17 May 2023

Controversial ad agency Topham Guerin picked for $500,000 Covid-19 contract, let go weeks in

From Morning Report, 8:34 am on 17 May 2023

The controversial advertising agency Topham Guerin which was handpicked for a $500,000 contract to make memes for the covid information campaign in early 2020 ended up working just three weeks in the job.

Documents obtained under the Official Information Act show concerns were raised about some of the content produced as the country headed into its first national lockdown in March 2020.

It included a video that had to be re-edited because it was thought might upset the Chinese government.

Investigative reporter Anusha Bradley has been looking into the story and spoke with Ingrid Hipkiss.