Advertising spend in Australia’s financial sector grew 20% to $756 million in 2025, according to Nielsen Ad Intel data.
The latest figures show growth in brand activity and key categories including lending, cards and banking services.
Westpac ranked as Australia’s top financial advertiser in 2025, followed by Commonwealth Bank, ANZ Bank, National Australia Bank and American Express.
The full top 10 also included Bankwest, Aware Super, Macquarie Bank, PayPal and REST Industry Super.
Nielsen’s latest Consumer & Media View (CMV) data helps explain why competition is intensifying. Around 13.46% of Australians say they are either very or quite likely to change their main financial institution in the next six months, highlighting a sizeable pool of consumers actively reconsidering their provider.
Switching intent appears to be driven more by financial pressure than service issues.
Poor interest rates (4.17%) and high fees and charges (4.02%) are the leading reasons consumers say they would leave their current institution, ahead of poor service (2.50%).
At the same time, 73.87% of consumers agree that bank and financial institution profits are excessive, underlining a broader trust and value challenge for the sector.
Financial pressure is also shaping demand for products. CMV data shows 36.36% of respondents say they find it hard to make ends meet, while 49.35% are concerned about mortgage costs. Against that backdrop, more than 13% intend to open a new credit card in the next six months and 3.96% plan to take out a personal loan.
Australians are also looking for safer and more productive ways to grow their money. Online-only high-interest savings accounts are the second most sought-after financial product, with 13.45% intending to open one in the next six months, while 9.79% plan to open a term deposit.
The data also suggests investment behaviour is evolving. Over the next 12 months, 11.48% of respondents intend to invest in directly owned shares, while a closely comparable 10.78% intend to invest in cryptocurrency, reinforcing the growing role of digital assets alongside more traditional investment products.
“Financial brands are operating in a category where competitive activity and consumer pressure are rising at the same time,” said Rose Lopreiato, Nielsen Ad Intel’s Australia commercial lead.
The combined Ad Intel and CMV findings suggest many financial institutions are investing not only in performance-led activity, but in broader brand positioning as they respond to consumer sensitivity around rates, fees, value and financial security.
Top 10 Australian Financial Brand advertisers for 2025: Westpac, 2. Commonwealth Bank, 3. ANZ Bank, 4. National Australia Bank, 5. American Express, 6. Bankwest, 7. Aware Super, 8. Macquarie Bank, 9. PayPal, 10. REST Industry Super.
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