The Communications Council, Australia’s peak non-profit industry body representing companies in the advertising industry, has relaunched today with a new name, Advertising Council Australia (ACA).

The relaunch entails an overhauled strategic direction that will see a number of key initiatives rolled out in 2020/2021 aimed at adding immense value for ACA members and the advertising industry as a whole.

Mark Green, ACA Chair and CEO at The Monkeys, said: “Our purpose is to foster the long-term prosperity of our industry and to elevate advertising as a profession. Now is the right time to reclaim advertising and to refocus what we do as an industry body, re-evaluate what we stand for, the programs we deliver and how we present ourselves to the broader business community.”

Green was speaking at a special webinar today where he and the Board announced the relaunch and presented the organisation’s refreshed strategic direction.

ACA CEO Tony Hale said today’s relaunch was about reclaiming the term ‘advertising’ and “reinjecting confidence in our industry.”

“The relaunch of our brand and the new strategic direction we are taking are also key to the future of our organisation, the value we offer to our members and the Australian advertising industry,” Hale said.

ACA Board member and Host/Havas CEO Laura Aldington said: “Advertising is synonymous with creativity, which is what defines our industry.

“Creativity is the force that builds successful brands, and deploying great creativity as a commercial imperative has actually never been more important than in these times,” Aldington said.

The relaunch follows extensive consultation with ACA members who have given whole-hearted support to the project, the timing of which reflects a push by the organisation and its membership to build confidence in the advertising industry.

Backing the brand refresh, ACA is developing several programs aimed at enhancing advertising industry standards, and providing maximum benefit and value for its membership.

ACA Board member and CEO of Publicis Groupe Australia & New Zealand, Michael Rebelo, said: “Raising the advertising industry’s professional standards is a heightened focus for the Board. Whilst the name change is important to signal the new strategic direction, programs such as accreditation and the advertising effectiveness reports aim to enhance our value to our clients.”

Key ACA programs and initiatives include:

●      Accreditation – ACA will be reintroducing accreditation for its members in the second half of 2020 and evolving over the following two years to set minimum standards for members to meet.

●      Reconciliation Action Plan – ACA has submitted a RAP to Reconciliation Australia. Amongst the key programs is a commitment to help build pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to the industry.

●      Advertising Industry Labour Agreement – ACA has worked with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) in conjunction with the Media Federation of Australia (MFA) to create an Advertising Industry Labour Agreement (AILA), enabling the industry to cover key skill shortages. This benchmark agreement is available only for ACA and MFA members and will be instrumental in attracting and retaining top talent globally.

●      A completely revamped awards program for both the Effies and AWARD Awards – both have been designed to not just celebrate the very best work but develop a greater understanding of what leads to cutting edge creativity and proven effectiveness.

●      Advertising Effectiveness – ACA has already published two ground-breaking reports (Australian Advertising Effectiveness Rules and Winning or Losing in a Recession) authored by world authorities on effectiveness, Ron Brittain and Peter Field. These reports, which have achieved international recognition, will be complemented by a series of future studies that will help build insights into what drives effectiveness in a fragmented marketing landscape.

“These initiatives will help shape a new era for the Australian advertising industry and strengthen the value of our profession to the wider business community during a period in our history when this has never been more crucial,” Green said.

The rebrand announced today will include a completely new corporate identity, developed by brand and design consultancy Maud.

Assets including a new visual identity for Advertising Council Australia with a new website being launched today and other marketing materials progressively rolled out over coming weeks.