Telstra unleashes Steve Buscemi as an evil intergalactic Emperor in new network security campaign via Bear Meets Eagle On Fire with +61
With cybercrime on the rise and Aussies losing thousands of dollars every minute to scammers, Telstra’s latest campaign, developed by Bear Meets Eagle On Fire with +61, focuses on how it helps protect Australians from nefarious cyber activity – by blocking millions of threats every day.
The films star legendary actor Steve Buscemi as an evil intergalactic Emperor- intent on taking over Australia through elaborate hi-tech scams. Despite their best efforts, the Zalunians are constantly foiled by Telstra’s mighty network.
Helmed by US director Randy Krallman via Smuggler, the campaign consists of several individual narratives in long and short formats, which will roll out across TV, digital, social, cinema and in Telstra stores.
Says Alita McMenamin, Head of Brand and Marketing Communications, Telstra: “This is essentially a product demo, a very entertaining one, that differentiates our network not just on size, but also on safety. Created with the exceptional level of craft we always enjoy from Micah and team.”
Says Micah Walker, Chief Creative Officer, BMEOF: “Sounds weird to say, but making comedy work isn’t always fun. This genuinely was. Massive thanks to Randy, Steve and all the folks who worked so hard to make something so smart, so silly.’’
Says Blake Crosbie, Managing Director of +61: “The security of a network, and all that happens on it, has serious implications, but doubling down on ‘serious’ too easily follows the tropes of the category. Sometimes making light of a topic is the best way to get people to pay attention to it.”
Creative Agency: Bear Meets Eagle On Fire
Partner Agency: +61
Media Agency: OMD Australia
Client: Telstra
Chief Marketing Officer: Brent Smart
Head of Brand and Marketing Communications: Alita McMenamin
Head of Creative Excellence: Anna Jackson
Senior Marketing Specialist: Rebecca Tearle
Media & Marketing Operations Lead: Paula Marreiros
Senior Media Specialist: Robbie Aoukar
Production Company: Smuggler
Director: Randy Krallman
Co-Founder / CEO: Patrick Milling Smith
Co-Founder / President: Patrick Carmody
Executive Producer: Allison Kunzman
Producer: Gustav Geldenhuys
Director of Photography: Kaname Onoyama
Production Designer: Jiri Matura
Costume Designer: Terezie Dvorakova
Model Maker: Martin Pec
SFX Makeup: Josef Rarach
Edit: ARC
Editor: Peter Sciberras
Executive Producer, Edit: Daniel Bradford-Fry
Assistant Editor: Liam James
Post Production: Blockhead
Sound House: Rumble Studios
Lead Sound Designer: Tone Aston
Composer: Jeremy Richmond
Sound EP: Michael Gie
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16 Comments
Love this work!
Brilliant – how to do a cyber security ad.
Getting Steve Buscemi for this campaign is a huge accomplishment. His comic timing and presence gives the add so much more value. WELL DONE!
I was just gobsmacked when this ad came on. I genuinely thought a movie was playing and was hooked from the outset. Laughed my head off. Congrats great ad.
I love this advert and I love the actor Steve Buscemi, in any of his films or series. And, I believe the ad really gets the message over. Looking forward to any follow on. Being a Sci-Fi fan, it really caught my eye.
Oh the irony of this advertisement. If Telstra’s anti-spamming capabilities are so incredible, how come there is an extensive long running and ongoing scamming campaign happening on the Telstra bigpond email system? It’s an email scam on the Telstra bigpond email system attacking users of that system with emails sent within that system.
https://cybershack.com.au/security/telstra-email-scam/
A great creative work of true fiction.
I had to see this ad (I hate ads) twice before I realised Telstra’s ad people got Steve bushimy (can’t spell either) to take what we all worry about in our futuristic terror and show that Telstra is on it. I don’t know if I believe, but it shows they understand our main concerns, and that sound when they get blocked, I hope scammers hear that and sirens.
It’s an interesting commercial I like the job they did but notice how all commercials have turned to showing what companies DONT do to show us what they do ? It’s eagles coming in saving the banking card and aliens in space. Why don’t they ever show us what they actually do all this is smoke and mirrors so we believe they do something that they cannot ever quantitate.
Took me a while to recognise him
It’s a very entertaining ad, but who is paying for it? Telstra shareholders? It must have cost a fortune.
Saw the ad tonight recognised Steve Buscemi, fantastic actor, so entertaining , previously a firer fighter in New York his birthplace. If you want to see black comedy wstch him in the movie FARGO ,or as a gangster/politician in BOARDWALK EMPIRE.
Craig is just the best! Love the dancing.
This is one of the stupidest ads I’ve ever watched. If Telstra put as much effort into basic customer service or integrating their tech infrastructure to support a usable customer experience, that would actually be interesting.
The door from 2001 a Space Odyssey. That’s a nice touch.
Though a creative in advertising, personally I loathe Tv ads and mute them. THIS was (literally?) from another world , certainly another level. Recognised the sublime Mr Buscemi and demuted. What joy. An ad that makes you laugh out loud and nails multi messages with laser like accuracy. Devastatingly clever. By a million miles Telstra’s best ever ad – keep the series coming and congrats to the creatives and Buscemi for outstanding work.
I love detail and often look for small quirks in an ad. I loved how he got his fingers caught when Armstrong pulled the lever back. Fantastic.