BMF, Ogilvy, Clemenger BBDO, Think HQ, The Monkeys, VML and TBWA Melbourne all took a share in federal government advertising campaign spend, according to the latest data.
The Department of Finance reveals Canberra spent $204.1 million in the 2024-2025 financial year on advertising campaigns. Adding in campaign development costs of $61.2 million brought the total to $265.3 million.
This was well ahead of the previous year’s $179.3 million but down on the pandemic-boosted $339.2 million of 2021-22.
Of the latest $204.1 million in campaign advertising media placement, $11.9 million was spent on ethnic media and $7.2 million on First Nations media.
The big spender was Defence, but the Net Zero Economy Agency and Treasury: Future Made also featured.
The latest data on the 33 campaigns shows BMF on eight campaigns: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission: Fighting Scams, Australian Electoral Commission: Federal Election, Foreign Affairs and Trade: Smartraveller, Health and Aged Care: National Tobacco and E-cigarette, Home Affairs: Act Now Stay Secure, Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sports and the Arts: National Road Safety, Social Services: Consent and Social Services: Stop it at the Start (phase five).
The Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sports, and the Arts: National Road Safety had a contract value and expenditure of $1.467 million in advertising.
First Nations communications was run by Carbon Media, with a contract value and expenditure of $0.146 million.
Multicultural marketing was done by Cultural Perspectives at $0.093. The expenditure totalled to $2.89 million.
Media placement was $6.9 million, including $0.2 million to First Nations media.
BMF is also listed with $0.117 million in Social Services: Stop it at Start (phase five), $0.173 million in Social Services: Consent, $0.450 million in Home Affairs: Act Now Stay Secure, $0.291 million in Health and aged care: National Tobacco and E-cigarette, $1.501 million in Foreign Affairs and Trade: Smarttraveller, $0.814 million in the Australian Electoral Commission:Federal Election, and $0.996 in Australian Competition and Consumer Commission: Fighting scams.
Ogilvy was listed with six campaigns.
Health and Aged Care: Influenza Vaccinations delivered $0.073 million to Ogilvy. Media placement was $1.6 million.
The agency also worked on Health and Age Care: Medicare Benefits, which delivered $1.126 million.
The Health and Aged Care: Medicare Urgent Care Clinics delivered $0.300 million in contract value, but expended $0.174 million in advertising services.
Health and Aged Care: Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme 60-day Prescriptions was $0.038 million, Health and Aged Care: Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Indexation Freeze at $0.930 million, and Health and Aged Care: Star Ratings in Residential Aged Care at $0.597 million.
Clemenger BBDO received $0.600 million in contract value for Employment and Workplace Relations: Fee-Free TAFE. Think HQ did the PR at $0.120 million.
Health and Aged Care: National Primary Care Health Workforce had $1.601 million contract value for advertising and $0.499 million for PR.
Treasury: Supporting Australians had $1.432 million advertising expenditure and $0.307 million in PR. Treasury: Tax Cuts had $2.34 million contract value in advertising and $0.344 million in PR.
Think HQ and Clemenger BBDO shared advertising spends on Austrade: Southeast Asia Trade and Investment Opportunities for Australian Businesses, with Think HQ at $0.464 million expenditure and Clemenger at $0.009 million. PR was $0.058 million.
The Monkeys, now Droga5 ANZ, part of Accenture Song, expended $0.828 million in advertising for Australian Taxation Office: MyGovID Rebrand, with $1.068 million contract value.
The agency also has $2.446 million expenditure in Net Zero Economy Agency: Net Zero Transformation. Treasury: Future Made in Australia has a contractual value of $3.672 million and expenditure of $3.241 million.
Veteran’s Affairs: Veteran Employment has a contractual value of $1.100 million.
VML is listed with $5.621 million in contract value and $7.135 million in expenditure for Defence: ADF Careers. TBWA Melbourne’s open tender has $1.956 million.
TBWA Melbourne’s expenditure for Social Services: Volunteering Awareness was $0.235 million. Think HQ did PR on $0.321 million.
Consolidated campaign advertising expenditure:
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.