February was a bumper month on the creative side of adland, with B&T recording not one, not two but 14 separate account wins of varying sizes.
B&T understands there are a significant number of media pitches underway at the moment, meaning that March and April will likely see some significant account moves.
Before we get onto this month’s podiums, let’s take a look at some very honourable mentions. First, Amplify. It won Netflix’s creative account, a significant win for the indie. The pair had been working together since 2022 but the relationship has now moved to an ongoing one. Our Emerging Agency of the Year, Born, won Love to Dream, another good win for the growing Surry Hills outfit. Meanwhile, 72andSunny had two decent wins with Aussie tech unicorn Deputy and and American land barge manufacturer Cadillac, which is plotting a local expansion.
Think HQ had a refreshing retention, picking up three of Lipton’s tea brands. Thinkerbell won The World’s Greatest Shave’s creative and media—and is hoping to get all of adland involved, too. CHEP Network, meanwhile, won Simplot’s creative. Though what happens post-merger (absorption?) remains to be seen.
The Liberal and Labor parties also appointed agency partners, a story B&T revealed. Long-standing Labor creative agency Campaign Edge has retained its spot. Meanwhile, kwpx won the creative account for the Liberals. The Labor media account was won by Mindshare and Sparro. Nunn Media’s Neilson Financial win is not to be sniffed at, either.
But onto the podiums.
Check out previous New Business Winners here.
Media Agencies
Bronze – Match & Wood
Picking up the bronze medal this month is Match & Wood. The indie agency won Renault’s media account which had previously been held by Omnicom-owned agency OMD.
The French automotive group—whose global brands include Renault, Dacia, Alpine and Mobilize—has operated in Australia since 1947 and has 57 dealers nationwide.
“Match & Wood have demonstrated a strong understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities in the automotive market, making them an ideal partner for Renault Australia,” Renault Australia marketing communications manager Elena Woods said.
“Their strategic expertise combined with a results-driven approach aligns perfectly with our business objectives. As we continue to grow and reposition the Renault brand with exciting new models over the next 18 months, we’re confident that Match & Wood’s passion for our brand and collaborative approach will help us connect with our audience and drive meaningful results.”
Silver – Atomic 212°
Atomic 212° has been a regular feature on B&T’s New Business Winners and last month, it won a very interesting indeed. It picked up the media account for the Liberal party, a story B&T revealed.
At the last federal election, kwpx’s media division carried out media duties, but has since been acquired by Atomic 212°. The two agencies have a long-running working relationship. Topham Guerin will provide digital strategy.
While the win is significant in an election year, it is ultimately a short-lived account. At the end of January, of course, Atomic was acquired by Publicis. As with CHEP, what happens to its accounts and clients remains to be seen.
Gold – Initiative
While Amplify won Netflix’s creative, the far larger prize of its media planning and buying went to IPG Mediabrand’s Initiative.
Jo McAlister, CEO of Initiative Australia said: “To say the team are excited is an understatement. It’s been quite the start of 2025, and we are bursting to work with one of the world’s leading entertainment brands. We share many values with Netflix, one being the mutual ambition of sparking conversation, which connected us from the start of the pitch process. And of course, the team are long-term Netflix devotees, so we had so much fun consuming content as we prepped for the meetings.”
“We are so pleased to welcome Initiative as our retainer media partner in Australia!” added Broderick. “At Netflix, our passion for culture, creativity, and conversation drives everything we do. After a highly competitive pitch process, Initiative impressed us with their passion for entertainment, creative spirit, and deep media expertise, making them the perfect match.”
With the account thought to be worth at least $30 million (though these are slightly older estimates) and the streaming market heating up, it could be a very lucrative win for Initiative.
Creative Agencies
Bronze – VML & Today The Brave
WPP-owned VML and indie agency Today The Brave are joint third-placed on the creative agency podium this month.
Together, they won the Wendy’s creative account, with the American burger chain plotting an Australian expansion this year, it could prove to be a tasty account indeed. The first Wendy’s store opened in Surfer’s Paradise in January.
The exact scopes of work are unclear, with an announcement saying VML is Wendy’s lead strategic and creative agency, as it is in the US. Locally, Today The Brave was announced as the supporting full-service creative agency. WPP’s Burson is also handling comms.
Creative partner at Today the Brave, Jade Manning, said: “We are incredibly excited to welcome Wendy’s on board and can’t wait to see where we can take the brand, bringing their unique personality to life within Australia. They’ve built a reputation for outstanding creative, all driven by their unmistakable tone of voice.”
Silver – Special
Another streaming win now, this time with Special claiming the creative duties for Max, the Warner Bros Discovery platform coming to market later this month. In January, it was announced that EssenceMediacom would be handling the media buying and planning.
“Launching a brand like Max is a once-in-a-lifetime, so we needed an agency as bold as the opportunity. Enter Special: from day one, they nailed it with a pitch concept that’s punchy, innovative and unapologetically Max. We can’t wait for Australia to see what’s coming – it’s going to be special in every sense of the word,” said Sasha Mackie, senior director marketing and publicity ANZ, Warner Bros. Discovery.
“From the outset the Warner Bros. Discovery team inspired us with their smarts, passion and ambitious drive to set a new standard. This, coupled with their premium product offering, creates a unique opportunity to engage in the conversations and moments that matter to people, leaving lasting cultural impact and extraordinary value creation,” said Lindsey Evans, partner and CEO at Special Australia.
Gold – BMF
There could, however, only be one winner this month—BMF.
Two weeks ago, B&T revealed that the agency had won the sought-after Westpac creative account.
The bank has worked with DDB for the past 13 years. Accenture Song’s Droga5, Saatchi & Saatchi, VML and Howatson+Company were among the contenders for the account after it went to pitch last year.
The process, which had run for several months, was placed on hold until it was rekindled in December with several agencies invited to re-pitch.
“We are thrilled to welcome BMF to the Westpac family. Their innovative approach and proven track record in delivering impactful campaigns for clients aligns perfectly with our vision for the future. We look forward to collaborating with BMF to elevate our brand and engage with our customers in new and exciting ways,” said Westpac Group executive, customer and corporate services, Carolyn McCann.
Speaking about the new appointment, BMF CEO Stephen McArdle said: “We are incredibly excited to be working with Westpac, bringing our strategic and creative expertise to life for one of Australia’s most iconic brands and companies. We can’t wait to work in partnership with the Westpac team to realise their ambitions around customer engagement and growth.”
Publicis Groupe’s Spark Foundry handles the bank’s $65 million media account, including, Westpac, RAMS, ST George Bank, Bank of Melbourne and Bank SA.
Late last month, Westpac’s chief marketer Annabel Fribence left the bank with former marketing and brand boss Elaine Herlihy taking on the role on an interim basis.
