Clive Palmer powers $81.8 million election record

Clive Palmer’s heavy ad campaign helped demolish previous records for an Australian poll.

Clive Palmer is estimated to have spent up to $60m on his unsuccessful ferderal election campaign. Picture: AFP

A record $81.8 million was spent on federal election advertising across commercial free-to-air television, radio and newspapers by the four main parties, led by billionaire businessman Clive Palmer.

Palmer’s United Australia Party splashed out $53.6m in the period from September until election day last Saturday, according to data and analytics group Nielsen But his party failed to win a single Senate seat.

Mr Palmer’s huge outlay dwarfs what Liberal and Labor spent on advertising, which came to $14.5m and $13.3m, respectively. The Australian Greens, meanwhile, spent $320,000.

In the last week of the campaign, Palmer’s UAP spent more than $8.9m, compared with the Liberals’ $2.7m and Labor’s near $3.1m. The Greens spent $140,000.

The figures tracked by Nielsen capture advertising bought across TV, print and radio. But they do not advertising on social media, including YouTube, and outdoor advertising such as billboards.

Managing director of strategy and innovation at ad group DDB Australia, Leif Stromnes, recently told The Australian that Mr Palmer’s spending on political ads could top as much as $60m by election day.

During the 2016 election campaign, parties spent $15.9m on ads across TV, radio and newspapers. Of that, the Liberals splashed out $8.7m, Labor spent $6.3m, Greens spent $800,000 and Palmer $100,000.

Spending for 2016 was up 7.4 per cent from the $14.8 million spent by the four parties during the 2013 election campaign, according to Nielsen.