Australian ad spend down in 2025 after slow December: Guideline SMI
The Grinch Meal on a billboard
Australian advertising spend was down by 2% in 2025, despite a federal election filling the coffers during the first half of the year.
According to Guideline SMI data, which measures advertising spend through media agencies, the second half of 2025 saw spend drop by 5.2%, with all-important December ad revenue down by 9.2% year-on-year.
This more than wiped out the modest 1.6% growth seen during the first half of 2025, when political parties spent up big on the federal election.
