The Kyle and Jackie O Show has hit Melbourne with a bang, and a new marketing campaign to boot. The ‘Make up your own mind’ campaign utilises what is perhaps the show’s best PR – its sensationalist and negative press. 

Plastered across the signature pink and purple campaign imagery are quotes from well-known media personalities. Examples include, “Kyle’s a grubby buffoon” by Steve Price, “Wouldn’t listen to Kyle in a fit” from Neil Mitchell, and “Melbourne deserves better” from former Melbourne breakfast show host Jason Hawkins. 

The campaign encourages Melbourne listeners to ignore the detractors and make up their own minds about the controversial show. The campaign will play across OOH, radio, social and TV. 

In a statement regarding the new campaign, ARN’s chief connections officer Lauren Joyce said: “Every morning Kyle and Jackie O deliver a unique, loud and always entertaining show and that’s exactly what this campaign is.

“You don’t get to be Australia’s most successful radio show by pretending to be something you’re not. Our plan was always to ‘own’ the headlines, and we’ve done that literally and figuratively.”

Early reviews of the show’s debut reveal that it has maintained its signature style – crude, rude and unpredictable. The Age summed up the first 20 minutes as revolving around “sex, drugs and anti-vaxxers”. On Monday night, The Project panellist Steve Price also criticised the show. 

“Kyle, last time I mentioned you on this program I called you a grubby buffoon,” Price said. “That was a compliment in hindsight. That garbage you put to air this morning, sexualised rubbish, toxic, nobody should listen to it and you will be a massive failure in Melbourne.” 

Price’s comments inadvertently ended up as a promotion for the show when his quote appeared on the campaign imagery. 

Kyle and Jackie O’s bid for Melbourne

Kyle and Jackie O’s Melbourne breakfast takeover was announced in November last year after brokering a historic 10-year deal said to be worth $200 million. Previous KIIS breakfast hosts, Jason Hawkins and Lauren Phillips, were unceremoniously dumped in favour of the controversial Sydney duo and spoke openly of their disappointment.

“We didn’t have a choice,” Phillips said on air. “It’s a business decision that we have been told is what’s happening. We don’t want to say goodbye.”

In February it was announced that the Jase and Lauren show had been picked up by Nova, with the duo returning to the airwaves in March.

Imagery attributed to ARN.