Brisbane's Carbon Creative is getting $1.76 million for the creative work on the Health Department's $30 million national coronavirus campaign, according to contract documents.
The contract, which started on March 3 and runs to June, was originally marked down as $407,700, according to documents lodged with AusTender.
It's unclear why the value of the contract quadrupled but the lead time was very tight with the contract starting March 3 and the campaign launching ten days later.
A12-month media contract with IPG Mediabrands has a listed value of $2.33 million. Another media contract, with Mediabrands Australia Pty Ltd and dated March 13, is valued at $1.4 million.
Concept testing for the CoVID-19 campaign cost $56,375 under a contract with Snapcracker Research and Strategy in Sydney.
Strategic brand consultancy Hall and Partners in Melbourne has a $127,974 contract for independent research during the campaign.
On the communciations side, Newgate Communications has a $60,000 contract for news and publicity services.
The federal Health Department says the campaign was developed to ensure timely, factual and consistent information to empower people to adopt behaviours to prevent and mitigate the COVID-19.
The timing of the creative and media contracts became a political issue, with Labor saying the Coalition Government should have acted sooner.
Australia's first case of coronavirus was confirmed January 25. Carbon Creative was given the creative contract March 3.
"Labor questions why it took the government over two months to commence an advertising campaign to provide the most basic public health information on Covid-19," shadow health minister Chris Bowen told Guardian Australia.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.