Telstra has taken a distinctive new direction in its new campaign by Bear Meets Eagle On Fire +61. The campaign is led by a whimsical animated film called Duet, that features two characters who journey together through a wondrous world in perfect harmony, as a metaphor for partnership.
The film was directed by Oscar nominated animation duo, Smith and Foulkes and is set to a whistling composition of the famous hit, Islands in the Stream.
The ambitious campaign extends to nearly 3,000 out-of-home sites, including forty special builds and painted wall murals, feature graphic illustrations by Ben Hassler that have been painstakingly recreated in layers of paper with artist Kyle Bean and photographer Carl Kleiner.
The range of executions and commitment to crafted detail suggest a more contemporary and imaginative chapter for Telstra under its new brand platform, Wherever we go, and marks a conscious move away from the previously more corporate image for the brand, according to Brent Smart, Telstra’s chief marketing officer.
“If you want to change how people feel about your brand, you have to change how the brand feels. This work captures the spirit of optimism and promise of partnership that we want the Telstra brand to be all about. We want to show that the biggest brands can also be the most imaginative,” he commented.
The campaign launches in both the AFL and NRL Grand Finals, before extending into media buys across broadcast, digital, and social.
“I’m just proud of all the folks who’ve cared so hard to make this work,” stated Micah Walker, founder and chief creative officer of Bear Meets Eagle On Fire. “It’s not that often you get to make work this considered and crafted, and to do it at this scale, is just really rare.”
Blake Crosbie, managing director of +61, added, “This campaign has also been a great journey with Telstra and the work is the beginning of redefining the relationship they have with their customers. It puts partnership at the centre of the Telstra brand.”
“We’ve really pushed the boundaries within the media to bring this campaign to life. It’s about creating a world of epic wonder, from the screens to the streets, and places Telstra in high reaching, high attention, premium environments,” noted Helen Guard, managing director of Media.General.
Credits:
Creative Agency: Bear Meets Eagle On Fire +61
Media Agency: OMD
Client: Telstra
Chief Marketing Officer: Brent Smart
Head of Brand and Sponsorship: Alita Mcmenamin
Head of Creative Excellence: Anna Jackson
Senior Brand Manager: Jon Hollett
Brand Manager: Dene Mackenzie
Media & Marketing Operations Lead: Paula Marreiros
Senior Media Specialist: Robert Aoukar
Film Production Company: Riff Raff
Directors: Smith & Foulkes
Executive Producer: Tracey Cooper
Production Manager: Theo Cassels
Character Designer: Chris Martin
Storyboards: Adam Beer
Post Production: Black Kite:
Executive Producer: Julie Evans
Senior Producer: Polly Durrance
Producer: Olivia Donovan
Colourist: George Kyriacou
2D Lead: Guillaume Weiss
Lead Animators: Conor Ryan & James Brown
Animator: Loay Shaban
CG Lead: Oleg Troy
Additional Post Production: Alt.VFX
Music Supervision: Trailer Media
Music Production Company: Manderley Music
Music Arranger: Ben Cocks
Music Producer: Sean Craigie-Atherton
Sound House: Rumble Studios
Lead Sound Designer: Tone Aston
Sound Designers: Daniel William & Renee Park
Sound Executive Producer: Michael Gie
OOH Photography: Studio Kleiner
Photographer’s Assistant: Robin Berglund
Production: MINK MGMT
Illustrator: Ben Hasler
Paper Artist: Kyle Bean
Paper Assistant: Andrea Portoles
