Australia – NOVA Entertainment has launched a new phase of its national brand campaign, Don’t Think, Just Nova, featuring key Nova FM on-air talent across major Australian markets.
The campaign builds on the 2025 iteration of Don’t Think, Just Nova and is aimed at promoting the Nova Network’s 2026 programming slate. This includes the debut of two new shows on Monday: Nova 96.9’s Sydney Breakfast program Ricki-Lee & Tim, and the network’s national Drive show Fitzy, Wippa & Kate.
Rolling out nationally across Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane, the campaign features presenters from each local market and continues Nova’s broader brand platform. The latest phase places greater emphasis on the network’s show lineup and positions Nova’s presenters as a counterpoint to what it describes as daily audience overwhelm.
Developed in partnership with creative innovation company R/GA, the campaign seeks to reinforce Nova’s positioning within the live radio category, highlighting the medium’s role in delivering spontaneous and unplanned moments of entertainment. The brand platform is intended to simplify listener choice by positioning Nova as a default audio destination.
Adam Johnson, chief growth officer at NOVA Entertainment, said, “Our new show lineups gave us a really exciting opportunity to build on the 2025 success of the Don’t Think, Just Nova campaign. The success of the campaign, which saw a marked increase in brand awareness, consideration and – most importantly – audiences, gave us the confidence to use this brand platform in this next phase, bringing our talent together in a bold, fun and visually arresting way.”
Meanwhile, Troy Pearce, marketing director at NOVA Entertainment, said the campaign continues the brand momentum established last year. “Building on the strong momentum of last year’s Don’t Think, Just Nova campaign, which really cemented spontaneity as the heart of our brand, this next phase demonstrates it in an even more playful and prominent way. Working in partnership with R/GA, we’ve created a campaign that puts our talent front and centre as the antidote to overwhelm. The campaign translates an emotive brand proposition into something tangible at a show level.”
Lastly, Rachel Blacklaws, creative director at R/GA said the second phase allowed for a more product-focused execution of the platform. “Because brands are built over time, we relished the opportunity to tackle our second campaign for the Don’t Think, Just Nova platform with a truly ‘product’ centric interpretation of the brand campaign. Uniquely, this isn’t a campaign about telling people what to think. It’s about reminding them how good it feels not to.”
The campaign will roll out in phases over a three-month period. Media activity includes out-of-home placements such as large-format digital, transit, street furniture and rail formats, supported by paid media and Nova’s owned and social channels to promote both existing and new programs.
