Optus tunes into TedX star for feel good ad

Starring violinist Eric Avery playing Jimmy Barnes’ iconic Australian anthem as you’ve never heard it before, Optus brings the positive feels in new ad.

In the wake of the pandemic and many Australians re-evaluating their life goals, Optus wants to capitalise on this reinvigorated spirit with a new ad campaign soaked in optimism and positivity.

Starring violinist Eric Avery, the proud Ngiyampaa, Yuin, Bandjalang and Gumbangirr artist plays a steelworker with an incredible musical talent.

Rolling out across TV, social media and outdoor advertising, the spot shows him playing Jimmy Barnes’ iconic Australian anthem, Working Class Man, while on the work site.

As the reaction and support he receives from his colleagues unfolds, they soon decide to upload the moment online, which then gets shared socially and pushes him to take the next step and pursue his passion of playing the violin.

Optus VP of marketing Mel Hopkins said with Covid being the impetus for many Aussies to re-evaluate their goals and make major life shifts, by championing this story it aims to inspire more Australians to do the same.

“Commitment with a good level of optimism to say yes to new challenges means great things happen,” Ms Hopkins said.

“The power of our product is not price and device or telling people why we exist. It is demonstrating that we are constantly connecting people to live out their best lives.”

With advertising on Tik Tok being a mainstay for Optus over the past couple of years, Ms Hopkins said it had learnt that content must be influencer-led, versus simply adapting a brand campaign.

“Broadcast video on demand, connected TV and YouTube are critical partners alongside free-to-air TV, but it is the magical integrations in media over the next few months that will make this special and which will help us become part of the content,” she said.

“The Aussie consumer is super bright. In fact, we know they hate being sold to. Life is busy, we have competing priorities and I don’t think anyone wakes up thinking ‘My goal of the day is to change my telco provider’.”

With the art of storytelling being connection and realism, Ms Hopkins admits it can be “damn hard not to polish it up and overreach” with content, which is why it has to still keep its narrative “grounded in reality”.

The ad is the latest film under the It Starts with Yes brand platform and was created by a New Zealand ad agency, Special, which initially shared Mr Avery’s skills with Optus via his TEDxSydney video.

After becoming “hooked”, Optus now has an ongoing partnership with Mr Avery.

On what appealed about working with a Kiwi agency on the big ad campaign, Ms Hopkins said: “Authenticity, hunger, and amazing curiosity. Zero ego and no layers. Amazing track record and bloody great people – what’s not to like.”

Optus now has an ongoing partnership with violinist Eric Avery

In November last year Optus joined a global initiative, the Unstereotype Alliance, convened by UN Women, which aims to end harmful stereotypes in advertising.

The move sees the likes of Optus, Mars, MasterCard Australia, Suncorp and Westpac commit to helping break down the unrealistic view of life and people often represented in advertising. Unilever has also agreed to say no to any retouching in its advertising.

Sydney-based Ms Hopkins, who has worked at Optus for 5½ years, describes joining the alliance as “like a homecoming” as Optus is open to learning and to being better.

“We serve 98.7 per cent of the Australian population, they’re a diverse bunch. So, we want to be reflective of that,” she said.

“Not everyone has the perfect house on the perfect street. But the way things look to others doesn’t matter, it’s what we believe and feel that really matters.”

Ms Hopkins urged other brands to explore getting involved with the Unstereotype Alliance, convened by UN Women, if they are committed to action and learning, but warned it is no box ticking exercise for a corporate website.

“I love that the Unstereotype Alliance, convened by UN Women, both the global organisation and Australian chapter, have been selective in who has permission to play,” she said.

“Every interaction or meeting, we learn. We all have unconscious bias, and even with the best intentions we can get it wrong.

“We need to walk the walk. We may not always get that 100 per cent right, but we are trying and willing to learn. More importantly, it is at the core of what we stand for as a business.”

Earlier this year Optus formalised its employee networks, including culture and heritage, women, ability and disability, and veterans and services, and allies, as part of its diversity, inclusion, and belonging strategy.