It’s un-Australian not to swim. Australia has always been a swimming nation. If you didn’t swim at a beach, you swam in a pool, or a dam or a river. These days, though, we need a bit of encouragement.

And encouragement is what 72andSunny’s first campaign intends to give Australia. The campaign, Get Splashy, plays into Swimming Australia and Optus’ strong belief that swimming is more than a sport to Australians, but rather ingrained in their upbringing and is a way of life.

“As a principal partner of Swimming Australia, Optus is a big believer that as Aussies, we’re at our best when we’re in the water,” stated Melissa Hopkins, director of marketing and communications, Optus.

“All over the country we need to get back into the water, not necessarily to race, but to splash around and have fun.”

The campaign hopes to inspire younger generations to swim and not lose sight of their enjoyment of the sport.

“Swimming is for everyone. From little kids to the elderly and everyone in between,” added John Betrand AO, president Swimming Australia and Australian sportsman. Optus and Swimming Australia are committed to more Australians having fun in the water.”

As part of the campaign, a first of its kind activation has been launched at the Commonwealth Games – The Splashies. The Splashies is a race that will place Aussies against celebrities in a way that everyone’s familiar with – lying face down on an inflatable lilo. It aims to prove that swimming isn’t just done by elite athletes and encourage participation from all. It’s a race in which any Aussie can compete.

The Splashies final will be screened live on Channel Seven. Competitors include Home and Away actress, Ada Nicodemou; former AFL forward, Barry Hall; Dual International Rugby Union and Rugby League winger, Lote Tuqiri; and Olympic freestyler, Melanie Schlanger.

“What really inspired us about this first brief with Optus was the chance to create a cultural statement about the brand, and its role in swimming in this country,” explained Johnny Tan, Executive Creative Director, 72andSunny Sydney. “We are over the moon with this first work and we can’t thank the team at Optus and our team at 72andSunny for coming together and kicking this new partnership off in style.”

https://youtu.be/pXPp53Ouswc

Music: Ooh Wee by Ghostface Killah, Nate Dogg & Mark Ronson