In an increasingly fragmented media landscape, sport remains one of the few cultural arenas capable of uniting mass audiences. While streaming platforms, social media and niche content have splintered attention, major sporting competitions still deliver consistent reach and emotional engagement.
As a result, brands are increasingly turning to sport to embed themselves into culture, allowing them to authentically connect with audiences and embed themselves into moments that matter. You don’t have to look much further than the Australian Open and Formula 1 Melbourne Grand Prix to bare witness to the hype that these cultural moments built for brands.
But, being embedded in sports isn’t as easy as just slapping a logo on Carlos Alcaraz or on the winning Mercedes F1 car. It’s about adding value for sporting fans to build further fandom. Australia’s top CMOs and brands understand this ideology and therefore have embedded it into their sporting playbook.
As part of B&T’s CMO Power List, presented by atn, we have broken down the various approaches Australia’s top marketers have deployed when it comes to lacing their brand up in the sporting arena.
Susan Coghill, Tourism Australia
For Tourism Australia, sport offers a global stage. CMO of Tourism Australia, Susan Coghill is actively looking to align with major sporting events and visiting talent as cultural touchpoints that draw the world’s attention to the country. Rather than relying solely on large-scale campaigns, the organisation is increasingly focused on agility—leveraging moments when international audiences are already watching Australia.
“We talk a lot about cultural moments and how we take advantage of a moment when the world’s eyes are on Australia to showcase more of Australia,” Coghill said. “How can we be more nimble? How can we be a part of the conversation with consumers in a way that’s relevant at a local level?”
Coghill and Tourism Australia nailed this with the fun social spots that took over social media during the recent Ashes tour. When all eyes were locked in on the five-game (though rarely five-day) cricket series between Australia and England, Tourism Australia tapped the unlikeliest of bromances to promote Australia.
Fiery English bowler, Stuart Broad and fierce ex-rival Australian opener David Warner, through their unlikeliest of friendships together showcased fun holiday activities Down Under. This was all through a three-episode content series as part of Tourism Australia’s ‘Come and Say G’day’ campaign.
Dean Norbiato, Kia
Kia and head marketer Dean Norbiato are no stranger to the sporting arena, with the 2026 Australian Open marking the automotive brand’s 25th year on the tennis court.
Its approach to sporting partnerships is heavily influenced by data.
The brands work with the likes of the NRL and the Brisbane Broncos is driven by clear demographic insights, particularly around light commercial vehicle buyers who strongly index within those fan bases.
“You want to look at affinity levels for that sport. You want to look at the population that overlaps with your intended audience,” said Norbiato. In the case of the NRL and the Broncos, that alignment proved particularly strong.
“When you look at light commercial, both the NRL and the Broncos in particular over-index when it comes to the light commercial customer base that sits within their fan base,” he added.
Kia’s work with the Broncos and the NRL extends beyond simply front-of-shirt sponsorships. For instance, Buck, the Bronco’s mascot, featured alongside a host of Australian sporting legends in the first advert for its new Kia Tasman. The ute would also serve as the carriage for the Retiring Players Ceremony during the NRL Grand Final.
Brent Smart, Telstra
For teleco giant Telstra, sport provides an environment where simplicity and repetition can amplify the brands message. Major sporting competitions in the country such as AFL and NRL deliver unmatched frequency, with audiences repeatedly exposed to advertising across broadcasts and digital channels.
“In certain environments you’ve really got to think about frequency,” Telstra’s CMO Brent Smart explained. “That’s why we made so many ads, we wanted people to see us a lot, but not be sick of us.”
This is evident in the ‘Wherever we go’ campaign, where there are multiple versions of Mick—the character in the ad—’Telstruting’ his way through various environments. The ad is light on branding and long on storytelling, but that’s deliberate.
“I just don’t think that you need to dumb it all down and make it so obvious. A lot of marketers want to put everything in there, whereas we spend a lot of time challenging ourselves; what can we take out?” added Smart.
Mick and his famous ‘Telstrut’ have been so successful for Telstra that the telecommunications brand has revived and refreshed the spot for the current NRL and AFL seasons. In fact, such is the depth of the relationship, the Canterbury Bulldogs and Hawthorn Hawks mascots both feature in the ad.
The connection extended into social as Telstra took the ad’s biggest hater—hecticfred on Instagram—to the North Sydney Oval to reveal the new ad in a hilarious viral moment.
Michelle Klein, Westpac
Sports can also offers a powerful platform to tell brand stories that stretch across generations.
Westpac recently became a premier partner of Cricket Australia, but the relationship resonates far beyond a standard sponsorship deal.
The bank’s historical connection to the game dates back to the late 19th century, when Bank of New South Wales (as Westpac was then) employee Fred Spofforth—later dubbed the ‘Demon Bowler’—was given leave to travel to England and compete in one of the first Ashes series.
Reflecting on that history, Westpac’s chief growth and marketing officer, Michelle Klein said the story highlights how deeply sport can connect with brand heritage.
“When you think about that beautiful thread all the way through to today, to be that proud sponsor, it really starts in community,” she explained. “You can see that integrity in supporting our very own banker. But equally, I couldn’t be more proud to step in at this moment in time and help bring that Cricket Australia partnership to life for the first time for the bank.”
