Best Advertising Agencies in Melbourne (2026)

Introduction

Melbourne has eight advertising agencies on this list, each with a working office in the city in 2026. They range from the Melbourne arms of the big holding-company networks to independent agencies that make campaigns for national brands from St Kilda and Cremorne.

The past year reshaped the city’s network offices. Omnicom completed its acquisition of IPG at the end of 2025 and retired the DDB brand, folding DDB Australia into Clemenger BBDO, which is now run by co-CEOs in Sydney and Melbourne. The Monkeys became Droga5 at the end of 2024, and in July 2026 M+C Saatchi’s Australian and New Zealand business agreed a management buyout that takes it out of the global group. Client moves continued too: in June 2026 Asahi split its beer portfolio between BMF and Kerfuffle after a competitive pitch, a reminder of how much Melbourne advertising still revolves around brewing, banking, road safety and government accounts.

Every agency here has a Melbourne office confirmed on its own website or in 2026 trade coverage. The list is unranked. Independent idea shops such as Thinkerbell and Bear Meets Eagle On Fire appear on our creative agencies page instead.

The best advertising agencies in Melbourne

1. Clemenger BBDO

Omnicom · Melbourne · clemengerbbdo.com

Clemenger BBDO is one of the longest-established names in Australian advertising and now its largest Omnicom creative agency. After Omnicom bought IPG, DDB Australia was merged into it to form a single national agency with offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Melbourne-based Mike Napolitano, who previously ran DDB in the city, shares the CEO role with Sheryl Marjoram in Sydney.

Its Victorian accounts include the Transport Accident Commission, where recent road safety work covers e-scooters and the “Meet Graham” project. Other clients on its work page include Carlton & United Breweries, Samsung, Swisse, Michael Hill, Carsales, Mars brands Snickers and M&M’s, and Australian Red Cross Lifeblood. With two agencies now combined, ask which team and which office will handle your business.

2. Ogilvy Melbourne

WPP · CBD · ogilvy.com.au

Ogilvy’s Melbourne office sits on Flinders Lane and is one of four Ogilvy Australia offices alongside Sydney, Brisbane and Perth. It was named APAC Effies Agency of the Year in 2024, and the network in Australia has a strong record at the Effies, including a 2024 Grand Effie.

Ogilvy Australia’s work spans AAMI, KFC, Mondelēz, Coca-Cola, Dove, ING and Swinburne Online. The agency also runs Ogilvy Character Studio, powered by WPP Production, for clients building a brand character or mascot.

3. VML Melbourne

WPP · Southbank · vml.com

VML formed from WPP’s merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, and its Melbourne office is on Southbank Boulevard. VML Australia ranked fourth on Campaign Brief’s 2026 Hot List, and Paul Bradbury became VML ANZ chief executive in January 2026.

The Melbourne office lists Monash University, Honest Eggs Co. and the Australian Defence Force among its clients, with work including “The Endangered Generation” for Monash. In December 2025 VML launched the campaign for Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel, one of the larger local transport briefs of the year.

4. TBWA\Melbourne

Omnicom · CBD · tbwa.com.au

TBWA\Melbourne works from Little Collins Street and is one of two TBWA offices in Australia, alongside Pyrmont in Sydney. Ricci Meldrum is managing director, and Kimberlee Wells leads TBWA\Australia as national CEO. The global network was named Adweek’s Global Agency of the Year.

TBWA\Australia’s client list includes NAB, Telstra, Specsavers, Who Gives A Crap, Modibodi, Mastercard, Four’N Twenty and Nissan, whose Navara campaign “Built for the Grit Shift” launched in March 2026. The agency also runs Backslash, a cultural insight unit that publishes trend reports clients can use in planning.

5. M+C Saatchi

Independent (management buyout backed by Parc) · Melbourne · mcsaatchi.com.au

M+C Saatchi’s Australian business lists offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland. In July 2026 its leadership team, led by CEO Dani Bassil, agreed a management buyout backed by growth investor Parc, with completion expected on 1 October 2026. The agency keeps the M+C Saatchi name and its specialist brands, including Re.

Recent work includes the Sydney Swans and Lifeblood “Round 42” campaign in July 2026, using the AFL to raise blood donor numbers. Sport and entertainment is a dedicated practice, which suits Melbourne clients with major-event and code sponsorships. Ask how the change of ownership affects access to the global network if you need international reach.

6. Howatson+Company

Independent · Melbourne · howatsoncompany.com

Howatson+Company is an independent agency founded in Sydney by former CHE Proximity chief executive Chris Howatson. It has built a Melbourne team as it has grown, and in September 2026 appointed Kate Naylor, formerly of Rethink in New York, as general manager for Melbourne.

The agency won at the 2026 WOO Awards and handles CommBank, with a newly appointed managing partner on the account. It suits clients who want an independent agency with national scale and senior people in both cities.

7. Cummins&Partners

Independent · St Kilda · cumminsandpartners.com

Cummins&Partners is an independent agency with offices in St Kilda, Paddington in Sydney and New York. It has worked with Australian brands for more than 30 years.

Its case studies include Alfa Romeo, Jeep, Leapmotor, Kettle Chips, the Royal Flying Doctor Service, AusNet’s emergency response communications and “Bro Code” for Victoria’s Road Safety Advisory Council. Beyond Blue, Specsavers, McCain and Movember also appear on its client list. The New York office is useful for Australian brands testing work in the US.

8. The Royals

Independent · Cremorne · theroyals.com.au

The Royals describes itself as an independent creative company, with a Melbourne office on Dover Street in Cremorne and a second in Surry Hills, Sydney. It combines advertising with brand and design work, so a single team can carry a campaign idea through to packaging and retail.

Clients include Dairy Farmers, where “Scrolling Girl” and “Start with Oomph!” ran, Australian Unity, DON Smallgoods, Mercedes-Benz, Spotify, Athena and McMillan Shakespeare’s Oly novated leases. It is a good fit for consumer brands that want campaign and brand work from one place.

What to look for in a Melbourne advertising agency

Start with structure. Network offices such as Clemenger BBDO, Ogilvy, VML and TBWA connect creative work to holding-company media, data and production, which matters for national clients buying across TV, outdoor and digital. Independents tend to give more senior time to each account and decide faster, though some will bring in outside production for large shoots.

Check which office will do the work. Several agencies here are run nationally from Sydney, and leadership titles often span both cities. If being close to your team matters, ask who in Melbourne will lead strategy, creative and account management, and how much of the work is made locally.

Look closely at category experience. Melbourne advertising leans on road safety and public sector briefs, beer and FMCG, banking and super, and the major sporting events. An agency with a strong TAC or AFL reel will know how Victorian government approvals and event calendars shape timelines. Recent client moves, such as the Asahi split in 2026, show how quickly rosters change, so ask for current accounts as well as past work.

Finally, ask how the agency runs review and approvals. Advertising projects pass through many rounds: scripts, animatics, edits, legal checks and final masters for each channel. Clear version control, one place for client feedback and an easy way to find past campaigns save time on every brief.

How Fabric helps advertising agency teams

Fabric gives an agency one workspace for files, client feedback and team knowledge, with AI search across all of it. The agency setup suits the way Melbourne agencies work across several national accounts, with one space per client holding briefs, scripts, decks, edits and call notes.

TV and online video files sit in Fabric’s cloud drive, which streams files on demand so they take no local disk space, and heavy edits open without a full download. Search works by meaning across documents, images and transcribed audio and video, and results jump to the right page or timestamp. That helps when a team needs last year’s mandatories or a particular cut of a commercial.

For client delivery, any file or folder can be published as a web page and protected with a password. Link analytics shows when each named recipient opened a link and how long they spent with it, which is useful for pitch decks and review rounds. Clients can leave threaded comments through a shared link without creating an account. Reviewers can comment on PDFs and documents, and leave timestamped comments and drawings on video. There is more on running rounds in one place in review and approval.

On Team plans, self-writing docs maintain a page for each client from meetings, Slack and the workspace, covering decisions, deliverables and open items. New account staff can catch up on an account’s history without a long handover.

Password protection and link analytics are included on Pro and Team plans, and self-writing docs on Team plans. See plans for teams.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best advertising agency in Melbourne?

It depends on the brief and budget. Among network offices, Ogilvy Melbourne was APAC Effies Agency of the Year in 2024 and VML Australia ranked fourth on Campaign Brief’s 2026 Hot List. Among independents, Cummins&Partners and The Royals both have offices in the city.

What happened to DDB Melbourne?

Omnicom retired the DDB brand after completing its acquisition of IPG at the end of 2025. DDB Australia, including its Melbourne office, was folded into Clemenger BBDO, which now operates as one national agency.

Is M+C Saatchi still part of the global M+C Saatchi group?

In July 2026 the Australian and New Zealand leadership agreed a management buyout backed by Parc, with completion expected on 1 October 2026. The business keeps the M+C Saatchi name and its existing brands.

What is the difference between an advertising agency and a creative agency?

The terms overlap. This page focuses on network offices and agencies whose main output is paid advertising campaigns. Independent idea shops that also work across brand, content and experiences are covered in our list of creative agencies in Melbourne.

How much does a Melbourne advertising agency cost?

Most agencies work on monthly retainers for ongoing accounts or project fees for single campaigns, with production costs quoted separately. Network agencies usually carry higher overheads than independents. Ask for a scope that separates strategy, creative development and production so quotes can be compared.

Related lists

Advertising agencies in other cities: Sydney · New York · London · Los Angeles · Toronto

More in Melbourne: Creative agencies · Marketing agencies · Branding agencies · Social media agencies · Video production · Content studios

Run your agency on Fabric: Fabric for agencies · Best creative proofing tools · Best client portal tools