Chinese automotive giant BYD has put its Australian media planning and buying account up for pitch, following its recent crowning as the world’s largest electric carmaker.

The review comes two years after BYD appointed independent media agency Yango to support its expansion in Australia, after launching its Atto 3 small SUV locally in 2022.

Mumbrella understands BYD initially attempted to run the pitch late last year, inviting agencies to register online, but later paused the process. The call for submissions was reissued earlier this month.

Both BYD and Yango were contacted for comment. Like other recent auto pitches, including Geely, Chinese brands are known for fast-moving procurement cycles.

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Shenzhen-founded BYD has experienced a meteoric rise in the global automotive market, culminating late last year when it overtook Tesla to become the world’s largest electric vehicle seller.

According to auto publication Drive, the company sold around 52,000 vehicles in Australia in 2025, a 156.2% year-on-year increase.

This growth has been attributed in part to BYD’s aggressive pricing strategy, alongside the broader expansion of Chinese automotive brands such as Geely. The local EV market also saw a major shift in competitive dynamics last year, with increased pressure on Tesla.

Locally, BYD has ramped up marketing efforts, tapping into the expertise of Yango, data intelligence firm Audience360, and Melbourne-based creative agency Taboo.

Yango detailed its media strategy for BYD in a recent case study, explaining that it “needed to ditch the traditional automotive marketing playbook and forge a new path with innovative, untapped strategies.”

The campaign used a “data-driven, full-funnel” approach, targeting consumers actively researching cars across TV, digital, and social platforms.  According to Yango, 48% of the campaign audience booked a test drive.

Meanwhile, to promote the launch of its Sealion 6 SUV, BYD released a new Australian advertising campaign designed to position competing SUVs as outdated.

Created by Taboo, the “Everything Else Feels Old Fashioned” campaign ran across TV, social, and out-of-home channels from October last year.

Speaking in a press release at the time, BYD Australia chief marketing officer Kate Hornstein said: “The campaign is rolling out nationally across TV, online video, OOH, and social. We asked ourselves — if customers are willing to buy tech that’s decades old, what would it take to redefine their expectations?

The Sealion 6 marks a new era of SUV — one that’s electric-first, beautifully designed, and smart to its core. Australians are moving beyond conventional options, and this campaign reflects that shift. Choosing BYD isn’t the risky choice; it’s the progressive and intelligent one.”