2025 AGENCY SCORECARDS
Bastion
Team PROFILE
Agency type
Full Service
Ownership
Independent
tagline
We exist to put organisations, brands and people in a position of strength
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Cheuk Chiang
TEAM CAPTAIN
Mike Godwin
MD, Bastion Advertising
Rohan Sawyer
MD, Bastion Experience
Steven Howlett
MD, Bastion Insights
Tim Den Braber
MD, Bastion Digital, Data & Technology
Richard Chapman
MD, Bastion Communications
Jack Watts
Executive Director
Fergus Watts
Founder & Non-Executive Chairman
KEY STATS
offices
Brisbane, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Sydney
HEADCOUNT
186 (185 permanent)
gender balance
Total: 64% female, 36% Male
leaders: 40% female, 60% Male
CLIENT WINS
22
CLIENT RETENTIONS
6
LARGEST CLIENTS
Cancer NSW
Kelloggs
Microsoft
B&T's season report
The 2024 season saw Bastion play a blinder.
The independent agency kept a clean sheet on major accounts while notching up some headline wins, including Kellogg’s and Salesforce – big plays that shifted the scoreboard in its favour.
It wasn’t just about new signings. Bastion held its defensive line, successfully defending key accounts like Medibank, Mars, the Federal Department of Health, Cancer Institute NSW, Good Friday Appeal, and Transurban through some fiercely contested pitch battles.
But the real game-changer came in April with the high-profile recruitment of Cheuk Chiang, a marquee signing that instantly boosted the agency’s on-field leadership. With Chiang steering the team, Bastion launched a brand-new media division, kicking things off with Kellanova (Kellogg’s parent company) as its foundation client across Australia and New Zealand.
Off the field, Bastion embraced new tech tactics, rolling out its AI initiative FortifAI to streamline workflows, spark creative playbooks and explore uncharted territory in ideation. It also partnered with Google to co-captain an AI pilot for Australian newsrooms, showing it’s not just playing the current game, but reshaping the league.
Shifting its recruitment strategy, Bastion partnered with bold, forward-charging clients ready to go the distance. That offensive mindset brought in over $10 million in fresh revenue.
All in all, 2024 was a breakout season, a year where Bastion didn’t just hold its ground, but charged down the field with purpose. With momentum on its side, the team’s setting its sights on an even bigger second half in 2025.
campaign HIGHLIGHTS REEL
7-Eleven, ‘Dark Cafe’:
7-Eleven was set to launch a new coffee blend with a major marketing campaign, and Bastion was enlisted to convince on-the-go coffee drinkers who wouldn’t normally purchase from a convenience store, that 7-Eleven was worth trying.
To celebrate the launch and support the campaign, the agency put it to the ultimate taste test in Australia’s coffee capital, on the iconic Chapel St, inviting unexpected passers-by to a free cup of coffee. Once they enjoyed free coffee from the unbranded Cafe’, 7-Eleven was revealed to customers in a moment of surprise and delight.
Cancer Council Victoria Bowel screening; ‘Don’t take the risk. Take the test’:
The campaign is built around a true story – from one of Bastion’s own creative directors and the copywriter on the campaign, of how his story taking the bowel screening test actually saved his life.
The campaign results exceeded all objectives with 84.3 per cent of Victorians aged 50-74 exposed to the campaign engaged in preparatory behaviours, including putting the kit in the bathroom, setting a reminder, or discussing it with someone else.
SIXT, ‘Rental Relief’:
Amid Australia’s deepening rental crisis, with affordability plummeting and rents soaring, SIXT a rental brand stepped in to help renters being priced out of their homes.
With the help of Bastion it launched ‘SIXT Rental Relief’: a simple idea where the discount on moving vans matched a customer’s rent increase. a way to tell their landlords to “TRUCK OFF”—a bold campaign line that fuelled every channel.
The campaign launched with rental advocate Chantelle Schmidt and used realestate.com.au data was rolled out across social, OOH, influencer, and branded trucks. ‘SIXT Rental Relief’ saw a 39 per cent increase in van rentals, 24 per cent in truck bookings, and over 14 million social impressions.
Bastion's ANALYSIS
In 2024 Bastion levelled up. We launched a bold new positioning that puts brands, organisations and people in a position of strength, supported by a refreshed brand identity and a smarter, more integrated way of working.
Our new operational model prioritised client centricity and collaboration, breaking down silos to deliver truly unified solutions.
We embraced the power of AI, enhanced our go to market proposition and sharpened both our people and product strategies for greater impact.
With a fresh approach to business we secured over $10 million in new revenue by partnering with forward thinking clients ready to grow.
This was a year of transformation not just in how we show up but in how we think, lead and deliver. We helped our clients find their position of strength and solidified our own.
Bastion is more focused, more fearless and more ready than ever to lead the future of marketing.
mvp award
Ana Lynch - Managing Partner
‘Ana Lynch has been pivotal in securing major wins like Kellanova, SunRice and CI NSW significantly raising the standard of our work.’
B&T's agency score
Bastion: 8
Previous season’s score: N/A
COACH's COMMENT:
‘The addition of Cheuk Chiang in the team and now captain has really helped Bastion’s season flourish. His influence saw the team cruise through the season, holding off some good opponents to retain a clinical six competitive pitch wins. The team stuck to its structures and processes, and executed well, making it a well rounded 2024.’
