Optus launches new ‘Great Things Start With Yes’ brand platform via Special New Zealand
Optus has launched its latest film under the ‘It Starts with Yes’ brand platform via Special New Zealand, which reminds Australians that extraordinary opportunities start with YES.
Produced by Revolver the film details how many everyday Australians have extraordinary talents, but at some point, real life takes over and they no longer have the time, drive, or belief in themselves to say YES and chase their passion.
This film chronicles the story of a steel worker, played by violinist Eric Avery, whose character also has an incredible talent: he is an extremely accomplished violinist. He plays Jimmy Barnes’ iconic Australian anthem, Working Class Man, while on his break from the work site. The reaction and support he receives from his colleagues, whose social upload of the moment goes viral, pushes him to take the next step and pursue his passion of playing the violin.
Says Mel Hopkins, VP of Marketing, Optus: “We are committed to demonstrating how Australians can seize both small and large opportunities by having the optimism and commitment to say ‘yes’.
“With this campaign, we are excited to announce our partnership with proud Ngiyampaa, Yuin, Bandjalang and Gumbangirr artist, Eric Avery, who brought the concept to life through the power of music. We look forward to working with Eric throughout 2022 and beyond.
“We’re on a mission to become Australia’s most loved everyday brand, making work that we believe is truly reflective of Australia and our broader community. Storytelling is critical to that, and we are proud to bring another dimension of storytelling.”
True to the spirit of optimism that underpins the brand ethos, Optus formalised its Employee Networks this year as part of its Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging strategy. These employee networks represent the multifaceted Optus organisation including culture and heritage, women, ability and disability, and veterans and services, and allies.
Eric Avery will also be performing at the Optus Arena tent at the Annual Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mari Gras festival event Fair Day.
Says Lisa Fedyszyn, ECD, Special: “Many Australians are currently re-evaluating their goals and making major life changes. And this latest instalment of ‘It Starts with Yes’ reflects that sentiment and aims to inspire more Australians to say YES to positive and ambitious change. We’re thrilled with the outcome and this beautiful modern interpretation of an Australian classic we all grew up with.”
The film will launch on Sunday 20 February 2021, with television spots, social content, and OOH nationally in both metro and regional areas throughout March.
Optus
Agency – Special NZ
Production Company – Revolver
Director – Justin Kurzel
Sound / Music: Rumble Studios
Level Two
Casting: Citizen Jane
Post-Production: The Editors
Post-Production: Blockhead VFX
Photography: The Kitchen Creative Group
Retouching: Cream Electric Art
31 Comments
Beautiful!
So you took a real artist, someone who represents his community, and retrofitted a fictional story to align with your vanilla brand ethos?
It’s very condescending.
Not sure if it will translate as well in a 30″, but the 90″ is beautiful.
The Feels
Feels like one of those long, online content pieces that were popular with marketers around 10 years ago.
And there I was thinking Kurzel’s ‘True History of the Kelly Gang’ asked a bit much of me…
Want their made up success story back:
https://campaignbrief.com/curing-homesickness-australia-rallies-to-get-kids-home-from-hospital-sooner-with-newly-launched-mums-sause-film-via-che-proximity/
I like this – beautifully crafted, but except for the last 15 seconds it somehow feels more like a Telstra ad and lacking the usual Optus energy – maybe that’s the point, but taking Telstra head on feels risky.
A wonderful rendition of ” Working Class Man”
I nearly threw-up when I saw this.
Perhaps you should stick to improving telecomms rather than creating fiction
Total cringe fest.
This is beautiful work.. I totally teared up
So incredibly lame and a disservice to a great creative platform.
Featuring indigenous talent and supporting Mardi Gras are worthy causes but that doesn’t make a boring film more watchable, no matter how well intentioned you are.
Predictable. Just a wallpaper of schmaltz with nothing really to say. Pity that.
What an inspirational story about how, if we just film more stuff on our phones, anyone out there can achieve the ultimate human fantasy: getting famous on the internet and escaping the worst fate imaginable – being working class.
Spot on!
Are you butthurt that hasn’t happened for your creative? Or are you so high and mighty wiping your angry tears away with your ad-land supplied dollar bills that you can’t comprehend the idea that working-class people might dream beyond their class system? D’awww poor baby.
So being a violinist isn’t a job? What class is it exactly ‘the musical class’? What a big crock of Victorian nonsense.
I think this account should move back to Australia.
Maybe it’s not the agency’s fault?
… is not the agency’s fault.
feels like there’s a genre of saccharine kiwi ads where a working class bloke shows a tender side (in this case it’s quite a leap – brings the violin to the site, lol), and it goes viral and he is accepted and loved.
didn’t Colenso just do an ad for spark about a shanty kid?
it is the agency’s fault, they wrote this.
bit of a long bow for a telco. yes, people see things and share them, but this fairy tale nonsense has got to stop. it’s just silly and so far removed from reality – if you wanna do fantasy, do fantasy. not faux working class dreamer charades.
‘butthurt’? Lol. Sounds like you’re on a Taylor Swift fan page defending her album from the haters.
The point is that most working class people don’t want to be ‘saved’ from their lives by high art. The ‘salt of the earth rags to riches dream’ is an old fashioned cliche that ad and marketing people have laboured under for years. Given most Optus customers probably aren’t so pretentious, I don’t think this will resonate with them, and I find it cheesy.
But you’re allowed to like it if you want. That’s totally fine. And if you worked on it (sounds like you might’ve), well done for being involved in making something.
But now you have to make small talk with the Australian contemporary orchestra nerds during smoko. What a bitter sweet symphony.
Had he played a kazoo instead of a violin he could’ve joined the circus. Which let’s face it, is way better than working with a bunch of band camp virgins in the Australian orchestra.
The story just doesn’t grab you. It’s boring and it doesn’t tell me anything interesting and doesn’t make me feel anything… I’m guessing that was the intention, but something happed in the process?
… about a tradie who smuggles a violin onto the worksite and plays ‘Working Class Man’ instead of actually working like a working class man. Then he gets promoted. Genius.
Is there any truth to the back story or have they used Eric Avery and fabricated a story for him?