NOVA Entertainment has launched a bold new brand platform for Nova FM under the banner ‘Don’t Think, Just Nova’, developed in partnership with creative innovation agency R/GA Australia.
The campaign repositions Nova as a spontaneous and joyful alternative in a crowded and algorithm-driven media landscape, and signals a confident, creatively distinct play to advertisers and media buyers alike.
NOVA Entertainment’s Marketing Director, Troy Pearce, told Mediaweek the rebrand wasn’t about fixing what was’t working, rather, it was about future-proofing a thriving product: “This is one of the most successful periods in Nova’s history. So, when you approach a brand project like this, it’s essential people understand we’re not trying to change it, we’re harnessing what’s already working and sharpening it for the next phase.”
NOVA Entertainment’s new ‘Don’t Think, Just Nova’ branding
Reviving Nova’s challenger edge with mass appeal
At its core, the platform taps into a concept Nova calls a “good surprise”.
So what is a “good surprise”? Well, according to Pearce they are “those unprompted, unscripted moments that live radio delivers best”.
Pearce said idea originally emerged during strategy development sessions with R/GA: “‘Good surprise’ is the most succinct and precise way I’ve seen of celebrating what radio does, and what Nova does best. It’s not a reinvention, it’s a clearer expression of what we already deliver every day.”
He added that the new platform helps Nova re-embrace its original spirit as a disruptor brand, but in a commercially viable way: “We’ve always balanced mass appeal with the distinctive edge Nova entered the market with. Over time, we softened that edge, but this work is about bringing it back in a way that’s liveable and memorable.”
NOVA Entertainment brand film still
A multi-channel strategy built for flexibility and personalisation
Don’t Think, Just Nova is being brought to life through a national multi-channel campaign running across cinema, TV, BVOD, digital, and social.
A centrepiece 30-second brand film, directed by street artist Sofles and developed by R/GA (still featured above), illustrates an inner monologue spinning with overwhelm, until Nova breaks through as a release.
“The brand film is unexpected and quite arresting, especially for a radio brand,” Pearce said. “It reflects our audience’s everyday experience and showcases the authenticity and relatability we’re known for.”
Out-of-home placements are also key to the campaign, with messaging tailored by time, environment, and audience moment.
Creative will appear across large format roadside, transit, retail spaces, gyms, and office buildings. “It’s a one-size-fits-most platform,” Pearce explained, “but the personalisation of the media and creative strategy makes it feel like a custom message for every moment. Whether you’re on a commute or in a gym, the tone of voice is tailored and immediate.”
Authenticity, simplicity and a platform that scales
Pearce said the tagline’s simplicity was a major driver behind its adoption: “Don’t Think, Just Nova reinvigorates our disruptor DNA while tapping into a broad, human truth, the mental overload we all experience. It’s emotive, flexible, and works as a proof point of the product. It just clicked, internally and externally.”
He also highlighted the platform’s long-term utility: “We don’t need to retrofit content to fit this, it’s a quality stamp we can apply consistently. It could be ‘Don’t Think, Just Nova’s Red Room’, plus it can be applied to shows and extensions. It gives us creative consistency while allowing scale.”
Importantly for trade, Pearce said this positioning isn’t about making Nova something it’s not. “We know the love for the Nova brand is strong, our tracking shows we’re leading on brand affection in the radio and audio category. This platform reinforces that for loyal listeners and makes us unmissable for new ones.”
NOVA Entertainment’s Marketing Director, Troy Pearce
No mental load, no clutter … just Nova
For agencies and advertisers, Don’t Think, Just Nova signals a creative and strategic refresh designed for today’s attention economy: a media brand leaning into clarity, cultural relevance, and campaign flexibility.
“We’re not throwing glitter at the brand or overcompensating,” Pearce said. “We’re just showing up in a way that’s authentic to who we are and what our audience expects, the good surprise, every day.”
Credits
NOVA Entertainment
Chief Growth Officer: Adam Johnson
Marketing Director: Troy Pearce
Marketing Campaign Manager: Sara Correia
Senior Brand Designer: Dave MacCue
Creative Innovation Company: R/GA
Managing Director: Victoria Curro
Chief Creative Officer: Seamus Higgins
Creative Director: Drew Singleton
Creative Director: Rachel Blacklaws
Creative Director: Henry Cook
Group Account Director: Josh Agnew
Executive Content Producer: Kyle Belcher
Senior Producer: Sebastian Leat
Executive Strategy Director: Marie Conley
Production Company: Collider
Director: Chloe de Brito
Managing Partner and Executive Producer: Rachael Ford-Davies
Executive Producer: Tom Slater
Producer: Georgia Moraitis
DOP: Lucca Barone-Peters
Editor/Animator: Sam Wickham
Colourist: Marcus Friedlander
Sound: Rumble Studios
Casting: Wayward Casting
Talent: Lib Campbell
Media Agency: Mindshare
Street Artist: Sofles, represented by Blank Walls