Yates backs backyard bragging rights with AI-powered lawn competition and campaign
Australians have a brand new national sport to get behind, starting in their own backyards.
In a new campaign from Howatson+Company, Yates has introduced the “National Gardening League” (NGL) to promote a new product that aims to take the complexity out of garden and lawn care tasks.
Tapping into the competitive nature of lawn owners, the NGL “transforms” the everyday act of lawn care into a “low octane, medium adrenaline” spectacle.
Punters can scan their lawns using an AI-powered web app, get a score based off level of growth, consistency, greenness, and other criteria, and get placed on a national leaderboard for a chance to win $10,000 and a “Championship Green Thumb” ring.
The app is underpinned by an image recognition tool, developed by the agency’s data and technology team, to referee lawns consistently and fairly across the country.
The app
According to Yates Australia’s head of integrated marketing, Sabrina Hill-Bailey, the brand knew it had an opportunity to capitalise on two of Australia’s favourites things: sports and lawn.
“By combining the two, the National Gardening League makes lawn care fun, competitive, and accessible,” she said in a release.
“Powered by our new click and grow system, it’s designed to inspire a younger audience and novice gardeners who want to get started but need a nudge – and what better motivator than glory and bragging rights.”
Howatson+Co’s chief creative officer, Gavin Chimes, added that gardening in Australia is already an extreme sport, so why not make the most of it?
“Torrential rain, searing heat, Jumanji-like bindis, weeds, possums and more,” he said in the release. “With the National Gardening League, we’ve given it the platform it deserves.”
The campaign is live nationally across TV, OOH, radio, digital, and social channels. There will also be in-stadium “sports style” coverage and commentary integrations during the NRL and AFL finals.
The new campaign marks the continuation of a strong year for Howatson+Co, with several new business wins including Myer, Vodafone, and AFR. It was also reappointed by UNSW Sydney for another three years.
The agency is also still reeling from the hugely successful Allianz repositioning in May. A month after it launched, Howatson sat down with Mumbrella and said it was a risk that paid off.
The agency recently took home Full Service Agency of the Year at the 2025 Mumbrella Awards. Hoang Nguyen, Howatson+Co’s chief data and technology officer, and co-founder of sister agency Plus Also Studios, was named the Industry Leader of the Year.
In June, Plus Also Studios launched a paid internship program to offer emerging talent a space to experiment, solve, and support client needs with AI. The program is running until December.
Credits:
Brand: Yates Australia
Group Capability Director, Brand and Digital: Antoinette Tyrrell
Head of Integrated Marketing: Sabrina Hill-Bailey
Senior Integrated Campaign Manager: Anique Ballesty
Content Manager: Jamie Cother
Digital Marketing Manager: Sam Bochiwal
Horticultural Communications Manager: Angie Thomas
Agency: Howatson+Company
Group Managing Director: Renèe Hyde
Client Partner: Sophie Sykes
Senior Business Manager: Eddie Moult
Executive Planning Director: Georgia Pritchard
Chief Creative Officer: Gavin Chimes
Executive Creative Director: Jeremy Hogg
Creative Director: Simon Friedlander
Copywriter: Madeleine Semit
Senior Art Director: Huei Yin Wong
Senior Producer: Caitlin Perz
Senior Lead, Sound & Music: Shane Vancuylenberg
Senior Editor: Fraser Kelton
Chief Data & Technology Officer: Hoàng Nguyễn
Group Head of Digital: Anna Boucaut
Head of Experience Design: Trent Roberts
Lead Digital Producer: Beth Nokes
Engineering Director: Brendan McKenzie
Full Stack Developer: Bao Luong
PR Senior Account Director: Michael Rossiter
Chief Design Officer: Ellena Mills
Design Director: Trent Michael
Design Director: Reece Lawson
Designer: Jock Price
Studio Lead: Simon Merrifield
Finished Artist: Patrick Rivera
Production Company: Chee Productions
Executive Producers: Matt Chee & Tamiko Wafer
Director & Photographer: Oliver Rose
Props & Wardrobe Stylist: Lucia Arias Martinez
Standby Props: Iwona Lau
Hair & Make-Up: Michelle Cox
Media Agency: IPG Mediabrands
Group Business Director: Mark Dawson
Client Director: Tase Jaycobs Stefkov
Client Director: Michael Wood
Investment Manager: Genevieve Casey
Associate Activations Director: Alex Owsianka
Senior Account Manager: Bec Baldwin
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Lauren McNamara is a freelance journalist contributing to Mumbrella. She previously spent three years at the publication, most recently as the associate editor. She first joined in 2022 after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS. She left her staff role at Mumbrella in August 2025.
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