Advertising bonanza as government moves into election mode
Media companies are receiving a late Christmas present from the Federal government with $23m of advertising spending announced since the new year.
According to the Aus Tender website, $6.8m has been approved for the Federal government’s Quality Schools Campaign while over $16m has been approved for treasury to spend on services described as ‘advertising’.
While media buying for the Quality Schools campaign was announced in January, BMF were awarded $1.7m for the creative services in late December. The ads are currently running across radio and television.
The Quality Schools campaign promotes the Federal government’s funding for the Catholic, independent and public education sectors.
When Mumbrella contacted the Treasury for more details on its $16.1m advertising allocation, we were advised to submit a freedom of information request.
Treasury also awarded a $1.94m creative account to BMF in November last year.
Last financial year, the government spent $157m on major advertising campaigns, the second highest year on record.
Earlier this month, Dentsu Aegis forecast the Australian advertising industry would see 2.4% growth to A$16.3bn for 2019 on the back of the upcoming Federal and NSW elections.
In the seven months of this financial year the government has spent $75.4m in advertising placements for campaigns worth over $250,000 dollars each.
UM won the Federal government’s master media buying account last April from incumbent Dentsu X.
Are these current spate of tv ads from the federal government (that the Australian taxpayers are funding) spruiking about their dubious achievements legal . This sort of advertising , clearly on behalf of the liberal party , should be banned within 6 months of an election . I think all Australians should question any money being spent to benefit the election prospects of the government of the day , liberal or labour . Once again the liberals wasting taxpayer dollars to benefit themselves .
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“wasting taxpayer dollars to benefit themselves” I’m not sure what is more boring; politicians of all ideologies putting self interest first or arm chair commentators who think this is a revelation. Get involved! “Unless” people like you care a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, It’s not!
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I am very disappointed to see the recent government advertising promoting how the incumbents are funding public transport and infrastructure, and are responsible for tax cuts. These ads are in direct breach of the Guidelines on Information and Advertising Campaigns by non-corporate Commonwealth entities which state that advertising should not be directed at promoting party political interests. I did my third year university mini thesis on this topic specifically, and my interviews showed positives signs that the government took the Guidelines seriously. But I do not see how this spending of tax-payer funds can be justified. Public transport is a state government matter, so I don’t appreciate the federal government patting themselves on the back for providing funding, which is just doing their job. The tax cuts advertising isn’t notifying the public of any particular information, it again is just self congratulating their neo-liberal agenda. It is bad enough that we see Clive Palmer advertising before the election has been called, but it is a breach of regulation and ethics for the Australian Government to do the same. I don’t know if there is a way to report this behaviour, but I feel inclined to do so.
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