2025 AGENCY SCORECARDS
Hearts & Science
Team PROFILE
Agency type
media
Ownership
Omnicom
tagline
Creating Connections That Matter
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Jane stanley
TEAM CAPTAIN
liz wigmore
managing director
Louis Mayne
chief investment officer
Kim Dolengowski
chief strategy officer (left in 2025)
Jaime Mills-Blayney
Head of Planning
Ashley Wong
Chief Digital & Innovation Officer
Blake Power
group business director
kylie pascoe
gm, melbourne
KEY STATS
offices
Sydney, Melbourne, brisbane, perth
HEADCOUNT
136
Gender balance
38% male, 62% female
recma compitches
B
recma profile classification
average
CLIENT WINS
3
CLIENT RETENTIONS
2
LARGEST CLIENTS
Diageo
Viva energy
hsbc
TROPHY CABINET
mfa Awards
1
B&T's season report
Although Hearts & Science has been around the block for a number of years, 2024 felt like a foundational year for the agency.
In May, Omnicom Media Group decided to merge its two smaller agencies, Foundation and Hearts & Science.
They now operate under the Hearts & Science brand with more than 130 staff across four Australian capitals.
The agency continues to be led by chief executive Jane Stanley, working alongside former Foundation boss Liz Wigmore.
Other senior execs include investment chief Louis Mayne and Melbourne GM Kylie Pascoe. Strategy lead Kim Donlengowski and Sydney GM Peter Skarparis have since left.
Most of its client that went to pitch in 2024 stood by Hearts, including Menarini, MyCar and Viva. It also won media duties for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Acciona and a division of one of the largest tech firms in the world.
However, the agency encountered two losses. Hyundai handed media planning and buying to Innocean, the global creative agency for Hyundai which recently expanded into media. The Hyundai handover didn’t officially occur until 2025. It also lost Peleton due to a global review, and Instantscripts, worth about $12 million according to COMvergence, to Match & Wood.
Aside from bedding down the merger, Hearts sharpened its tools by rolling out the renewables Ad Engine, which helps brands reduce the carbon emissions from the digital advertising supply chain by “combining programmatic precision with sustainability smarts”.
On the learning and development front, Hearts launched Complete Growth, a learning and development programme designed to grow its team holistically. It also runs leadership development in its Accelerate and Ignite programs, and offers emotional intelligence training.
All things considered, it was a solid performance in a transitional year. We will learn more about the new Hearts & Science team in seasons to come.
campaign HIGHLIGHTS REEL
Renewables Ad Engine
In 2024, we launched a first-of-its-kind real-time renewable energy ad engine—an innovation that redefines how and when streaming ads are delivered. By integrating live data on renewable electricity availability across Australian states, the engine dynamically activates campaigns across all dayparts when solar, wind, and hydro energy are at their relative highest — and pauses them when fossil fuel usage dominates.
This approach not only aligns media delivery with cleaner energy sources but also significantly reduces the carbon footprint of highly emitting streaming video advertising.
The results speak for themselves: our launch campaign with Opella Consumer Healthcare increased the use of renewable energy across the streaming supply chain by 76 per cent, with renewables now powering nearly half of all ad delivery. The campaign was recognised with the ‘Media for Good’ award at the 2024 MFA Awards, celebrating its innovation, environmental impact, and leadership in sustainable media practices.
HSBC Sydney Airport Campaign
Heart & Science partnered with JCDecaux and Vistar to create a dynamic programmatic campaign based on airport departures data – following people on their journey through Sydney Airport with bespoke messaging at each stage.
From large roadside billboards en route, to check-in, immigration points, gate lounges then across arrivals, baggage carousels and the exit large format signage – we featured HSBC Foreign Exchange messages to encourage travellers to take out a digital HSBC card, transfer in the currency of the country they’re about to travel to, and then transfer back to Australian dollar when they land in Sydney.
The campaign accelerated performance (with an 8.9 per cent over-delivery on Foreign Exchange campaign targets, of which the targets had already doubled year on year).
But we also defined a new best practice in the application of data across OOH. We leveraged data to provide time targeted, relevant and contextual messages to travellers. We drove action in a channel that is typically reserved for upper funnel activity. And importantly, we reinvented the use of OOH from broadcast channel to a precision tool.
LG Dream Home
In 2024, Hearts & Science and LG partnered with Channel 7’s Dream Home to deliver a campaign that brought LG’s innovative technology into the heart of Australian homes. As the show’s major sponsor, LG was positioned as the go-to brand for home appliances and entertainment, with its products featured in dramatic room reveals that emotionally resonated with viewers.
Led by Hearts & Science’s content team, the campaign was built around deep contextual integration—placing LG products in real, aspirational home environments and showcasing how they elevate everyday living. This wasn’t just product placement; it was storytelling with purpose, aligning LG’s brand with transformation, innovation, and lifestyle enhancement.
The campaign extended far beyond the screen. LG’s presence in Dream Home was integrated across the full customer journey, with consistent messaging carried through to retail environments and partner communications. This through-the-line approach ensured that inspiration sparked on-screen could be acted on in-store or online—creating a seamless path from awareness to purchase.
The results were exceptional: A 17 percentage point uplift in top-two-box (T2B) brand consideration—nearly triple the Seven average (up 5.8 pts).
Among viewers who recalled the sponsorship, LG outperformed Samsung—Australia’s market leader in consumer electronics—in brand consideration.
This campaign demonstrated the power of emotionally resonant content, strategic media integration, and full-funnel execution to drive meaningful shifts in consumer perception and behaviour.
hearts & science's Analysis of 2024
2024 marked a new era for us. With a successful merger with Foundation, we expanded our national footprint, strengthened our capabilities, and built a more connected, future-ready media offering. Our clients were at the heart of all of this, leading us to retain every single client who went to pitch. Alongside this, we welcomed new clients and maintained revenue growth. A clear sight of trust and strength of our partnerships even amid industry change.
mvp award
blake power, group business director
Blake’s leadership continues to set a high benchmark in client TRR scores, reinforcing our reputation for excellence and trust. His leadership style is defined by calm confidence, strategic thinking, and a deep commitment to both client success and team wellbeing. His ability to balance high performance with genuine care has made him an invaluable leader and a driving force behind one of the agencies largest teams.
Jaime Mills-Blayney, national head of planning
She has has been an extraordinary force in elevating our planning product to an exceptional standard. Through her deep expertise in marketing science and her unwavering commitment to excellence, she has shaped a powerful and effective role for communications across a diverse range of clients.
B&T's agency score
hearts & science: 7.5
Previous season’s score: N/A
COACH's COMMENT:
Plenty of heart in this performance. A season defined by a major merger, holding onto key clients and some exciting innovation in the carbon reduction space.
