How much does a creative agency cost in Australia?
By Dan BartleyUpdated 3 minute read
The short answer
It depends on what is made and how it is charged: per project, per asset, by the day for shoots, or a monthly fee for ongoing work. As a published example, Bartley Studio’s product imagery starts at $350 for one product with six images and product video at $430 for a six-second video, excluding GST. Compare quotes per finished asset, with rights included.
How do creative agencies in Australia charge?
In one of four ways, and many combine them. The model matters as much as the rate, because it decides what you are actually buying.
| Model | How it works | Suits | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per project | One price for a defined job | A launch, a catalogue refresh, a one-off campaign | What happens when the scope grows |
| Per asset | A price per image, video or ad | Ongoing ads at a known volume | What counts as one asset |
| Day rate | Crew and studio time, usually for shoots | Large shoots with models and locations | Editing, licensing and freight billed on top |
| Monthly fee | A set fee for ongoing work, often called a retainer | A steady flow of creative | A fee with no fixed number of deliverables |
What do published prices look like in AUD?
Bartley Studio publishes its prices for product imagery and video, so here they are as a reference point, in AUD and excluding GST.
| What you order | Price |
|---|---|
| Product imagery: 1 product, 6 images (the smallest order) | $350 |
| Product imagery: 10 products, 8 images each | $2,040 |
| Product video: one 6-second video (the smallest order) | $430 |
| Product video: one 10-second video | $500 |
| Product video: three 10-second videos | $830 |
| Product video: one 30-second hero video | $920 |
| Ad creative | Priced by volume in the quiz |
| Meta account management, including the creative | Quoted per brand |
The imagery and video calculators on the product imagery and product video pages price other quantities.
Is per project or a monthly fee better value?
Per project suits defined jobs, such as a launch or a catalogue refresh. A monthly arrangement suits ongoing ad creative, as long as the number of finished assets each month is written into it.
Before agreeing to a monthly fee, get answers to these in writing:
- How many finished assets arrive each month, and what counts as one?
- What is the minimum term, and what is the notice period?
- Do unused assets roll over to the next month?
- Who owns the files if you leave?
What should a creative agency quote include?
Everything that turns into a cost later if it is left out. A quote that lists only a total leaves you to discover the rest on the invoice.
- The number of finished assets, and the sizes and formats each one comes in
- Revision rounds, and whether fixing an inaccurate product costs extra
- Turnaround in working days
- Who owns the files, for how long and where they can be used
- Usage rights for any models or creators
- Freight, props, travel and studio hire, if there is a shoot
- Whether prices include GST
What makes creative cost more?
Shoots add the most: crew, studio or location hire, props, models and freighting the products there and back, with another day for each new colourway or setting.
For bulky goods in Australia and New Zealand, freight alone can be a real line item. Imagery made from phone photos removes it: Bartley Studio needs a couple of phone photos of each product and a note on its materials and size, and nothing needs to be posted.
How do I get quotes I can compare?
Send every agency the same short brief: the products, how many assets, which formats, where they will run and the deadline.
Then compare on price per finished asset, turnaround and rights rather than the headline number. For ad creative, Bartley Studio’s quiz prices your volume: get your price.
Other questions people ask about this
Do Australian agencies quote with or without GST?
Both are common, so always ask. Bartley Studio’s prices are in AUD and exclude GST.
Do I own the creative an agency makes for me?
Only if the agreement says so. At Bartley Studio the brand owns the delivered images and videos on full payment, indefinitely and worldwide, with no separate licence.
Is a freelancer better value than an agency?
For a few assets a month with a clear brief, often. As volume grows, the time spent briefing and managing several freelancers becomes the cost to watch.
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