Tourism Australia appoints Zenith to lead media

Following a competitive tender process, Publicis Media Australia (trading as Zenith Media) has been appointed to provide media services for Tourism Australia under an initial 3-year agreement from July 2026, bringing to a close Tourism Australia’s media partnership with UM.

This media services agreement will enable Tourism Australia to continue to deliver campaigns like its highly successful Come and Say G’day.

The latest instalment of Come and Say G’day, launched in August 2025, brings to life the lasting memories of an iconic Australian holiday from the perspectives of well-known talent, specifically targeted to each market. This includes wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin in the United States; food writer and television cook Nigella Lawson in the UK; actor Yosh Yu in China; entrepreneur and philanthropist, Sara Tendulkar in India; media personality and comedian Abareru-kun in Japan.

This is currently the highest performing ad in the tourism category in key markets, has generated close to $400 million in earned media value, and has been viewed more than 1 billion times.

Tourism Australia Managing Director Robin Mack emphasised the importance of high impact campaigns in driving demand for Australia: “The campaigns Tourism Australia creates and delivers in key international markets are central to driving consideration and intention to travel to Australia.

“In a time of increased global competition for tourism, media campaigns in our target visitor markets are critical to ensuring we reach the hearts and minds of international travellers, ultimately inspiring them to choose Australia for their next holiday or business event.”

Speaking about the appointment, Tourism Australia Chief Marketing Officer Susan Coghill said the partnership with Publicis marks a new chapter in the agency’s marketing: “What distinguished Publicis through this process was a genuine understanding of where travel discovery is heading, and a clear, demonstrated capability to help Tourism Australia be present and chosen wherever that moment happens.

“We also want to acknowledge the significant contribution UM, our previous media services provider, has made to Tourism Australia’s global media program over many years. Their work has built a strong foundation across campaign delivery, market presence and media capability, and we are grateful for the strong results that partnership has delivered.”

Jason Tonelli, Zenith Australia CEO, said there is no greater brief in our market than Australia itself: “To be trusted with amplifying our nation’s story to the world is a rare honour, and our thanks go to the entire Tourism Australia team for that responsibility. We can’t wait to get to work.”

A competitive tender process opened in September 2025. All proposals considered were subject to a robust and comprehensive evaluation process, in line with the Commonwealth Procurement Rules. The contract is for an initial period of three years for services up to a maximum value of $189 million and includes two one-year extension options.

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