M&C Saatchi and Commbank are injecting into Australia something that people have lost in recent years – optimism. The campaign, Doubt Never Did, is an exuberant celebration of positive thinking, housed in a wonderfully metaphoric hero commercial, a congregation of people chasing their dreams:
The commercial was directed by Yianni Warnock of MOFA and is set to the soundtrack of Wolfmother’s reimagining of Bon Jovi’s, It’s My Life. The full campaign covers TV, social, OOH and digital, and is a collaboration by M+C Saatchi Group, MOFA, EssenceMediacom, Hart&Co, Level Two Music, Massive Music, ARC Melbourne/Sydney, and Atmos Studios.
The campaign, the next evolution of CommBank’s enduring brand platform, Can, aims to rebuild Australian confidence to overcome self-doubt and take action towards their personal and business goals – on their own terms. It acknowledges that while every Australian has dreams, doubt can be what holds them back.
It began with a national teaser – striking OOH posters that simply featured the word, DOUBT – unbranded, unexplained, and placed across high-impact locations nationwide to provoke curiosity and spark conversation. Soon after, more sites across the country revealed the full campaign – bold new creative with the line Doubt Never Did, alongside powerful portraits of real Australians who have overcome doubt to shape their own paths.
Some placements also feature QR codes inviting people to go deeper – linking to long-form audio interviews hosted by popular podcaster, Matty J (Two Doting Dads). These stories form the emotional core of the platform, celebrating resilience, honesty and personal potential.
Emma Robbins, executive creative officer at M+C Saatchi Group, said: “Doubt is no one’s friend. It holds us back and makes our dreams feel unreachable. We worked with CommBank to create a platform that reminds Aussies they can do anything with the right backing. This work is big, brave and deeply personal. We faced our own doubts as we set out to carefully reimagine a platform as iconic as Can, landing it in the hearts and minds of Australians through a truth and a tone that is honest, optimistic and inspiring. We can all celebrate that there is no one dream to follow. There is only your dream. And it’s beautiful. And it’s possible.”
In an Australian first, there will be a 48-hour BVOD roadblock across leading broadcaster streaming services, alongside roadblocks on YouTube, TikTok and Meta. The media strategy, led by EssenceMediacom, will deliver a phased integrated rollout across television (including a linear TV roadblock), cinema, digital, social and OOH, designed to build momentum and deepen connections over time.
Jo Boundy, Chief Marketing Officer, CommBank, stated, “Doubt Never Did is about helping Australians to feel seen and supported, to move past uncertainty and take action towards whatever their version of success looks like. This could be starting a business, setting a savings goal or simply backing themselves. Consumers told us that The Great Australian Dream has shifted. It’s no longer one-size-fits all. This campaign is about pushing through doubt to follow your unique Australian dream, no matter how big or small. It’s a shift from what’s possible to what’s personal, where we acknowledge doubt might be part of the journey, but it doesn’t have to define it.”
The audio series features:
- Mary Fowler, CommBank Matildas star who rose from Cairns to the world stage, overcoming pressure and expectation to become one of the most exciting talents in global football
- Zoe Karatzovalis, dancer, inclusivity champion and business owner of inclusive dance studio, Infinite Abilities Performance Arts
- Shaun Christie David, founder of Colombo Social, who left a corporate job to create a restaurant that empowers refugees and asylum seekers
- Mark and Lisa Treweek, who took on Halls Gap Zoo and transformed it into a conservation and tourism success story after the bushfires
- Adele Auva’a, motivational speaker and founder of CARE Academy, whose lived experience now empowers young women across Australia.
The campaign was built on research that shows many Australians feel that their dreams are on hold due to financial uncertainty. There is a desire for their own personal progression, but they are seeking reassurance and support.
- Financial concerns is the primary reason (59%), followed by selfmotivation and confidence (36%).
- Mixed emotions – 47% of Australians are feeling anxious about their personal finances, 31% are feeling overwhelmed and 29% are feeling hopeful. One in 11 Australians (9%) feel proud about their personal finances.
- Savings habits – 88% of Australians agree that the cost of living has made it harder save.
- Money goals – saving for a holiday is the number one financial goal for many Australians (42%), followed by building retirement savings / superannuation (29%), paying of the mortgage (28%) and building an emergency fund (27%).
Credits:
Client: Commbank
Creative Agency: M+C Saatchi Group
National Executive Creative Director: Emma Robbins
Creative Directors: Russel Fox & Daniel Borghesi
Creative Team: Chris McKee & Avani Maan
Chief Creative Officer: Steve Coll
Head of Strategy: Mike Hyde
Strategy Directors: Grace Wallace & Amy Kousis
Social Strategy Director Clement Simon
Chief Executive Officer Michael McEwan
Client Partner: Am Lall
Senior Account Director: Jaime Wright
Account Executive: Aisling Loewenthal
Senior Account Manager Rebecca Farinola
Head of Broadcast Production: Loren August
Senior Broadcast Producers: Zoe Rixon & Lill Schroeder
Head of Integrated Production: Gemma Heyes
Integrated Producer: Sydnie Kendall
Senior Integrated Producer: Francesco Piazzoni
Design Director: James Jamias
Senior Retoucher: Matthew Cox
Integrated Designers: Ian Hartigan, Chantelle Galaz, Kristopher McDuff, Gabby Orfanos
General Manager, Re: Sarah Burling
Senior Account Manager: Jemma Barry
Creative Directors: Shannon Bell & Sionen Adijans
Design Director: Maxine Allen
Creative Team: Maddy Merzvinskis, Shane O’Brien, Oscar Brooks-Luscombe & Heather Whitlock
Production Company: MOFA
Director: Yianni Warnock
2nd Unit Director: Hayden Sommerville
Executive Producer:s Llew Griffiths & Claire Perkins
Producer: Stu Giles
Cinematographer: Jeremy Rouse
2nd Unit Cinematographer: Sean Ryan
Production Design: Steven Jones-Evans
Art Director: Loretta Cosgrove
Sound Design: Lachlan Harris
Media Agency: EssenceMediacom
Stills Production: Hart&Co
Photographer: Cory White
Executive Producer: Monica Clapott
Music: Level Two Music
Supervisors: Marcus Brooke-smith & Emily Crews
Sound: Massive Music
Producer: Alexa Tonkin
Sound Design/Mixing: Abby Sie
Post-Production: ARC Melbourne/Sydney
Executive Producers: Daniel Bradford-Fry & Winnie O’Neill
Post Producer: Kani Saib
Lead Editor: Jack Hutchings
2nd Editor: Harrison Carr
Editorial Assistants: Amelia Pieri & Jack Charter
Colourist: Ben Eagleton
VFX Lead Artist: Eugene Richards
VFX Artists: Richard Lambert, Viv Baker & Stu Bedford
Junior VFX Artist & Assistant: Max Wild
Post Production Assistant: Christian Misuraca
3D Post: Atmos Studios
VFX Supervisor: Andreas Wanda
3D Artists: Chris Harris, Ferry Taswin, Nick Deboar & Martin Tim
VFX Producer: Dave Kelly
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