Following a comprehensive tender process, Tourism Australia has confirmed the appointment of a panel of agencies – all part of Accenture Song – to provide integrated global creative and digital services.
Accenture Song, The Monkeys and Droga5 have been appointed to provide Tourism Australia’s creative and digital services for five years from July 2024, structured as a three-year initial contract with options for two further one-year extensions.
They beat bids by Clemenger Group, Publicis Groupe to the prestigious account. M&C Saatchi was previously the lead creative agency on the account and behind its most recent campaign, Come and Say G’Day. The $125 million award-winning work launched in 2022 and starred a CGI kangaroo, Ruby, boosting consideration by 18 per cent and picking up several awards, including Effies.
A joint bid by M&C Saatchi and Howatson+Company contested the account in an earlier stage but were unsuccessful.
Tourism Australia Managing Director, Phillipa Harrison, said the contract with Accenture Song has been finalised after a competitive tender process.
“We have a very specific brief at Tourism Australia with a global footprint that sees us actively market into 15 key international markets. Our campaigns have set a high benchmark over the years and as our operating environment continues to evolve we need to ensure Australia stands out on the world stage,” Ms Harrison said.
“During the tender process Accenture Song, along with The Monkeys and Droga5, proved they were best placed to provide Tourism Australia with the integrated global creative and digital services we need. We look forward to working with them to showcase the best Australia has to offer to the world.”
Tourism Australia chief marketing officer Susan Coghill said Tourism Australia was looking for a panel that would allow it to respond to future opportunities and challenges.
“We will be working closely with Accenture, The Monkeys and Droga5 to remind the world why ‘There’s Nothing Like Australia’ and are excited to learn more about the creative ideas and big thinking they can bring to the table as we look to get Australia’s tourism industry back on a path of sustainable growth,” Coghill said.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank M&C Saatchi and Digitas for all of their hard work over the past five years. It was a challenging period and thanks to both agencies we were able to pivot into the domestic space, with the Holiday Here This Year campaigns, and once international travel resumed we launched our current global campaign Come and Say G’day welcoming travellers back to Australia.”
Droga5 has previously worked with Tourism Australia. In 2018, the agency and Tourism Australia released the hilarious Dundee spot starring Chris Hemsworth and Danny McBride (see below).
Accenture Song CEO and Australian expat David Droga said: “This win means a lot. Professionally and personally. We are thrilled by the wonderful opportunity, immense responsibility and the rekindled partnership.”
Accenture Song ANZ president and The Monkeys co-founder and group CEO Mark Green added: “It’s a privilege to partner with Susan and her team of outstanding marketers to help transform and elevate Tourism Australia’s global creative and digital marketing approach.
“Combining the creative firepower of The Monkeys (Australian agency of the decade) and Droga5 (US agency of the decade), underpinned by the technology and global footprint of Accenture Song, we have some of the best Australian talent from around the world coming together to bring the best of Australia to the world.”
At the IAB Video Summit last week, Tourism Australia GM of brand, campaign and media Sarah Gallon called out The Monkeys’ Sydney Opera House film ‘Play it Safe’, which recently won a Cannes Lions Film Grand Prix, as her favourite ad.
Tourism Australia will be banking on the Accenture Song outfit and its Droga5 stablemates across the Pacific to deliver more magic in selling Australia to the world.
