguez, Head of Organic, Orange Line

Soon Google will begin testing its AI overviews in Australia, and marketers are eager to see how it will shake up the search landscape. After being trialled and rolled out in other markets, including the U.S. and UK, Australians will experience this feature for the first time.

Having worked with global and US brands like Skyscanner, ClassPass, AWS, and Clio over the last two years, I’ve seen first-hand the impact of AI overviews.

Here’s what I wish I had known before they launched.

A rocky rollout

When Google first rolled out its AI overviews in the U.S., it was rocky. From offering strange recommendations like telling users to eat glue, to providing confusing answers, Google struggled to deliver the level of accuracy and clarity expected from a company handling 8.5 billion searches daily. They also failed to anticipate the intense scrutiny from the SEO and publishing industries, both sectors wasting no time in highlighting AI’s most disastrous missteps.

Google’s AI overhaul

After those initial issues, Google scaled back AI overviews to a single-digit percentage of queries. Ultimately, they changed how AI snippets work: they now overlap almost entirely with first-page results, often just paraphrasing what’s already there. In this way, AI overviews aren’t that different from existing formats like featured snippets. This also means that if you want to perform well in AI overviews, you need to rank well in organic SEO.

One consequence of Google’s more cautious approach is that AI overviews are now primarily seen in informational queries—when users are seeking general knowledge, how-to guides, or insights. They appear much less frequently in topics like news, politics, finance, and health. This trend will likely be replicated in Australia, meaning the finance, news, and health industries won’t need to worry about AI overviews for now.

SEO is still king

In the world of SEO, there’s an old adage that everything changes, but everything stays the same. While AI overviews may increase the number of zero-click searches (which is already at 60%), they’re not about to rewrite the entire playbook. Organic search is still the biggest driver of website traffic.

What AI overviews do introduce are fresh elements on the interface and a new battleground for brands to compete in. But ultimately, the formula for success will still come down to ranking well organically—through the tried-and-true principles of good content, authority, and user experience.

How can Australian brands prepare?

• SEO is still a brand’s top priority: Brands that don’t perform well in SEO won’t perform well in AI overviews. There are no shortcuts here.
• Start tracking AI-driven traffic: Brands should ensure they are tracking traffic from AI, chatbots, and LLMs. Australian brands have been generating traffic, leads, and sales from these for some time now. There are easy guides available to help you set up tracking.
• Content should serve brand narrative: Informational content is most valuable when it aligns with the brand’s narrative, not when it exists just for the sake of it. If it doesn’t tell a story, it won’t stick.
• Be part of the conversation: Third parties are already part of the conversation about brands or industries. From listicles and rankings to Reddit and Quora, discussions, influencing these spaces will allow brands to shape the content that LLMs use for training.

Stay agile, stay ahead

While the upcoming launch of Google AI overviews in Australia offers new opportunities, it also demands that brands remain agile and alert to shifts in search behaviour. Brands that can stay agile, focus on a robust organic search strategy, and adapt to new AI features will be the ones that thrive.

–

Top image: Bruno Rodriguez

Today marks the end of another big week for radio. Following the release of the radio ratings for GfK Survey 6, 2024, Mediaweek has covered the results in every metro market for every commercial radio station. We have also tracked the key movers on ABC Radio.

This week has also seen deeper dives into the results for broadcasters Nine Radio, Nova Entertainment brands Nova and Smooth plus ARN.

To wrap the week we detail SCA’s record-breaking demo win and share some sector statistics.

Winners at SCA include breakfasts at Fox, B105 and Triple M Adelaide

The Fox again has Melbourne’s #1 FM breakfast show as it ranks the most-listened-to station. B105 can boast #1 station, breakfast and drive.

At the Triple M network, Adelaide is again the market’s #1 breakfast.

The combination and Hit and Triple M in metro secures SCA a record-breaking 26th consecutive win of the 25-54 demographic.

SCA’s Hit Network was again #1 for women 25-54, while the Triple M network was #1 men 25-54.

SCA’s Hit and Triple M metro station wins

#1 Melbourne FM Breakfast show – The Fox’s Fifi, Fev & Nick
#1 Brisbane Station, Breakfast show and Drive show – B105, Stav, Abby & Matt, Carrie & Tommy
#1 and #2 Brisbane radio stations – B105 and Triple M Brisbane
#1 Adelaide Breakfast show – Triple M Adelaide’s Roo, Ditts & Loz

The coverage of AFL and NRL continues to win for Triple M

#1 reach in AFL and NRL and #1 AFL broadcast in metro markets, reaching 700,000 P10+ across the weekend in Melbourne, Adelaide & Perth.

#1 AFL broadcast in metro markets, reaching 424,000 P25-54 across the weekend in Melbourne, Adelaide & Perth.

#1 NRL reach for P10+, reaching 376,000 and #1 NRL reach for P25-54, reaching 183,000.

SCA chief content officer Dave Cameron, said this week: “Today’s incredible result confirms that the Melbourne market has now settled, with the re-crowning of the local and lovable powerhouse of Fifi, Fev & Nick as Melbourne’s indisputable number one FM breakfast show.

“This show remains unwavering on creating joyful, Melbourne-focused and family-friendly fun, and Melbourne listeners have decisively responded by making the show number one again.

“SCA also continues to dominate the breakfast shift elsewhere, with the brilliant Stav, Abby & Matt on B105 remaining Brisbane’s number one Breakfast show, and Triple M Adelaide’s Roo, Ditts & Loz continuing their record-winning number one streak.

“Triple M Perth has also achieved its highest result ever, driven by another increase at Breakfast from Xav & Michelle.

“SCA’s strong breakfast and drive shows have continued to drive a dominant 25-54 ‘audience that matters’ result nationally, maintaining significant leadership over our competitors in this commercially critical demographic for our advertising clients.

SCA podcasting and commercial appeal

Cameron added: “Hamish & Andy, as Australia’s number one podcast, completes the set of audience-loved shows across the nation, which continues to engage Australia’s biggest 25-54 audience that matters.”

SCA chief commercial officer, Seb Rennie, said: “SCA remains the clear leader as the #1 home of the audience that matters – 25-to-54-year-olds, as proven once again by today’s results.

“Combined with our growing SCA-ACE represented metro stations, the metro 25-54 commercial audience share is market leading at 35.3%, ahead of our nearest competition by 8.5 share points.

“SCA’s in-depth understanding of the commercially critical buying demographic is evident of why we have dominated for 26 surveys in a row.”

CRA’s Lizzie Young

CRA this week released sector statistics

The latest GfK Survey 6, 2024, shows commercial radio reaches 12.3 million weekly listeners, with average time spent listening (TSL) holding steady compared to last survey at 12 hours and 51 minutes. Younger audiences continue to fuel this growth, with a 2.1% rise among 18-24-year-olds year-on-year and a 2.3% increase for 25-39-year-olds year-on-year.

Breakfast radio draws over 8.6 million listeners each week, listening for 3 hours and 40 minutes. In-car listening climbed 3.3% to surpass 10 million weekly listeners, while at-work listening increased average time spent listening by a full hour year-on-year to 12 hours and 29 minutes.

“These results prove radio continues to connect with audiences anytime, anywhere. As listening habits diversify, our growth reflects the industry’s creativity and commitment to ensuring commercial radio remains a dynamic and trusted source of education and entertainment,” said Lizzie Young, CRA’s chief executive officer.

The watching brief at the Nova network for many this year has been Nova 100 breakfast. It’s been the story of a remarkable turnaround.

Having a look at the big picture has been good too. This was the message from Nova Entertainment chief executive Peter Charlton on survey day:

“To be able to say that Nova Entertainment has achieved the highest total audience of any metro network in every survey of 2024 is not something we take for granted. With Smooth FM achieving the #1 FM station in Melbourne and Nova maintaining the most breakfast listeners of any metro network are further proof points that we’re doing the right things.

“Our all-of-audio strategy continues to resonate with both audiences and commercial partners, something further demonstrated by [the Survey 6] results. Our teams across the country should be exceptionally proud of their work so far this year, and we move towards the end of the year more motivated and more ambitious than ever.”

To dive into the specific results, Mediaweek spoke with group programming director Brendan Taylor. We started at Nova 100.

“Jase and Lauren are four surveys in and they continue to perform really well. It’s a very competitive market as well all know and they are pulling a share of 9.6%.” When Taylor first scheduled the former KIIS breakfast team, the idea that the show could boast close to 10% of the overall Melbourne audience in such a short period of time would have seemed overly ambitious.

“We did have expectations, and what they have done is just so pleasing. We’re very happy for the team who have worked so hard.”

See also: Smooth FM – Radio’s quite achiever makes a lot of noise for the listeners across Australia

Nova Survey 6 highlights

• Nova is the most popular network for breakfast with more listeners than any other metro network (2,167,000 cume)
• Nova’s Ricki-Lee, Tim & Joel the #1 drive show (4-6pm) in Australia with a 10.9% share and is the most popular with 1.425m listeners (cume)
• Nova’s Smallzy’s Surgery the #1 Evenings show (8-10pm) in Australia with share of 8.1% and is the most popular with 362,000 listeners (cume)
• Nova’s The Chrissie Swan Show the most popular afternoons show (2-4pm) in Australia with cume of 1.286m listeners
• Nova’s Ben, Liam & Belle the most popular late drive show (6-8pm) in Australia with a cume of 691,000 listeners

In Sydney, Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie has a strong cume, but Taylor noted converting some of those listeners to spend more time with the show would boost the share. “We have to ride the highs and lows of survey. This now gives us a target for the last two surveys of the year.”

Fitzy, Wippa and Kate. Top: Nova’s other breakfast shows Jase and Lauren, Ash, Luttsy & Susie O’Neill, Jodie & Hayesy and Nathan, Nat & Shaun

All metro markets are a battle for broadcasters, none more so than Brisbane. “There continues to only be a handful of share points between us all,” said Taylor. There are now five Brisbane stations fighting for top spot. The latest arrival in the lead pack is 4BH where BBQ Bob Gallagher and ACE Radio are helping reshape the market. Nova has slipped to #4 which is not a comfortable spot for the broadcaster. However, in cume, Nova ranks #1.

Taylor noted at the start of each day, Nova ranks #2 in share. “In breakfast, Ash, Luttsy and Susie are well positioned as is the station overall where it has the most listeners. A similar story for us there, we have the audience listening, we just need to focus on driving the connection with the audience to improve TSL.”

Nova Adelaide too has strong cume. “It is the most-listened-to breakfast show. They have only had a handful of surveys and they have all been very competitive results.

“The producers have really doubled down on that show in recent times and they have helped develop the chemistry between Jodie and Hayesy. For what is really still a new breakfast show to be winning the demos under 50 is impressive.”

It’s been a while since Nova wasn’t #1 10+ in Perth. Taylor was speaking from the West on this survey day. “They are not asking me back in a hurry,” he joked about the survey result.

While 96FM might be #1 this survey, Nova’s Nathan, Nat and Shaun have kept Nova on top at breakfast.

“We do want to get back to #1 of course though. I’m convinced we continue to have a great team and a great environment for that to happen.”

See also:
Complete coverage of radio ratings for Survey 6, 2024 in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
Every commercial station in every market.

ABC Radio Sydney breakfast host Craig Reucassel (pictured above) used to be best known for his TV work door-stopping politicians with tricky questions as part of The Chaser. On radio he was first heard on Triple J drive and then later worked across a number of timeslots The Chaser filled during their years with Triple M.

Reucassel’s to transition to a slightly more serious broadcasting career included hosting Lune Media’s War on Waste.

His post-Triple M radio career blossomed with the appointment as the breakfast host at ABC Radio Sydney.

The ratings results for his first year on air have trended higher in GfK radio ratings for Survey 6, 2024.

Reucassel’s breakfast is now #4 overall in the Sydney market on an improved share of 9.1% with the station growing too. If there is a soft spot at the Sydney station it is the daytime listening where share bobs around 5% until the evening when the number climbs back close to 9%.

Adelaide ABC breakfast hosts Sonya Feldhoff and Jules Schiller

Sonya and Jules stay strong in Adelaide

Elsewhere at the broadcaster this radio survey, breakfast grew in Perth for the third consecutive survey while the Adelaide and Brisbane programs rank #1 for AM talk.

There is plenty of room for growth in Perth though where the station was competing for top spot in years gone by.

In Adelaide breakfast, Sonya Feldhoff and Jules Schiller were the subject of questions about the decision to send the newish breakfast duo to Paris during the Olympic Games. The audience didn’t seem to mind. The show has kept its strong share above 11%, ranking #2 in the market again and holding above Fiveaa’s David and Will.

ABC breakfast audiences were down at ABC Melbourne and ABC Brisbane.

With a focus on delivering audiences across all platforms, the ABC has noted it remains the #1 streaming network across metro markets with a share of 26.1%, a modest increase of 0.2 this survey.

See also: Shock radio change: James Valentine quits ABC Sydney breakfast slot after just two years

Mediaweek’s Media Movers charts the biggest people moves in the industry over the past week.

The Seven Network has appointed Majella Hay to the new role of director of content, unscripted.

Hay will report to Seven’s chief content officer, Brook Hall, and will work closely with the network’s director of production operations Andrew Backwell; director of content, scripted, Julie McGauran; and head of production Mandy Roberts.

Majella Hay

IPG Mediabrands Australia has appointed Harry Preston, the current national general manager of Hogarth, as managing director of MBCS Australia.

This announcement follows the appointment of Olivia Warren, managing director MBCS Australia, as global managing director of Traverse32 IPG’s independent development and production studio headquartered in New York.

Foxtel Media has promoted Rachel Miller to head of Sydney sales, to lead the strategic direction for the company’s largest market.

A seasoned veteran of Australia’s media industry, Miller has previously held senior roles at Fairfax Media and Network Ten throughout her 20-year career.

Ashleigh Carter

Atomic 212° has promoted Ashleigh Carter to the new role of general manager, Sydney.
 
Carter joined the independent media agency as media manager from MediaCom Australia in 2014. She was appointed media director in 2015, group account director in 2017 and head of client services in 2022.
 
CarExpert has completed a restructure of its editorial and content team that company CEO, Damon Rielly, says underscores CarExpert’s unique proposition as a “content-led marketplace for new cars”.
 
Filling the newly-created director of editorial content role is Matt Buchanan, an award-winning editorial director and journalist.
 
Marton Pettendy – formerly the managing editor at Carsales – has commenced in the role of managing editor at CarExpert, bringing over 30 years of automotive journalism experience to CarExpert.
 
Further to the new appointments, CarExpert has also promoted from within with James Wong, who assumes the role of marketplace editor and is tasked with leading the business’ continued expansion into content that drives new car sales.

Matt Buchanan & Marton Pettendy

Robbie Brammall has announced his departure from Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) after eight years as its director of marketing and communications.
 
The role saw him run 30 creatively motivated brands for art collector David Walsh, including the Museum of Old and New Art, Mofo festival, Moo Brew brewery, three wineries, four restaurants, eight bars, a fleet of ferries with fibreglass animals for seats, a recording studio with the original mixing desk from Abbey Road, a luxury hotel, and several eComm businesses.
 
Guardian Australia has appointed Shannon Hollis as its new head of advertising. Hollis brings over 15 years of advertising experience across various media organisations, including a background in international markets, having worked in London.
 
News Corp Australia’s client partnerships division has announced three newly created leadership roles within its client growth and experience team.
 
National head of digital, Jessica Gilby, has been promoted to national head of retail & digital growth. Group sales director, Emily Ross, has stepped up to national head of travel. Client solutions director, Brittany Daniel, has been elevated to group industry lead for Health, Wellness & Beauty. 

Steph Balme and Kate Boekhorst

Amplify has appointed Steph Balme and Kate Boekhorst to the newly created roles of senior business directors.
 
Balme and Boekhorst join the global creative agency from recent lengthy stints working in the UK, and their remit will be to oversee all senior client relationships.
 
Seven has appointed Erin Edwards as Brisbane and Gold Coast news director, effective 2025.
 
Reporting to Seven Network’s director of news and current affairs and Seven West Media editor-in-chief Anthony De Ceglie, Edwards will be responsible for the editorial and managerial leadership of the Brisbane and Gold Coast newsrooms.
 
The Seven Network has announced expert commentator and St Kilda FC great, Nick Riewoldt, will join Seven’s AFL coverage in 2025.
 
A statement from Seven noted the 336 gamer and six-time Trevor Barker Award winner is set to return home to Australian shores and will be part of the 7AFL team for season 2025 and beyond, featuring across Seven’s weekly AFL match broadcasts and soon-to-be-announced mid-week programming.

Kiri Johnston

Content and creative agency Style Media has announced the appointment of Kiri Johnston as the new editor of Style magazine.
 
The publishers are looking for a fresh perspective and bold energy in a new chapter for the Brisbane-based monthly lifestyle publication.
 
Johnston is returning to the family business. She grew up alongside the family-owned Style since its inception 23 years ago as the daughter of founders Tracy Sinclair and Paul Johnston.

Unmasking success: The Raw and Real Journeys of Todays Leaders

“Every piece of content from high profile leaders today screams success.  From the keynote stage. From the competitive business pitch” – LinkedIn.

Mediaweek’s new podcast “Uncomfortable Growth® Uncut” with Rowena Millward is a space where we strip away the gloss and perfection, diving into the gritty reality of what it means to grow, lead, and live authentically. We explore the pivotal moments that test us to our core, the times when everything feels uncertain, and the only way forward is to dig deep and find the courage to keep going.

Which is why every guest on the Uncomfortable Growth Uncut podcast gets asked the same question: What is your Uncomfortable Growth® story?

Its unscripted. Unrehearsed. What they say is unknown (even to us!). It can be about anything: work, life, relationships, failures, business and family.  It’s about the real story, and what they have learnt as they have navigated the twists and turns of real life.

This first series invites 10 incredible, high profile Media Industry Leaders to share their Uncomfortable Growth® story. You will already know their names and now you have the chance to hear their backstory, and how this has shaped them.

Episode 1 | The Power of Resilience: A CEO’s Journey through Loss and Leadership

In our first episode, we sit down with Aimee Buchanan CEO of GroupM Australia and New Zealand for an intimate conversation about the personal trials and triumphs that have shaped her into the leader she is today. Aimee shares her most uncomfortable growth stories, from the loss of her mother as a child to her rise through the ranks of the media industry. This episode is a powerful reminder of the strength and resilience we can find within ourselves during life’s most challenging moments. Tune in and be inspired by Aimee’s journey of transformation and success.

New episodes of Uncomfortable Growth® Uncut drop weekly and are available to stream across all major audio networks. 

Subscribe now

Coming next on Uncomfortable Growth Uncut

The world doesn’t need more stories of success; it needs real conversations about resilience, vulnerability, and the human spirit’s incredible capacity to turn trials into triumphs.

That’s why the Uncomfortable Growth Uncut podcast was born. It’s a reminder that struggle and success are intrinsically linked, that growth is rarely easy, and that the moments we feel most uncomfortable are often where our greatest breakthroughs lie. 

Learn more about Uncomfortable Growth here.

Next week’s episode:

Episode 2: Marc Coad, CEO, Mediabrands – Uncomfortable Lessons

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.

Benny Moore, creative director – SKMG

I’m currently sitting at a cafe in Hongdae, Seoul. Sipping quietly and typing furiously, I’m re-writing this at the last minute because I have just seen a piece of advertising that has made me question everything I know or was ever taught about advertising. 

You see, I had settled on the classic 1990s Kraft Peanut Butter “Never Oily, Never Dry” ad. Not because it was my favourite ad but because at the time it was running, I was picked up by an Uber driver named John who was once the head suit of the agency that created it. 

Long retired from agency land, John cast his memory back and went into acute detail about the huge media spends, production blow outs, endless rounds of client approvals and revisions, and countless print and outdoor executions to run alongside the famous TV spot. 

I was going to make a point about the battles creatives and agencies face in trying to get the best work out into the world, and that great work often takes an army of people to pull it off.

Then I saw an ad that changed everything. 

It’s a cardboard box, taped to a wall with masking tape, advertising a gig at the Macaroni Funky Club. It’s strategically placed out the front of said Macaroni Funky Club.

The ad is drawn with a black Sharpie and ticks a lot of the best-practice design boxes along the way: obvious hierarchy and clear call to action, with the exception of one typo, quickly fixed with more masking tape. It’s the best piece of creative outdoor advertising I have ever seen. 

No print ready checks, no ensuring the PDF is setup to CMYK and 300dpi resolution specs. No approvals. No feedback. No worries.

And most importantly, the ad worked. I’m heading there tonight. 

–

Top image: Benny Moore, Julie Herczeg and Tim Kirby.

For business leaders ready to take action, AFFINITY has launched a whitepaper titled, ‘Preparing for Australia’s Privacy Act Reforms.’

With this, AFFINITY aims to assist businesses with the knowledge and tools to turn regulatory compliance into a growth opportunity, as the first set of reforms is expected to take effect in early 2025.

The whitepaper highlights two dates in Australia’s privacy reform timeline: 

• 12 September 2024: The first reforms were introduced into the House of Representatives
• Mid-2025: The anticipated date for the second tranche of reforms

AFFINITY stresses that the upcoming changes to Australia’s Privacy Act, much like the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), will require businesses to re evaluate their handling of customer data.

However, those prepared to adapt can leverage these reforms as an opportunity to build trust and fuel business growth. AFFINITY, in partnership with Anisimoff Legal, outlines a detailed strategy that integrates privacy-by-design principles, helping companies to ensure compliance while unlocking new avenues for growth.

“Australia’s Privacy Act reforms are a game-changer for businesses, much like GDPR was for Europe,” said Luke Brown, CEO, AFFINITY Group.

“We see these changes not as a burden but as an opportunity for businesses to innovate and differentiate themselves by prioritising consumer trust. Those who prepare now will be in a prime position to capitalise on the evolving privacy landscape.”

Key takeouts of the whitepaper:

• Stricter consent requirements: Under the new reforms, businesses will need to secure clear, informed, and specific consent for data usage, marking a significant shift from previous standards.
• Children’s online privacy code: Special rules will be introduced to protect children’s data, limiting what they can access and how their information can be used online.
• Automated decision-making transparency: Businesses will face new requirements for greater transparency and accountability in the collection and use of personal information for automated decisions.
• Impacts on direct marketing and targeted advertising: Stricter regulations are expected to disrupt data-driven marketing practices, requiring businesses to explore alternatives like contextual targeting.

The full Privacy Act whitepaper can be found here.

Taboola has partnered with programmatic advertising consultancy Jounce Media to verify that the Taboola Select publisher network is free from Made for Advertising (MFA) properties.

Taboola Select is a curated selection of highly visible and brand-safe placements on just 15 per cent of its most premium publishers, allowing advertisers to drive performance-focused campaigns.

Among its top partnerships are top publisher properties, including Yahoo, Business Insider, and The Associated Press.

A substantial portion of advertising dollars is spent on Made for Advertising sites, with 15 per cent of ad spend classified as MFA, according to data from the Association of National Advertisers.

Through this new partnership with Jounce Media, the platform will utilise Jounce’s MFA-detection technology and data, alongside proprietary machine learning models and procedures, to guarantee the exclusion of MFA publishers from Taboola Select.

“Made For Advertising supply undermines advertiser trust in the open internet and siphons ad spend from reputable publishers,” said Chris Kane, president of Jounce Media.

“Taboola’s decision to package its most premium supply in the Taboola Select network and to use Jounce data to ensure the marketplace is MFA-free is a positive step that serves both marketers and publishers.”

“Advertisers deserve access to premium, brand safe and effective publishers to run their campaigns,” said Adam Singolda, CEO and founder at Taboola.

“Taboola has been on the forefront of providing this access, through our immense scale with trusted publishers. Adding the expertise and guidance of Jounce is yet another vote of confidence in our ability to connect advertisers with consumers in premium destinations,” he added.

In August, Taboola expanded the availability of its performance advertising-focused bidding technology, Maximize Conversions, to all advertisers.

The AI-powered technology, designed to optimise marketing objectives within advertisers’ budgets, automates the manual bidding process for campaigns.

See also: Taboola expands AI-powered bidding tech to all advertisers

Social Soup has announced a new partnership with Treasury Wine Estates’ wine brand, 19 Crimes.

Inspired by the men and women who committed one of the 19 petty crimes which would see them sentenced to banishment to Australia from the UK, 19 Crimes wine celebrates the rules these characters broke and the culture they built.

Social Soup and 19 Crimes’ three-part campaign will be carried out across four months in a creatively-led influence strategy designed to embed the brand into culture and drive overall brand growth.

The creators – referred to as the 19 Crimes “Rebels in Crime” – have each been carefully selected based on how intricately they align with the brand’s ethos, as well as their ability to influence their audiences on and offline. From musicians to DJs to artists, each “culture setter” will bring their own spin to the brief, integrating 19 Crimes into their everyday lives while sharing their favourite tipple at their own gigs and events.

The first burst of activity runs from September to October, with a limited Halloween collection that will feature Universal Monsters characters on the glow in the dark bottles. November will mark the start of the second wave of the campaign with the release of Snoop Dogg Cali Blanc, a new Sauvignon Blanc. With December comes the third and final burst with a special Christmas celebration.

Social Soup founder and chief executive officer, Sharyn Smith, said: “We are so excited to be working with 19 Crimes on this campaign. We had a lot of fun working together on how it will come to life and really cause a stir.

“Social Soup’s strength lies in creating bespoke brand and influencer strategies. This marks the first time 19 Crimes has engaged with micro influencers for a brand ambassador-style creator partnership. While it requires more time and strategy to execute, we have found some incredible ‘rebels’ and we expect to see some truly out of-the-box creator content.”

19 Crimes senior PR and partnerships manager ANZ, Zoë Tostevin, said: “We are thrilled to be launching some new, special edition wines and to do so with Social Soup, which understands the brand and the ethos extremely well. We can’t wait to see the campaign over the coming months, how it will bring the 19 Crimes brand to life and the results it will spark.”

Rocket Agency has been appointed as the digital agency for the surf park company URBNSURF.

The partnership will see the digital marketing agency take oversee all performance marketing and digital media channels as Urnbsurf seeks to expand its customer base and establish the brand as a go-to destination for both beginner and experienced surfers.

Rocket will manage the surf park company’s digital media mix, including Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Social Media Ads, TikTok, YouTube, Display, and Programmatic advertising.

URBNSURF offers Australia’s only surf parks, where guests can catch ocean-like waves day or night without the need for long drives to the coast, battling crowds, or dealing with unsuitable surfing conditions, including ocean nasties.

Rocket Agency team

James Lawrence, co-founder of Rocket Agency, said: “URBNSURF is one of the most exciting brands in the country at the moment. They are a pioneer of a new form of leisure and entertainment category. The launch of their Sydney location in May was a huge milestone and this summer is going to be huge for them. This is only the start.”

“From the moment we met the Urnbsurf team, we knew there was a great fit. They are smart, driven, open-minded, and down-to-earth. We can’t wait to get started and have as many Australians as possible experience their incredible product”, Lawrence added.

Hayley Wallace, head of marketing at URBNSURF, said: “We are thrilled to have Rocket Agency on board. Their approach to performance marketing and track record in solving similar challenges for other brands made them stand out during the bid process. We look forward to partnering with Rocket to engage more Australians and continue growing the URBNSURF community.”

Earlier this year, Enigma’s Property and Place division unveiled bespoke wayfinding and signage for Sydney’s URBNSURF ahead of its opening at Sydney Olympic Park.

See also: Enigma launches signage for Sydney surf park, URBNSURF

McDonald’s and brand experience and innovation agency Akcelo have launched an integrated brand campaign for the release of the Grimace Shake in Australia celebrating the unlikely superstardom of its humble and lovable VIP.

The ‘Very Important Purple’ campaign goes all-in on the fandom and hype surrounding Grimace and his Shake, by giving the iconic mascot a Down Under welcome fit for a rockstar.

Amanda Nakad, marketing director for McDonald’s Australia, said: “Grimace has been making fuzzy waves around the globe and now it’s our turn to celebrate. The Grimace Shake is fun, vibrant and bursting with flavour.

“It’s a tribute to Grimace and the joy he’s brought to Macca’s fans over the years. So buckle up – we’re finally giving Aussies what they’ve been waiting for and we know they’re going to LOVE it.”

In partnership with OMD, the campaign kicked off with a teaser announcement at last weekend’s AFL Grand Final and a baggage carousel takeover at Sydney Airport.

This Friday, Grimace’s purple reign will truly hit the stratosphere as the Shake becomes available in restaurants nationwide, supported by an exciting multi-channel campaign across TV, Cinema, Digital, OOH, Social, In-restaurant Experience, Activations, CRM, Influencer and PR.

Oskar Westerdal, creative partner at Akcelo, said: “Macca’s fans of every generation adore Grimace, so his arrival here is a big deal. With this campaign we’ve captured the unfiltered excitement of the Aussie public and Macca’s own crew, a feeling beautifully brought to life by India Harris (Rabbit) and Juliet Taylor (Pool Collective), and all our production partners.”

Aden Hepburn, CEO of Akcelo, added: “This project has brought so much joy to every corner of Akcelo. From our restaurant experience and packaging design team, to our strategists, creatives and producers – everyone simply can’t help but love Grimace, and we are thrilled to have been tasked with creating this incredible campaign in his name.”

Credits:

Client: McDonald’s Australia
Chief Customer Officer: Chris Brown
Marketing Director: Amanda Nakad
Senior Brand Manager: Maxine Netrayana
Assistant Brand Manager: Samantha Lau

Creative Agency: Akcelo
Group Creative Director: Louise McQuat
Creative Partner: Oskar Westerdal
Creative Team: Ilya Aronovich & Misha McDonald, Brandon Piggott & Justin Borromei Account Management: Max Bennett, Lea Nguyen & April Tunstall
Senior Producer: Stephanie Ceccaldi & Edward Krause
Creative Lead, Restaurant Experience: Paul Critchley
Design & Motion: Dan Martin, Stephen Au & Benny O’Shea
Chief Strategy Officer: Dave Di Veroli
Strategist: Sarah Tan
Chief Executive Officer: Aden Hepburn

Production:
Director: India Harris, Rabbit
Producer: Karen Bryson, Rabbit
Post: The Editors
Sound: Rumble Studios
Photography: Juliet Taylor, The Pool Collective

Media: OMD
PR & Influencer: Mango
CRM: Digitas

Wednesday 2 October 2024: VOZ Total TV Ratings Overnight Top 30 – Programs ranked on reach

Total People TV Ratings

Nine’s The Block recorded a total TV national reach of 1,825,000, a total TV national audience of 993,000, and a BVOD audience of 148,000.

Nine’s 9News recorded a total TV national reach of 1,980,000, a total TV national audience of 1,164,000, and a BVOD audience of 95,000.

Nine’s Human Error recorded a total TV national reach of 1,210,000, a total TV national audience of 433,000, and a BVOD audience of 44,000.

Seven’s Home & Away recorded a total TV national reach of 1,333,000, a total TV national audience of 862,000, and a BVOD audience of 112,000.

Also on Seven, Seven News recorded a total TV national reach of 2,060,000, a total TV national audience of 1,296,000, and a BVOD audience of 68,000.

10’s airing of Thank God You’re Here recorded a total TV national reach of 1,026,000, a total TV national audience of 557,000, and a BVOD audience of 29,000.

People 25-54

Nine’s The Block:
• Total TV nation reach: 677,000
• National Audience: 417,000
• BVOD Audience: 90,000

Nine’s 9News:
• Total TV nation reach: 579,000
• National Audience: 314,000
• BVOD Audience: 49,000

10’s Thank God You’re Here:
• Total TV nation reach: 442,000
• National Audience: 245,000 
• BVOD Audience: 18,000

Seven’s Seven News:
• Total TV nation reach: 528,000
• National Audience: 315,000
• BVOD Audience: 35,000

People 16-39

Nine’s The Block:
• Total TV nation reach: 305,000
• National Audience: 195,000
• BVOD Audience: 52,000

Nine’s 9News:
• Total TV nation reach: 242,000
• National Audience: 132,000
• BVOD Audience: 25,000

10’s Thank God You’re Here:
• Total TV nation reach: 203,000
• National Audience: 116,000 
• BVOD Audience: 10,000

Seven’s Seven News:
• Total TV nation reach: 214,000
• National Audience: 123,000
• BVOD Audience: 18,000

Grocery Shoppers 18+ 

Nine’s The Block:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,409,000
• National Audience: 776,000
• BVOD Audience: 119,000

Nine’s 9News:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,540,000
• National Audience: 916,000
• BVOD Audience: 76,000

10’s Thank God You’re Here:
• Total TV nation reach: 805,000
• National Audience: 435,000 
• BVOD Audience: 23,000

Seven’s Seven News:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,658,000
• National Audience: 1,060,000
• BVOD Audience: 55,000

Data © OzTAM and Regional TAM 2024. Not to be reproduced, published or communicated (electronically or in hard copy) in whole or in part, without prior written consent of OzTAM and Regional TAM.