After a quiet start to July, it was full steam ahead on the new business front for many of the country’s top agencies in July.
In fact, B&T recorded more than 20 individual account moves over the course of the month covering everything from PR to social to full-service wins.
We’ll come to the podiums shortly but first a quick word on those who just missed out.
We Are Social won the social media work for KFC and, for a while, it looked like the Colonel and Suzie Shaw’s team might top the pile. Ogilvy PR also deserves a shoutout for its Tourism NZ win—that’s no small piece of work. Ascendant indie agency Born also announced its fourth client win for its new Adelaide office in One Sneaky Cheetah, while Five by Five Global won Surf Lifesaving Australia’s creative and brand activation.
On the media side, Mindshare and Kaimera can count themselves very unlucky to miss out on the podiums following their MG win. But with Mindshare taking the internal combustion portion of the automaker’s account and Kaimera the electric, neither was big enough on its own to muscle its way onto the podium. Bolster Group announced a trio of wins with Carriageworks, Celsius and The Point, while Ryvalmedia won Adrenaline and John Cotton. Involved Media picked up one of Bohemia’s dropped balls, winning Fever-Tree’s media account.
But onto the podiums!
Do you have an account win you think is worthy of making our sought-after podiums? Chat to [email protected].
Creative Agencies
Bronze – Clemenger BBDO
At the end of July, it was announced that Clemenger BBDO had nailed the pitch to be Colorbond’s new creative agency. It’s one of the first wins for the newly merged agency, though the pitching started last year before the merger. Clems’ appointment is in the run up to a major 2026 campaign for the brand.
” COLORBOND steel is an Australian icon, and we’re honoured to help write its next chapter”.
“This partnership is built on a shared ambition to continue advancing how the brand shows up in culture while staying true to its legacy of innovation and resilience.
“We’re proud to be trusted as partners in the custodianship of this brand and to support their go-to-market strategy in new and impactful ways.”
Silver – TBWA
Another late entry onto our account move-tracking sheet of butchers paper, it emerged on the final day of July that TBWA had checked out with the creative account for Woolies’ loyalty program Everyday Rewards.
M+C Saatchi was the incumbent agency and has held the Woolworths account since 2017. It was announced earlier this year that the loyalty program had been separated from the wider Woolies brand portfolio. M+C’s bespoke agency, the Greenhouse Collective, remains the lead on the broader Woolworths account across Australia and New Zealand.
“Everyday Rewards is recognised as one of Australia’s most popular loyalty programs and we’re incredibly proud to help shape its future. This is a platform where creativity meets insights. It’s not just loyalty marketing, it’s brand-building with immediate, measurable impact. And the creative potential is endless,” said TBWA\Sydney managing director Elektra O’Malley.
Gold – Howatson+Company
Howatson+Company ended the month by winning a very sought-after and surprisingly highly publicised pitch for Vodafone’s creative account.
Publicis-owned Saatchi & Saatchi was the incumbent on the account. Rebecca Darley, CMO of TPG Telecom, which operates Vodafone in Australia, had this to say: “Vodafone is a brand that thrives on challenging conventions, and we’re excited to partner with the Howatson+Company team to push boundaries.”
Chris Howatson, meanwhile, told B&T: “Vodafone are seeking a resurgence of their brand as a pathway to growth. There’s few better assignments and one we’re energised to take on.”
Is there the potential for another Aussie telco to win a Cannes Lions Grand Prix? Here’s hoping.
Media Agencies
Bronze – Atomic 212°
One of the few wins from earlier in the month, Atomic 212° announced on 7 July that it had won the pitch to become Tennis Australia’s media agency of record.
In short, that means the agency will run media strategy, planning, buying, performance marketing and analytics across the full Tennis Australia ecosystem – from the AO to grassroots initiatives.
“The agency’s strategic vision, digital strength and deep understanding of our ambition to grow both fandom and participation really stood out – as did its team culture, which felt like a natural fit from day one,” said Tennis Australia chief commercial officer Cedric Cornelis.
Atomic 212° CEO Rory Heffernan, meanwhile, said he was “ecstatic” with the win. Atomic 212° began work immediately, with major campaigns already in development for the upcoming Summer of Tennis and Australian Open 2026. It may not be the biggest account in the world (though it’s far from small either) but Tennis Australia is certainly a prestigious bit of work.
Silver – EssenceMediacom
EssenceMediacom’s Brisbane office grabbed a big win, again very late in July. Australian Retirement Trust had been on the hunt for a new media agency since the demise of Bohemia earlier this year.
“We are thrilled to welcome Australian Retirement Trust back,” said Susan Lyons, managing director of EssenceMediacom Brisbane.
“EssenceMediacom impressed us with their strategic vision, digital expertise, and deep understanding of the superannuation landscape. We’re excited to partner with them once again to deliver innovative, data-led media solutions that will help us reach and engage more Australians on their retirement journey,” said Australian Retirement Trust’s general manager of Brand, Marketing and Comms, Rob Harris.
Gold – Zenith
What a way to kick off July for Zenith’s team. It announced to the world on 1 July that it won Flight Centre’s media account.
The Publicis-owned agency will handle its media strategy, planning and buying and work with Flight Centre to drive business growth through its digital and in-store offering, as well as through events and partnerships. The Flight Centre account will be managed out of the Zenith Brisbane office.
The partnership will focus on building Flight Centre’s fame for its widest product range and offers by highlighting the brand’s content, personalised service and distinct experiences.
Flight Centre global head of marketing, Megan Henderson, said: “We are excited to welcome Zenith as our Australian media agency. Their data-driven, insight-led approach and bold thinking is a great match for our growth plans and evolution as Flight Centre affirms its place as a trusted household name.”
Zenith Brisbane GM, Kate Lippett, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Flight Centre. From the moment we began conversations with their team, it was clear that our two brands and our people would have great synergy.
“Flight Centre’s appetite to build clever and exciting campaigns that amplify their brand purpose will allow us to tap into a wealth of products and insights that sit within Zenith Australia. It is great to see Flight Centre’s work continue to come from a globalised team of Marketing experts based locally in Brisbane, backed by the nationwide power of Zenith Australia and the broader Publicis Groupe ANZ family.”
