A lengthy pitch for Defence Force Recruiting's (DFR) creative advertising and digital services account has seen the government agency part ways with incumbent VML after six years of partnership.

The WPP agency lost the account to Omnicom's TBWA/Melbourne, with the transition period underway immediately ahead of the new partnership's official commencement on 1 April 2025.

First appointed to the account in April 2019, VML (previously VMLY&R) has worked closely with the Navy, Army, and Air Force, and led the development of the new Australian Defence Force (ADF) Careers Masterbrand identity, campaign, and website.

VML AUNZ CEO, Thomas Tearle, said: “Helping to protect the commonwealth is the honour of a lifetime, and we are incredibly grateful for the opportunities our partnership with DFR has afforded us and our team. Working with the Navy, Army, and Air Force, we have learned and experienced so much and have forged enduring professional and personal relationships that will continue long into the future. We could not be prouder of the new ADF Careers Masterbrand identity, the subsequent campaign, and the new Sitecore website environment: adfcareers.gov.au.”

According to Tearle, the latest ADF Careers campaign has achieved a recognition rate of 56% - almost double the norm for a federal government campaign. This success has resulted in six consecutive months of more than 10,000 application starts and the highest application volumes in 20 years in August 2024.

“We now turn our attention to facilitating the most elegant, professional, and efficient transition we can deliver, which we see as a significant part of our legacy. We aim to leave DFR in the best possible position for success heading into FY25/26. In parallel, we are now looking forward to embarking upon new client partnerships to work with the high-performing team we assembled for DFR," said Tearle.

As part of its new remit, TBWA\Melbourne will spearhead all creative communications and digital services output, partnering with Omnicom-owned marketing transformation and technology specialist, Credera, to integrate advanced data and technology solutions.

ThinkHQ's CultureVerse also sits within the agency village and will use co-design methodologies to help connect with, and influence, multicultural audiences.

According to TBWA, the key focus for the partnership will in recruiting people to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to build, sustain, and maximise the Defence capability.

CEO of TBWA\Melbourne, Kimberlee Wells, said: “This appointment allows us to bring the best of our offering to the table, for the best of all reasons; driving recruitment for the Australian Defence Force. We’re excited to harness our deep strategic and creative capability, cuttingedge innovation and cultural intelligence tools, to deliver meaningful impact across the total brand experience. We can’t wait to get started.”

Chief Creative Officer of TBWA\Melbourne, Paul Reardon, said: “Our team and our agency partners hold the Australian Defence Force in the highest possible regard — we always have. Being asked to use our Creative skills in service of Australia and our Nation’s strategic capability is nothing short of an honour. It’s humbling, and it’s hard to explain just how much this opportunity means to us all. We look forward to reaching new heights for recruitment and working with the incredible Australians within the ADF.”