Following on from yesterday’s part 1 of the A-Z of 2024, we dive right into the final 13 moments, trends, tragedies and triumphs of the year that was.
L – Lisa Ronson
Part 2 of B&T’s A-Z begins on a sad, indeed tragic, note. This year, Australia’s marketing and advertising community lost one its best far too soon. There wasn’t a dry eye seated in the Members Stand of the Sydney Cricket Grand during Lisa Ronson’s memorial service last week. Ronson passed away in November following an accident on her farm near Daylesford, Victoria.
At 52, Ronson held the position of chief marketing officer at Medibank, having joined the company in July 2024. Throughout her career, Ronson made significant contributions to major organisations, including Coles and Tourism Australia, where she was instrumental in the acclaimed ‘Dundee’ Super Bowl campaign.
Her passing elicited heartfelt tributes from industry peers, who remembered her as an inspirational leader, a generous mentor, and a cherished friend.
Ronson is survived by her husband, Chris, and son, Ben.
M – Monkeys no more
Once Three Drunk Monkeys, then simply The Monkeys, the agency founded in 2006 by Justin Drape, Mark Green and Scott Nowell ceased to be this year, adopting the name of its global parent Droga5. From its humble beginnings, which saw Drape and Nowell squatting in the creative department of other agencies (most notably their former employer Saatchi & Saatchi), the agency quickly gained recognition for its innovative campaigns and was named B&T’s Agency of the Decade in 2019.
In 2017, Accenture Interactive acquired The Monkeys for an eye-watering $63 million, integrating it into its global network.
Over the years, the agency expanded its presence with offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland, employing approximately 165 people. Drape left the business in January 2021 and Nowell in 2023.
This transition marked the end of The Monkeys’ distinct identity, ushering in a new chapter within the Accenture Song family. Fittingly, the sole surviving founder, Mark Green, moved to New York to take the helm of Droga5 globally.
N – New advertising regulations for betting ads?
In 2024, Australia intensified its regulation of betting advertisements to address concerns over problem gambling and community well-being. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) enforced stricter rules, resulting in formal warnings to platforms like Kayo and Network 10′s streaming service, 10 Play, for broadcasting gambling ads during prohibited times.
Public sentiment has been increasingly critical of pervasive gambling promotions. A survey reported by B&T revealed that only 25 per cent of participants believed a ban on gambling advertising would effectively address Australia’s betting issues.
In response to these concerns, the Federal Government has been considering comprehensive reforms, including potential bans on gambling advertisements during sporting events and restrictions on digital platforms. These measures aim to mitigate the normalisation of betting, particularly among younger audiences, and reduce gambling-related harm.
The ongoing debate reflects a balancing act between protecting public health and managing the economic implications for broadcasters and sports organisations reliant on advertising revenue. As it stands, the Labor Government is yet to introduce legislation to Parliament despite a comprehensive report from a Parliamentary committee recommending a complete ban on gambling advertisements within three years to address the nation’s escalating gambling addiction crisis.
No doubt there’s more to come on this with TV broadcasters in particular being heavily dependent on gambling ad revenue and it’s not as if they can rely on cigarette advertising anymore either.
O – OzTAM
In 2024, B&T reported on significant developments in Australia’s television audience measurement landscape involving OzTAM and Foxtel. In September, Foxtel announced its decision to withdraw from OzTAM’s measurement services by the end of the year, expressing concerns over the limitations of traditional linear TV metrics and a desire to adopt a more progressive, digital-first analytics approach.
In response, Foxtel Media introduced its own total audience measurement solution, developed in partnership with Kantar Media, aiming to provide enhanced data transparency across its linear and streaming platforms.
Additionally, former OzTAM CEO Doug Peiffer joined Foxtel Media as a senior advisor to support the refinement of its audience measurement offerings.
Concurrently, OzTAM unveiled a refreshed brand identity and prepared to launch its Virtual Australia (VOZ) system as the primary measurement currency, aiming to deliver comprehensive Total TV audience insights.
While OzTAM’s changing of the measurement goal posts was definitely overdue, we can’t help but remember the ill-fated EMMA (Enhanced Media Metrics Australia). And we all know how that cross-platform audience measurement system launched in 2013 by The Readership Works, a subsidiary of NewsMediaWorks (formerly the Newspaper Works) worked out.
P – Pitching frenzy
Call me cynical, but when the market tightens as much as it has in 2024 (and 2023 as well), procurement departments don’t miss out.
This year saw a remarkable number of major accounts go to pitch across both media and creative including Tourism Australia, Tourism Tasmania, ANZ, Westpac and Amazon to name but a very few.
B&T named Accenture Song/Droga5 the most successful creative agency following its NRMA Insurance and Tourism Australia wins. Leos was runner up with it winning ANZ Bank and Suncorp and Special came in third with Cricket Australia and IGA.
Mindshare, Zenith and EssenceMediacom were the three best media agencies at winning new business, while Half Dome, Atomic 212 and Nunn Media were the best of the indies and drumming up new clients. You can read all about it in B&T right here.
Q – Queensland’s finest: Cairns Crocodiles
We’re not one to blow our own trumpet too much here at B&T, but then again if you can’t talk yourself up from time to time, who will?
Over the Covid years, B&T brought its long-held ambition to stage a major advertising festival in Tropical North Queensland. Cannes in Cairns proved to be more of a hit that we could have hoped for. Realising we had more of a long-term prospect on our hands in 2024 B&T took the decision to rename the festival the Cairns Crocodiles and introduce an Awards programme highlighting Australia’s linkage and proximity to Asia.
I won’t drone on, but trust us, you ain’t seen nothing yet in terms of what is rapidly becoming not only Australia’s, but the entire Asia Pacific region’s festival of advertising, marketing and media.
R – Daniel Ricciardo
Speaking of people not hiding their light under a bushel, Daniel Ricciardo continued his endorsing ways with a plethora of endorsements, ambassadorships and sponsorships.
Among them in 2024 were OKX, Afterpay, Beats by Dre, GoPro, EA Sports, and Thorne.
However, his role as Chief of Optimism with Optus concluded in November, as the company shifted focus to rebuilding customer trust and improving services.
His collaboration with St Hugo wines and Dan Murphy’s to launch his DR3 x St Hugo wine range attracted extensive attention among B&T’s readers. The campaign, described as the “greatest wine takeover in history,” featured Ricciardo rebranding a Dan Murphy’s store in Alexandria, Sydney, as “Dan Ricciardo’s,” with his image prominently displayed. This initiative aimed to engage a younger demographic in the fine wine market.
Despite challenges in his racing career, including his departure from the Visa Cash App RB team after the Singapore Grand Prix, Ricciardo’s marketability remained strong, with his presence previously instrumental in securing significant sponsorship deals for his teams.
As of December, Ricciardo’s net worth was estimated at $50 million, reflecting his earnings from racing and endorsements. Nice work if you can get it.
S – Sport’s big year
One bright spot in an otherwise tawdry year for Nine Entertainment was the Paris Olympics. Across two glorious weeks straddling July and August, the world came together to watch more than 10,000 athletes from around the world competing in 32 sports and 329 events across various iconic venues, including the Seine River, Champs-Élysées, and the Stade de France. This was followed a few weeks later with the increasingly popular Paralympics.
B&T’s coverage of the Games highlighted several key developments in broadcasting, advertising, and technological innovation. Nine Entertainment secured a decade-long broadcast deal worth $305 million, ensuring coverage of five Olympic Games starting with Paris 2024.
In preparation, Nine unveiled comprehensive 24-hour coverage plans across its platforms, including free-to-air channels, streaming on 9Now, and on-demand content via Stan. Collaborations with the ABC extended radio coverage nationwide, enhancing accessibility for Australian audiences.
Technological advancements featured prominently, with Nine transforming a compact Parisian studio into a cutting-edge, AI-enhanced broadcast space, showcasing innovative approaches to sports coverage.
Advertising efforts were led by brands like Allianz, which launched a campaign celebrating Australian fans and athletes, reinforcing national unity and support.
Woolworths also made a significant impact with its ‘Fresh Fuels the Best in All of Us’ campaign, ranking among the top Olympic advertisements.
T – Tay Tay Tours
If 2024 was Sport’s big year, then how on earth do you describe the global phenomenon that was Taylor Swift’s 2024 Eras Tour?
Swift, who has a net worth of near $2 billion, has even had economic studies done on her presence. The ‘Swift Effect’ refers to the substantial economic impact of her Eras Tour on host countries. For instance, the US leg alone drove US$5 billion in consumer spending, benefiting local businesses such as hotels, restaurants, and retailers. In the UK, her tour was projected to boost spending by nearly £1 billion. Overall, the global economic uplift from the tour is estimated at over $9 billion, showcasing her unparalleled influence on local economies.
The Eras Tour made its way down under in February, with performances in Melbourne and Sydney. She played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground followed by shows at Sydney’s Accor Stadium.
To accommodate the influx of concertgoers, Transport for NSW introduced the Tay-Tay Express, providing more than 1,200 additional trains and buses during the Sydney dates. Central Station was illuminated in a ‘Lavender Haze,’ and Taylor Swift’s music played throughout the station to enhance the fan experience.
Brands strategically aligned themselves with the global superstar to leverage her immense popularity. Crown Resorts notably served as the headline partner for the Australian leg of the tour.
Swift’s mere presence had a significant impact on local businesses. For instance, her visit to Pellegrino 2000, a restaurant in Sydney’s Surry Hills, garnered substantial media attention, effectively serving as an inadvertent endorsement.
U – Under-represented
The Experience Advocacy Taskforce (EAT) was founded by B&T’s very own Greg “Sparrow” Graham addressing ageism in Australia’s media and advertising sectors in 2022. In October of this year, EAT released The Silent Exit survey, revealing that more than half of industry exits occur between ages 45-54, highlighting a significant talent drain.
To combat this, EAT launched a website in collaboration with AFFINITY, providing resources to promote age inclusivity.
Additionally, agencies such as GroupM and Avenue C have committed to age-inclusive practices through partnerships with EAT and AgeInc.
V – Video advertising
While linear TV might be on shaky ground, the strength of video advertising suffered no such qualms. In November B&T reported a 12.1 per cent year-on-year increase in online advertising expenditure, with video emerging as the fastest-growing format, largely due to the Summer Olympics. Video advertising saw a 19.5 per cent increase, reaching $1.15 billion.
With more and more platforms, most notably out of home (OOH) becoming digitised and open to video advertising, the sector shows no signs of slowing.
W – Women In Media Awards
In 2024, B&T’s Women in Media Awards, presented by Are Media, celebrated exceptional female talent in the advertising, marketing, and media sectors. The event honoured leaders, innovators, and advocates driving industry progress. Cherie Clonan, CEO and founder of The Digital Picnic, was named Woman of the Year for her commitment to inclusivity and empathetic workplace culture, particularly for neuro-divergent individuals. The awards also introduced a new category, Sustainability Champion, highlighting efforts toward environmental preservation. The ceremony underscored the industry’s dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion, inspiring future generations of women to pursue excellence in media.
Sunita Gloster AM, a seasoned leader in media, marketing, and technology, was ranked #1 on B&T’s 2024 Women in Media Power List.
With more than 30 years of experience, she has been a consistent presence on this list for a decade. Upon receiving the accolade, Gloster highlighted ongoing challenges in the industry, emphasising the need for improved safety, equity, and respect for women
She stated, “We’re half of the industry, and we don’t receive the right, the same protections or the opportunities that men do. So we’ve got a lot of work to do.” Gloster’s recognition underscores her influential role in advocating for gender equality and driving positive change within the media landscape.
Esther Clerehan, with over 35 years of experience in the creative industry, was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at B&T’s Women in Media Awards in 2024.
Upon receiving the award, Clerehan expressed both surprise and gratitude, stating, “I can’t believe it… I’m overwhelmed, and I’m thrilled.”
She also highlighted the ongoing challenges in the industry, emphasising the persistence of issues such as sexual harassment and pay disparities, and underscored the need for continued efforts toward achieving true equality.
X – erm… X?
X’s (the platform formerly known as Twitter) owner, Elon Musk was in the headlines for all the wrong reasons in 2024. After telling the advertising community to “go fuck themselves” last year, he made a “celebrity” appearance at Cannes this year to say he didn’t mean it and please can you come back to spending on the platform he single-handedly destroyed.
However if you look at the washup at the end of the year, the man behind Tesla, SpaceX and the Boring Company might not give a fuck whether they forgive him or not. As of December, not only was he the richest person in history, he’s the richest any person has ever been. And now charged with the responsibility of cutting a billion dollars out of the US public sector thanks to his great mate President-elect Donald Trump, we suspect we’re going to be hearing a lot more from and about Elon Musk.
Y – Youth
Despite efforts by the Experience Advocacy Taskforce, advertising dollars continued to find their way disproportionately into youth-based platforms most notably TikTok.
Ad revenues for TikTok are estimated to top US$18 billion globally in 2024, up from US$16 billion in 2023, which was itself a 67 per cent increase on 2022. Sobering stuff. Undoubtedly, the advertising industry’s average age of 26 really doesn’t help the neglect of we old folk.
Z – Zero-Emission Advertising Initiatives
October saw the Australian chapter of Ad Net Zero officially launched, with leaders from various sectors emphasizing the industry’s role in addressing climate change.
First introduced in the UK in 2020, Ad Net Zero aims to reduce the carbon impact of advertising to net zero. In June 2022, Australian industry bodies such as the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA), the Advertising Council of Australia (ACA), and the Media Federation of Australia committed to supporting the initiative.
While Peter Dutton appears to be set to adopt Donald Trump’s mantra of drill baby drill and dig baby dig, or in his case build nuclear power stations, we guess every little bit of effort helps.
