Nova doubles down on talent with new national brand campaign

Nova is sharpening its bet on talent as a growth driver, rolling out a national brand campaign that puts its on-air line-up front and centre as it reshapes key time slots across the network.

The latest phase of Nova Entertainment’s Don’t Think, Just Nova platform launches nationally this week, backing the debut of Nova 96.9’s Sydney Breakfast show Ricki-Lee & Tim and the network’s new national Drive offering Fitzy, Wippa & Kate.

The campaign lands amid heightened activity around Nova’s Sydney breakfast reset, following confirmation last week that former Project co-host Sarah Harris will join the new-look line-up as a third on-air voice, a clear intent to broaden its appeal and strengthen talk-led engagement in a fiercely competitive market.

SEE MORE: Nova reshuffles Sydney breakfast and national Drive line-ups

Rolling out across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, the campaign shifts from brand-level messaging to a more product-centric execution, positioning Nova’s presenters as the antidote to daily overwhelm and decision fatigue.

Nova Entertainment chief growth officer Adam Johnson said the campaign builds directly on momentum from last year, which delivered gains in brand awareness, consideration and audience growth.

“Our new show line-ups gave us a really exciting opportunity to build on the success of Don’t Think, Just Nova,” Johnson said. “That confidence allowed us to bring our talent together in a bold, fun and visually arresting way.”

Marketing director Troy Pearce said the evolution reflects Nova’s belief that live radio’s strength lies in spontaneity and personality, not just programming.

“This next phase demonstrates that idea in a more playful and prominent way,” Pearce said. “It puts our talent front and centre as the antidote to overwhelm and translates an emotive brand idea into something tangible at a show level.”

Developed with R/GA, the creative reframes Nova’s presenters as the product itself, rather than simply vehicles for content - a strategy increasingly visible across the network’s recent talent moves. R/GA creative director Rachel Blacklaws said the campaign was designed to feel product-led rather than instructive.

“It’s not about telling people what to think,” she said. “It’s about reminding them how good it feels not to.”

Nova will support the campaign with a phased, three-month rollout across large-format digital OOH, transit, street furniture and rail placements, backed by owned and social channels to drive trial of the network’s refreshed line-up.