Election year drives $171m in federal spend with UM

The federal government has already handed $171 million in contracts to Universal McCann in 2025 under its ongoing master media agency arrangement.

According to AusTender records since January 1, the formerly IPG-owned agency has seen a 35% jump in federal government spending compared with the same period last year.

Unsurprisingly, in a federal election year, the Australian Electoral Commission was UM’s biggest government client, spending $20.6 million over just three months from March to July 2025.