August was a slower month on the new business front for but there were still a few big wins knocking around the industry—with BMF, WPP Media and PHD leading the charge.
The country’s indie agencies fared well. On the creative side of the ledger, Tonic The Agency won Asus’ creative and strategy work, It’s Friday won catering company Laissez-Faire’s creative, Traffic won Farizon, Do. Agency won Farizon, Heads & Tales won CPA and the Bureau of Everything won Amber Electric.
There were fewer media agency wins, with Sparro winning fashion brands CUE and Veronika Maine and iProspect having the brilliant honour of winning trampoline park Bounce’s work.
But onto the podiums.
Media Agencies
Bronze – Kaimera
Kaimera won Taylors Wines, uncorking a very important account as it embarks on its first major rebrand in half a century. Kaimera will be handling all of Taylors Wines Australian media. Its new campaign is set to come to market in the coming months, too.
“This is a milestone moment for Taylors Wines—our first rebrand in half a century—and we needed an agency partner who could match our ambition. Kaimera’s strategic clarity, creative energy and understanding of premium brands made them the perfect fit to help us share our story with Australia,” said Tanya Marler, CMO at Taylors Wines.
Nick Behr, founder and CEO of Kaimera, also commented: “Taylors Wines is an Australian icon, and this rebrand represents both a respect for heritage and a bold step forward. It’s a privilege to help shape how this new chapter is shared with the nation, and our media strategy will be as distinctive and refined as the wines themselves.”
Silver – PHD
Omnicom-owned PHD might feel a touch unlucky to be holding the silver medal this month, after its two wins in August. The first was an all-Aussie affair, with the agency’s Melbourne office winning the media account for the Spirit of Tasmania cruise line from Atomic 212°. That’s a story you read first in B&T.
The company is poised for significant growth with two new, purpose-built ships set to join the fleet in 2026, offering increased capacity.
Kylie Holandsjo, GM of sales and marketing at Spirit of Tasmania, said: “PHD’s innovative approach to audiences aligns perfectly with our vision for the future. As we prepare to welcome our new fleet and transform the experience we have with our customers, we’re confident that PHD’s expertise will help us connect with more spirited travellers.”
Simon Lawson, MD of PHD Melbourne, said: “We’re excited to have commenced our partnership with Spirit of Tasmania. Our team is already applying their strategic expertise, supported by Omni – our marketing orchestration platform, to drive passenger growth for this iconic Australian experience. With the recent surge of momentum out of PHD Melbourne, we’re energised and ready to deliver on this partnership.
Globally, PHD was also named OpenAI’s first-ever media agency. Details were slightly scant but the pair promised to reveal more in the coming months.
MediaRadar, according to Ad Age, pegged OpenAI’s US media spending at US$19 million for the first quarter of the year, largely due to a Super Bowl spot produced by Accenture Song.
PHD’s Melbourne office has been on something of a streak lately. In May, B&T again revealed that it won Bunnings’ hefty media account. Nationally, the agency scored 8.5 in B&T’s Agency Scorecards. Atomic and PHD have also recently swapped the Tennis Australia account. PHD declined to re-pitch on that one, however.
Gold – WPP Media
WPP Media checked out with a significant global piece of work, wining Mastercard’s media account in 70 markets around the world, including Australia.
Dentsu’s Carat had held the account since 2014. IPG-owned McCann will remain Mastercard’s creative agency of record.
“As Mastercard continues to evolve—and to refine the future of marketing in an AI- and data-driven era—we’re expanding the role of our media partnerships to take on a new shape and support more integrated business needs,” the company said in a statement to Ad Age.
“That’s why we’ve made the strategic decision to partner with WPP Media to lead our media strategy, planning and buying across more than 70 international markets.”
It marked the first major global win of the WPP Media era following its rebrand from GroupM.
“This is a landmark win for our company that speaks to the momentum we’re building as WPP Media, the power of our integrated offer, and the value of the investments we’re making to give our clients an advantage in the AI era. We can’t wait to demonstrate what’s possible when you combine one of the world’s most trusted brands with the world’s best media talent and technology,” said WPP Media global boss Brian Lesser.
Creative Agencies
Bronze – Droga5
Droga5 enrolled at the University of Auckland in August, in a partnership that spans marketing strategy, creative development, and brand storytelling, across Aotearoa and key international markets.
“Our team couldn’t be more excited to go back to university. The University of Auckland is an icon in Aotearoa and a beacon for ambitious, curious thinkers. This partnership lets us help shape what that means for the next generation,” Storm Day, NZ lead of Accenture Song and CEO, Droga5 Aotearoa, said.
Stevie Weber, chief strategy officer, Droga5 ANZ, added: – “Universities are where big ideas are born, so it’s a perfect fit. The University of Auckland is full of people trying to change the world. Our job is to make sure UoA is the world’s most influential university.”
“Education is the ultimate act of optimism. We wanted a partner who thinks as boldly as we do about the future and Droga5 stood out for their insight into what makes people curious and how they want to learn,” Sarah Kenny, associate director of marketing, University of Auckland, said.
Silver – Havas Red
Havas Red won a piece of work that will be the envy of most in the country—the PR and influencer activities in Australia for Tourism Fiji.
Pacific islands have proven to be a sure-fire way to win gongs for Australian agencies over the years. Perhaps Havas Red will fire itself to Cannes with the help of Fiji.
Following the appointment, Havas Red joins sister agencies Havas Host and Havas Media in forming the destination’s Australian agency village.
Havas Red’s remit includes creative PR campaigns, media relations, influencers, and brand partnerships that build on Fiji’s award-winning brand platform, ‘Where Happiness Comes Naturally’.
Brent Hill, Tourism Fiji CEO, said, “Havas Red showed a thoughtful and creative approach to our challenges, which unearthed unexpected stories and reasons for Australians to choose Fiji as their next or return travel destination. Their ideas were designed to cut through in culture and the evolving media environment. The team at Havas Red have proven capability in helping tourism brands land ideas that truly represent their unique brand positioning, and we’re excited to build those ideas together and continue to show a different side to Fiji.”
Gold – BMF
Towards the end of the month, HCF found its new agency in BMF. The insurer had been a client of Clemenger BBDO but the agency had to give it the flick following its merger to hang onto Bupa’s work.
BMF will work closely with Spark Foundry, which manages media for HCF, and collaborate with other partners in HCF’s agency village.
“After a robust review process, we are excited to appoint BMF and look forward to working with them in further strengthening our position as Australia’s largest not-for-profit private health insurer,” said Martin Whelan, HCF general manager marketing.
“We have an already strong campaign platform and through the new partnership with BMF we are excited to see how it can further develop,” Whelan said.
