Nova Entertainment has thrown out the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” playbook, unveiling a new brand platform for Nova FM under the rallying cry: Don’t Think, Just Nova.
Developed in collaboration with creative innovation company R/GA Australia, the new campaign marks a strategic and creative evolution for the network, tapping into the power of spontaneity, simplicity, and joy — all things Nova believes live radio still delivers better than any algorithm or playlist.
While Nova’s audience numbers have been strong, the company saw a bigger opportunity on the horizon. Speaking to B&T, Nova Entertainment’s chief growth officer Adam Johnson said the move was about future-proofing the brand, not just riding a wave.
“Coming off the back of consistent ratings growth and some record audience figures, we could have taken an ‘if it ain’t broke…’ approach,” Johnson said. “However, Nova never stands still and, if anything, there was an opportunity to regain some of the brand’s distinctive edge whilst also shining a light on the category we love like all good market-leading brands should”.
The inspiration to rethink Nova came from a familiar place: within the business itself. Johnson pointed to the success of Smooth FM’s rebrand in 2024 as a proof point. “We undertook a similar process for Smooth FM, expanding beyond our rational product positioner of ‘More Music, Less Talk’ to the more emotive and ownable territory of ‘Together in Music’. This has driven a step-change in brand health and record audiences for Smooth, so we felt confident in applying this thinking to Nova.”
At the core of Nova’s new positioning is the idea of delivering a “good surprise” — a natural fit for the live radio experience.
“With live radio really being the last bastion of spontaneity in media, we found that Nova already delivers ‘good surprises’ every day through great presenter content, a song you may not have expected to hear, or those magical, unexpected caller moments,” Johnson said. “All the campaign had to do was shine a light on this through our audiences’ eyes and make it stand out from the sea-of-same in our category.”
Johnson made it clear that Nova’s goal is twofold: grow the entire live radio category and reinforce Nova’s unique identity within it.
“Like all good market leaders, first and foremost we’re building the category; reminding people that live radio is fun, free, unscripted and light touch,” he said. “And then, through the use of really smart copywriting, street-art inspired design elements and our distinctive brand assets of Nova Boy, heavy use of ‘Nova’ red etc, we’re making it ownable for our brand.”
The campaign is rolling out across cinema, TV, BVOD, social, digital and a hefty out-of-home buy . The creative — designed by R/GA and featuring visuals from renowned street artist Sofles — brings to life the frantic inner monologues people experience daily, positioning Nova as the ultimate mental reset.
For Johnson, the BVOD placements hold particular promise. “The viewer is literally in an environment where they have probably spent the last 20 minutes trying to decide what to watch, so it’s the perfect place to land the ‘Don’t Think. Just Nova’ reminder that it doesn’t have to be like that!” he said.
But he’s just as excited about the OOH placements, particularly the witty long-form creative tailored to everyday awkwardness. “Some of the location-specific creative is so beautifully written (such as the trauma of being in a lift with a colleague whose name you can’t remember) that I think these will really cut-through. If a campaign has been fun to create, you can be pretty sure people will have fun reading, watching and listening to it.”
Even though the campaign champions spontaneity and simplicity, Johnson said it’s anything but random. “The decisions we’ve made around segmentation, audience acquisition and channel selection have all been driven by data. And of course, the product itself – whether it’s playlists, ad-clocks, how we choose the genres of our sub-brands – is all insight-driven,” he explained. “All the campaign needs to do is make all this seem like magic, remind people that we’ve done this hard work, so they have one less decision to make that day!”
Nova’s Marketing Director Troy Pearce said the campaign’s strength lies in how deeply it taps into modern life’s realities — namely, the constant decision fatigue. “Don’t Think, Just Nova shows how Nova understands the constant barrage of choices our listeners are forced to make every day and says, ‘it’s OK, we’ve got this one,’ when it comes to their audio selection”.
Seamus Higgins, Chief Creative Officer, Australia at R/GA said: “Radio is the last bastion of true spontaneity, and Nova thrives on that energy. We loved partnering with the team at Nova to do something disruptive in this category. Having fun with the overthinking and overanalysing that floods our minds daily and positioning Nova as the antidote is what helps this campaign to feel both fresh and highly relatable.”
The new platform will continue to evolve in 2025, backed by always-on social activity and brand activations, continually reinforcing Nova’s bold and refreshing new message: take a break from thinking. Nova’s got you.
