Optus unveils heart-warming campaign about a native Australian glider via Special Group NZ
Optus is bringing a new optimistic story to Australians this festive season – showing the great things that can happen from saying yes in a new campaign developed by Special Group New Zealand.
The new film follows an Australian glider, risking life and tail, for an ambitious surprise for its partner for Christmas. At the conclusion of the film, we see what our glider has gone to all this effort for – a pair of bassinets for its expectant partner. We then reverse back to the moment of ‘yes’ that inspired these ambitious events – pinpointing the moment where our glider decided to turn optimism into action by starting a family of his own.
With populations of Sugar Gliders, Krefft’s Glider and Savanna Glider declining, Optus is using the festive season to raise much needed funds for their cause. Threatened by bushfires, and with limited public awareness of their plight, Optus is working with with the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) to raise in excess of $50,000.
The contribution will help the AWC deliver fire management across 100,000 hectares of natural habitat; remove feral herbivores to help create safe refuges for the gliders; and support the AWC’s scientific monitoring programme to ensure key threats to their survival are controlled.
Says Mel Hopkins, VP of marketing, Optus: “Optus wants to play a part in affecting real change for the future of Australia, as we continue our journey to becoming Australia’s most loved everyday brand with lasting customer relationships. We’ve been part of Australia’s social fabric for 30 years, so it was important that a native species was front and centre of our campaign. We are encouraging Australians to fall in love with these wonderful creatures and join us in saving them in the most generous time of year – now that’s optimism in action.”
Says Tim Allard, CEO, Australian Wildlife Conservancy: “Most Aussies know about wombats, koalas and quokkas – but there is little knowledge of this flying marsupial. The discovery that the Sugar Glider is not one, but three species, raises the alarm that there may be far fewer than previously thought and that the population may have declined by as much as 35% over the last 30 years.
“AWC is taking practical and effective action like fire management and feral animal control to address the key threats to the glider’s survival and restore their populations. This partnership with Optus will help teach Australians about the incredible diversity our country holds; and the funds will help us protect these threatened animals now and into the future.”
The Optus Christmas campaign will launch on Sunday 14 November 2021 with television spots, social content andOut of Home connecting everyday Australians to the plight of this unique – and adorable – animal. This is the latest iteration of the acclaimed “It Starts With Yes” platform which Optus debuted last year. Previous iterations have included a partnership with The Leukaemia Foundation to share the inspiring real-life story of Kara and Nikita, and “The Amazing Race” which shared an epic collaboration between children that harnessed the power of yes.
Members of the public can also support our native gliders this Christmas by donating to https://www.australianwildlife.org/christmas-appeal-2021/
Agency – Special Group NZ
Director – The Bobbsey Twins From Homicide
Production Company – FINCH
Animation Company – Flux
Sound – Franklin Rd
Music – Level Two
Optus
40 Comments
In case you didn’t understand our convoluted story, we’ve explained the entire ad in the press release.
huh?
This made the cockles of mi heart warm. Beautifully done.
I have absolutely no idea what’s going on here. The glider got the girl an iPhone for Xmas?
The moment with the glider above the air vent is a winner
‘This is the latest iteration of the acclaimed “It Starts With Yes” platform’
Acclaimed by who exactly? It’s a dog’s dinner of an idea that gets more strained and convoluted with each new commercial.
… necessary.
I think we may just have forgotten what advertising is, Optus.
Nope that makes absolutely no sense at all. I wanted to read it as the possums are moving out because theres a new baby. But nope. I get so confused.
Was really great until they did the the *record scratch*, *two weeks earlier* trope. I know they did this with the last one too and it just feels lazy.
‘We then reverse back to the moment of ‘yes’ that inspired these ambitious events – pinpointing the moment where our glider decided to turn optimism into action by starting a family of his own.’
This needs to be a super on screen
Optus tries to emulate famous Christmas campaign but forgets the simple art of storytelling.
Well done….. A wonderful ad…… Up there with the Cadbury.
Lovely production, but what the hell is the story?
Convoluted to say the least.
Production good and some cute moments. 3D a little shitty, but worse thing is the story being too big for the time and not told well visually as a narrative. Simplified script given to a director with some narrative skills and a better post house for 3D (or director with an eye of how to push 3D or shoot for it) would have nailed it. Thumbs up for effort, almost there.
Who cares if it makes any kind of sense – they’ve brought the animals back!
The sugar glider is a better actor than any of the humans
After 4 viewings I understand now…
The sugar gliders artificially inseminated a human baby by collecting sperm samples during the night. It’s Christmas miracle.
Dad glider looks at mum glider.
Mum glider looks back.
Dad glider nods.
Mum glider: “Let’s bang.”
Can often be hard for us ad ppl.
No RTBs, CTAs or WTF.
Hey crew –
As ever appreciate feedback from the creative community and love constructive feedback.
One ask to the above who have been rather brutal – please share with me at Melissa.hopkins@optus.com.au your latest work in market. Honestly keen to understand if you are producing great work or just throwing stones at anything ?
Nice to see you standing up. But you don’t need a body of work to be a critic or to understand what does and doesn’t work. You don’t need a body of work to be an audience member. Your dare is like saying the only person that can judge whether a Ridley Scott film is good or not is Christopher Nolan. Ads are made for an audience, not for other ad people.
Regardless, this ad isn’t bad at all but I agree with the story being too complicated, which is a script problem? Maybe if the ad was longer or the story simplified it may have worked harder. Have seen better 3D before too but I forgave that and looked past it to the story. Enjoyed the air vent moment and the miniature sets. Generally nice work.
It’s a lot of fun and yes the story is a little confusing. But it’s not a film or a piece of art, it’s only an ad! People won’t remember it in a month!
How do you dingbats not get this? Everyone knows the gestation period for a sugar glider is 17 days.
Lovely work. The air vent moment made me lol IRL.
You don’t need a body of great work to recognise when something is over complicated. If it’s too convoluted to understand in the relative quiet of an online blog, what chance do the viewing public have when it’s buried in the noise of an ad break? Time will tell of course, and we could all be talking nonsense. Good luck with it.
Not an easy get.
Where’s the context to the AWC partnership? You could have fit it in a 60”.
Maybe that comes with the social or OOH, but maybe people won’t see that or won’t join the dots.
But I can discern whether a restaurant meal is decent or not.
Echoing @average creative, if the work is complicated, that is not an opinion, that’s a fact, shared by many.
I fail to understand how this aligns to Optus, anymore than it does an ad for YouTube or iPhone, the channel by which the Glider learnt how to build the cot.
Mel, I’d like to believe opinions can count with having experience, a body of work is only part of that.
After all, I’m sure you had an opinion, and rightly so, on the creative throughout the process without needing to show your work.
That said I think if we remove our bias, you’re asking a lot from people.
They’re either sitting on the couch tapping on their phone, or reaching for another slice of pizza or popping off for a loo break and sure, they will the love the cuteness of this ad, but they won’t get what it was about.
It feels like you tried to create an NRMA Koala ad, but overcomplicated the message, whatever the message is…I’m still trying to figure that one out.
It starts with YES is a fantastic line…it has enormous legs, with so much creative potential. As a customer it’s an invitation full of optimism to be inspired and motivated…I’m not sure how I get that from a glider.
Personally, with lockdown ending, your brand had a huge opportunity to bring optimism during Summer/festive season, something that every Australian could use given its a chance to finally reunite, travel and get outside.
But hey, what do I know.
Someone just texted me to ask why I’m arguing with Mel Hopkins about an Optus ad on here. That Tom is not me.
The ad is fine. Everyone go do something actually useful with your lives. x
My last post on this matter.
At the end of the day the consumers will make the call and that is what is important.
I love constructive feedback and care deeply about the Aussie creative community. You are all entitled to your opinions – but as I ask above please share your latest work with me at Melissa.hopkins@optus.com.au Getting great work out is hard….sadly the commentary above seems to make it sound super easy. So please send me the great work !!!
Where does one start with this?!
It is a story that to the average joe, literally doesn’t make sense / isn’t easily understood. total fail.
mary and bob from the ‘burbs don’t want to have to work hard to work out the meaning of an advert.
seriously, who signs this off?!
probably the same people who spend most of the day on LinkedIn self promoting / patting themselves on the back for how amazing they are / how “loved” they want to be – hot tip: consumers don’t “love” service based / utilities companies – so stop deluding yourselves.
they need (yet) another change at the top, deluded, self important marketers steering the ship into the ground.
also, slightly weird that the premise of the work is about protecting a vulnerable Aussie species, yet a Kiwi agency produced the work. again, reeks of self indulgent BS
AGAIN, you’ll never be the market leader, so quit trying and quit pretending like people care about a non-tangible service
The ad is way too long & so convoluted. Just grates. I change the tv channel now when it appears.
Absolutely beautiful. Very cute and very family oriented xxx
I wondered about the premise and meaning of this ad but after watching it a couple of times I get it. I mean watching it for the first time I was left scratching my head thinking “Who makes these ads, this makes absolutely no sense and what do possums and the rest have to do with telecommunications? Turns out its quite a simple message.
The little possum is scavenging to provide for his expectant family. Turn back time 14 days before and he’s exchanging questioning looks with his possum wife and she gives him the nod. Ahhhh yep the penny dropped after a few watches. It all starts with YES. Hence the scavenging at the beginning of the ad. Its really sweet and cute when You understand it.
Not a quick get, few branding issues (no Optus mentioned until 56 seconds into a 60 spot), but the track choice is sensational and caught my attention (hello cut through!).
A challenging script to build connection to the product itself, could be a costly mistake, but perhaps this is the start of the same vibe as the hyped John Lewis seasonal TVC campaigns. Warm and fuzzy. I’m also pleased they have not produced another homogeneous covid / pandemic / ‘we’re open again’ campaign. BORING.
In future campaigns if they keep using the track, the possums (?!) and already strong tagline, they might’ve built themselves a nice little suite of new distinctive brand assets!
If the content can better connect to the brand and be unmistakably Optus throughout the spot, it will at least function as an ad without anyone needing to comprehend the storyline. This will at least yield positive results for long term brand health tracking.
The upside is that this could better function as a piece of online content, where there is more time to take in the storyline and recognise that the ad is for Optus.
Want to see more from this agency/client partnership!!
No mention of the singer/song writer
DAVID GATES of BREAD
Well done….. A wonderful ad…… Up there with the Cadbury.
The baby looks fake???? Is it just me?
Brilliant
OPTUS shouldn’t it start with security? I feel this ad makes very little sense without the context of this article. Money better spend on security and telling the public what really is being done to improve.