ARN has launched a new Melbourne marketing campaign for “The Kyle & Jackie O Show”, featuring the tagline “Radio Gone Rogue!”.
This is the third major creative push since the contentious duo’s rocky Melbourne debut in April 2024, following an estimated $2 million spent on the initial launch.
Previous campaigns included “The End of Boring Radio” and “Listen Now, We’re Behaving”, aimed to attract and keep listeners, but ongoing on-air controversies, including explicit content, have complicated attempts to project a more restrained image.
The current campaign includes a TV commercial set in a focus group where participants give blunt, candid feedback about Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson, while the hosts watch and respond in real time. Though inspired by a successful 2017 Sydney campaign, this iteration is more scripted and performed by actors.
The rollout covers outdoor, digital, social, and TV platforms throughout Melbourne.
The launch follows a modest bump in the show’s Melbourne breakfast audience share, inching up from 5.1% to 5.8% in the 2025 radio survey. That lift placed the program seventh in Melbourne’s fiercely competitive market. The ratings gain came shortly after an on-air threat from Sandilands to pull the show from Melbourne if numbers didn’t improve, as reported by The Age.
“Let’s get one thing right here, and I’ve told our management this. We’re not going to super serve Melbourne and ignore our Sydney audience. You either glue on in Melbourne or you (LONG CENSOR BLEEP). One or the other,” Sandilands said in a fiery moment that underscored the high stakes.
Lauren Joyce, ARN’s Chief Audience & Content Officer, said: “The only routine aspect of The Kyle & Jackie O Show is its timeslot. The program consistently delivers content that is bold and distinct from typical radio offerings. ‘Radio Gone Rogue!’ reflects what both existing and potential listeners appreciate about the show.”
The campaign is now live across Melbourne’s key advertising channels, with TV spots continuing over the coming weeks.