Project:
Campaign

Client:
Accor

'Stay Where The Players Stay' playfully positions Accor hotels as the preferred choice for players and fans alike, celebrating Accor's long-standing partnership as AFL’s Official Accommodation Partner.

We see AFL and AFLW talent, beloved footy legends, footy content creators and fans enjoying all the facilities Accor hotels have to offer.

Starring in the campaign:
Josh Weddle and Jarman Impey, Hawthorn
Dayne Zorko, Brisbane Lions
Tayla Harris, Melbourne AFLW
Brian Taylor “BT”, legend & commentator
Nathan Buckley, legend & commentator
Shepmates, content creators

The campaign included digital, TV, social and on-site hotel activations.

Agency credits:
🏭 Creative: Chisel
🎥 Production: Chisel
🎬 Director: Ethan McLean

Project:
Campaign

Client:
Mastercard

Our love of sport is defined not by the outcome of the game, but by the moments that take our breath away. The record books capture the score, but they miss the story of the game.

Sport is about the moments in which heroes are built, nations unite and generations are inspired. These moments are Priceless, and it's these moments that matter most to Mastercard.

As the world leaned in to watch the Rugby World Cup, we turned the Player Of The Match Trophy from a static player reward, to a story of the players’ and fans’ priceless moments.

We live etched the player moments that meant most to fans directly onto each and every games trophy, down in real time in each stadium. We then gifted the trophy to the Player Of The Match, seconds after the final whistle, for the world to witness.

The Live Trophy’s innovation story generated 348 pieces of global coverage and an estimated reach of 47 million.

We created unique trophies at 45 matches in 6 weeks, played at 12 stadiums across 2,337km. We simultaneously translated the live story of the match at the speed of game play ready for a broadcast audience.

We earned more than $3.7M of media due to the innovative execution and real time storytelling, keeping Mastercard top of mind throughout the whole tournament.

This campaign idea went on to be reimagined three years in a row, every year achieving amazing results for Mastercard and receiving recognition with multiple industry awards.

A trophy for one that won the hearts of millions. Now that's Priceless.

👉 Take a look at the Mastercard 🏖️Beach Club🎾 👀

Awards:
🥉🦁 Cannes Lions: Mastercard The Live Trophy. Bronze Award, Entertainment Lions For sport. 2021

🥈 CLIO Sports: Silver Award 2020 for Mastercard The Live Trophy

🥇 The Drum Marketing Awards Europe 2020: Best Technology-led Innovation of the Year for Mastercard The Live Trophy

🥇 Annual Chief Marketer PRO Awards: Gold Award 2020 for “Best Integrated Campaign”, for Mastercard The Live Trophy

🥈 Annual Chief Marketer PRO Awards: Silver Awards 2020 in the “Best Sports Sponsorship or Tie-In” and “Best Use of Event or Experiential Marketing” for Mastercard The Live Trophy

Agency credits:
🏭 Creative: Octagon
🎥 Production: Milkmoney
🎬 Director: Ethan Mclean

Project:
Series Launch Promotions

Client:
Netflix

For 18 months Netflix briefed us to generate hundreds of ideas to launch their biggest series of 2024 and 2025: Squid Game seasons two & three, Stranger Things season five, Emily in Paris season five, and Wednesday season two.

I led the creative team developing pitch packs full of ideas for Netflix to then sell into brands.

This involved researching the best brands within industry sectors to partner with Netflix titles and generating ideas for every channel (content, events, popups, product collaborations, OOH, experiential etc) to promote their biggest global series launches. The best ideas which made the cut got bought and produced through the partnering brands' agency networks.

Over the 18 months of creating hundreds of ideas, a few got over the line. These went on to create unforgettable experiences for diehard fans. The Macca's Dalgona Cookie received the 🏁 Grand Prix at the 2025 🐊 Cairns Crocodiles Awards.

Easily the best briefs I've ever worked on; promoting the biggest global shows in culture, with the biggest brands, with no limit to budget and no need to worry about how to actually produce the biggest idea you can think of.

Agency Credits Squid Games:
🧠 Creative Idea: Gemba Creative
🏭🎥🗞️ Creative Development Delivery & Production: OMD & Akcelo

Agency Credits Stranger Things:
🧠 Creative Idea: Gemba Creative
🏭🎥🗞️ Creative Development, Delivery & Production: Amplify Australia & Initiative

Project:
Social Content Series

Client:
Transport for NSW

PLAN A vs PLAN B… What will you choose?

Cricket stars are faced with tough choices both on and off the pitch every day.

We gave fans the chance to get to know their heroes as players answer random questions covering pop-culture, cricket fandom, and the importance of having a Plan B to get home safely when you've been drinking.

The social films leverage Transport for NSW's partnerships with Big Bash teams Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder.

This idea and format came from two successful season of Decision Time, a campaign I created for TFN’s partnership with the NSW Blues. 👉 take a look 👀

Agency credits:
🏭 Creative: Gemba
🎥 Production: Gemba Productions
🎬 Director: Nick Snelling
🎞️ Post: Mr Fox

Project:
Social Campaign, Digital Rewards

Client:
McDonald's

Macca’s turned the most emotional moment in football into instant reward. Every time Melbourne City or Western United scored at home, fans could score too, simply by celebrating the goal the way they already do.

Fans were invited to post their goal celebrations as Instagram Stories. By using official team stickers and tagging @mcdonaldsau, a custom-built “Score Yours” bot automatically replied with a unique code for a free Big Mac. No forms, no friction, just pure match-day energy turned into burgers.

The campaign rolled out through player-led social content for both clubs, showing fans how to get involved and setting the tone. This was amplified with fan and player content that leaned into the weird, loud and wildly personal ways supporters celebrate goals.

Running across the 2022–23 A-League season, Score Yours rewarded fans for doing what they already love most, backing their team, losing their minds when they score and sharing it with the world.

Agency credits:
🏭 Creative: Gemba
🎥 Production: Betty Wants In
🎬 Director: Nick Snelling

Project:
Campaign, Social Content, TVC, Broadcast Integration, Digital

Client:
Westpac

Westpac came onboard as a main sponsor of the NRL/NRLW for the 2023 season, a key part of their sponsorship was to have their logo grace an NRL/NRLW Official Match Ball.

But they wanted to do something a little different. Something which rugby league fans would remember… Westpac would give the ball away every time it landed in the crowd.

The Westpac CATCH & KEEP promotion was first launched during State of Origin and — unsurprisingly — has proven a massive hit with fans at every game since.

The in bowl activation was so popular with fans that we took the promotion beyond the stadium.

Enter the content series titled Art of the Catch. The series stars a likely bunch of NRL and NRLW heroes — including Josh Addo-Carr, Tamika Upton, Millie Boyle, Kodi Nikorima and legendary veteran Nathan Hindmarsh — who all offer some light-hearted tips on how to snatch the prize whenever opportunity falls from the sky.

The Art of the Catch rolled out through the NRL/NRLW, NSW BLUES, Fox Sports and players’ social channels, and included a home page takeover of NRL.com leading into the NRL and NRLW 2023 Grand Finals.

As an extra bonus, Westpac also launched a consumer promotion that gave rugby league fans a chance to win the best seats in the house for the Grand Final – which, was in prime position to potentially take that magic catch.

We also developed a fun fan challenge, situated outside stadiums on major game days, take a look: 👉 Catch & Keep Magic Round  👀

Agency credits:
🏭 Creative: Gemba
🎥 Production: Chisel
🎬 Director: Zak Kaczmarek & Patrick Sidoti

Project:
Campaign, Social Content, TVC, Broadcast Integration

Client:
Toyota

This campaign taps into the heart of cricket culture, emphasising the power of positive momentum both on and off the field. At its core, the campaign shines a spotlight on Toyota's highly successful Good for Cricket Raffle, a fundraising initiative that has already raised over five million dollars for grassroots cricket clubs over the years.

The hero is a 30-second spot that takes viewers on a journey through authentic cricket clubs across the nation. Real scoreboards from clubs large and small come to life on screen, with local cricketers, grounds keepers and fans. The climax of the spot features Australian national team stars lending their support to the cause.

The message: "Buy a ticket and support local cricket." By participating in the Good for Cricket Raffle, fans not only have a chance to win one of three new cars, but they also play a vital role in helping grassroots organisations survive and thrive. By ensuring 100% of the proceeds goes straight to local clubs, the Raffle and the campaign reinforces Toyota's enduring commitment to the community.

The hero video and cutdowns featured in live cricket broadcasts, in stadium big screens, on digital and social channels, as well as print and outdoor.

Agency credits:
🏭 Creative: Gemba
🎥 Production: Gemba productions
🎞️ Post: Mr Fox

Project:
Campaign, Social Content, Broadcast Integration, Digital & Preroll, Activation

Client:
Transport For NSW

In 2024, we relaunched Get Your Hand Off It to remind drivers that two seconds of distraction at 60km/h equates to 33 metres of road you never see.

To bring this idea to life, we installed a 33-metre Red Road outside the Sydney Cricket Ground on game days. The visual immediately confronts people with the real distance a car can travel while a driver looks at their phone.

We then had Sydney Swans star talent Isaac Heeney, Nick Blakey, Chloe Molloy and assistant coach Brett Kirk kick a ball down its distance, amongst other things, for a bit of impact.

In 2025 we extended this campaigns’ match-day activations with a fun AR challenge - 👉take a look 👀

Agency credits:
🏭 Creative: Gemba
🎥 Production: Chisel

Project:
Social Content Series

Client:
Transport For NSW

Life for athletes is filled with stats and data. Wins and losses, possessions, time with the ball, shots on goal, top speeds, kms travelled etc… it’s endless.

In a multi-episode, social content campaign, the banter of football fandom and statistics combines with the serious realities of road safety stats.

What begins as light-hearted trivia tossed around between teammates, ends as a serious exploration about how much you know about speeding and road safety.

Agency credits:
🏭 Creative: Gemba
🎥 Production: Gemba Productions
🎬 Director: Lachlan Wills
🎞️ Post: Mr Fox

Project:
Campaign, Social Content, Activation, Digital

Client:
Transport for NSW

‘Decision Time’ is a social campaign that brings to life the importance of making good decisions on the road. It leverages Transport for NSW's partnership with the players and coaching staff of the Westpac NSW Blues.

The idea was simple: on & off the field, players are faced with everyday decisions that have an impact on their lives – so we put our players’ decision-making skills to a little test.

‘Decision Time’ saw players responding to a series of rapid fire ‘this or that’ questions on an interactive touch screen. Whilst the questions started light-hearted to get to know our players’ personalities – sauna or ice Bath, cardio or weights, heavy metal or hip-hop? – they quickly changed to more serious road safety issues including questions related to speeding, fatigue and drink driving. When it came to decisions on the road, it became clear there really was only one correct answer.

This content features Rugby league stars including James Tedesco, Josh Addo-Carr, Cameron Murray and Rugby League legend Greg Alexander.

Mr Alexander says ‘Some decisions are all about you, some are much bigger than that’, which highlights the impact of making decisions on the road.

Accompanying the Decision Time content, Gemba also produced in-stadia and digital assets to support the campaign that will be live for the duration of The Knock-On Effect Cup season and live across NSW Rugby League’s social channels and website.

Agency credits:
🏭 Creative: Gemba
🎥 Production: Gemba Productions
🎬 Director: Nick Snelling
🎞️ Post: Mr Fox

Project:
Campaign, Social Content, TVC, Broadcast Integration, Activation, Digital

Client:
TOYOTA

Feeling It celebrated the moments that show how Australian Rules Football makes us feel every possible emotion.

The campaign marked Toyota’s 20th year as Premier Partner of the AFL. Working with Gemba, Toyota launched a national activation that tapped into what footy has always meant to fans. Joy. Heartbreak. Pride. Belonging.

Built off Toyota’s iconic Oh What A Feeling line, the work reflected a deep understanding of the game and its people. From pulling on your first jumper to lifting a premiership cup, footy made us feel everything at every level. That’s Good for Footy.

The hero film aired on Channel 7 and Fox Footy and brought together some of the game’s most powerful moments. The Adelaide Crows’ first game in 1991. The Swans’ breakthrough premiership in 2005. Dom Sheed’s unforgettable kick in 2018, loved or hated depending on where you stood.

It followed Daisy Pearce from raw ambition to premiership glory. It celebrated players with disability and the energy of local clubs, whose belief and generosity helped raise nearly $10 million through the Toyota Good for Footy Raffle.

More than a milestone, the campaign showed Toyota’s ongoing impact on footy communities everywhere, from the AFL and AFLW to wheelchair football and inclusion carnivals.

The work rolled out across film, print and OOH, with tailored cutdowns for each partnership running throughout the 2023 Toyota AFL Premiership Season.

Feeling It ran for two more seasons do to it being so successful for the brand. Each season Feeling It cumulated in a Grand Final activation at the MSG 👉 take a look 👀.

Agency credits:
🏭 Creative: Gemba
🎥 Production: Gemba Productions
🗞️ Media: Spark
🎬 Director: Bill Irving
🎞️ Post: Mr Fox
🎵 Music: Tristan Dewey – Bang Bang Studios

Project:
Social Content Series

Client:
McDonalds

Macca’s Mic is a social series that drops the Big Mac-rophone into the middle of AFL, AFLW, NRL and NRLW, bringing fans closer to the players through quick, funny chats, powered by Macca’s.

Players flip the script and interview each other, firing off a mix of footy banter, dumb questions and the all-important Macca’s order chat. It’s loose and unscripted, letting fans see the personalities behind the guernseys and jumpers, not just the highlight reels.

Launched in 2024, Macca’s Mic has rolled out 40+ episodes so far, racking up over a million views and strong engagement across club and partner channels.

Agency credits:
🧠 Creative Idea: Gemba Creative
🎥 Production: Gemba

Project:
Campaign, content, social, activation

Client:
Worksafe Victoria

WorkSafe Victoria needed a new positioning to cover its partnerships across AFL and Netball.

We created Working Safe is a Team Sport as the sponsorship platform, launching with the Melbourne Vixens partnership.

The campaign spanned content, social, on-court moments and fan activations.

The film Meet the Vixens Work Team was built on a simple, well-trodden insight:

“In sport, just like in safety, no one wins alone”

So we went behind the scenes to meet the people who make it all happen, from players and physios to coaches and club staff, in their place of work.

To add a bit of fun to what can be a pretty dull safety conversation, the half-time on-court activation featured a conjoined T-shirt and a shooting challenge for lucky fans, forcing them to literally work together. See what we did there?

Nothing complicated or pretentious, just a clear message that landed well with a receptive fan audience.

Agency credits:
🏭 Creative: Gemba
🎥 Production: Poppet
🎬 Director: Laurence Thanadon
📹 DOP: Sean Higgins
👩‍🏭 Producer: Ally Curtis

Project:
Social, PR & Earned

Client:
Operation Crayweed

Sydney AFL, soccer, netball, rugby, and surfing athletes joined forces at Coogee Beach to support seaweed restoration through Operation Crayweed, a project dedicated to re-establishing native seaweed habitats on Sydney reefs.

‘The Ultimate Recovery Session’ was a winter crayweed planting event raising awareness and funds for a local cause improving our oceans.

👉 See other collabs i’ve done with Budgy Smugglers 👀

Thanks to all contributors who gave their time, skill and products to make this happen.

Credits:
🏭 Creative: Gemba
🎥 Production: Gemba Productions
🎬 Director: John Weir
🤩 Talent: FrontRunners Athletes
🎥 DOP: Paul Van Kan
📸 Photography: Ben Sanford
🎞️ Editor: Kirk Mihelakos
👙 Swimwear: Budgy Smuggler

Project:
Campaign, Social Content, Broadcast Integration, Digital & Preroll, Activation

Client:
Transport For NSW

‘Don’t Fly Blind’ is a fun experiment with three Sydney Swans players, a blindfold and a pointed message: Don’t get distracted by your phone while driving.

We wanted to see how the Swans performed their elite skills blindfolded. Can they take a specky, run through the pack or even kick a goal when they can’t see? The content captured on the day showed that it was next to impossible for Swans stars Tom McCartin, Harry Cunningham and Callum Mills.

So why ‘Flying Blind?’ It was all based on one hard hitting fact – looking at your phone for just two seconds while driving at 60km per hour means you’re ‘driving blind’ for over 33 meters. A lot can go wrong over that distance.

The social, digital and in-stadium content raises awareness of the dangers of driving illegally using a mobile phone and encourages drivers to avoid mobile phone distraction through the ‘Get Your Hand Off It’ campaign message.

Accompanying the ‘Don’t Fly Blind’ campaign is the in-stadium big screen activation – Distracted Cam. Distracted Cam finds fans distracted by their phones and places them up on the big screen at the SCG.

This campaign ran successfully for two more years. Take a look at the next fan social version 👉 Don’t Pie Blind 👀.

Agency credits:
🏭 Creative: Gemba
🎥 Production: Chisel
🎬 Director: Patrick Sidoti

Project:
Campaign, Social Content, Digital Preroll, Activation

Client:
TAC

In late 2022, Victoria’s Transport Accident Commission (TAC) tasked sports and entertainment agency Gemba with finding a way to leverage their ongoing brand partnership with Melbourne Victory FC and build upon the commission’s existing road safety campaign – ‘If you’re on your phone, you’re driving blind’.

Using three of the club’s top players Chris Ikonomidis, Noah Smith and George Timotheou, Gemba created a world-first experiment, The Tunnel Vision Experiment. The test saw each of the footballers attempt what (at first glance, anyway) appeared to be an easy task – all they had to do was pass a ball through a custom-built tunnel to one another.​

The catch, however, was the entire interior of the tunnel and the ball itself was painted in Black 3.0, a substance that absorbs 99% of light, rendering any object or surface absent of form, structure, or depth. ​This meant that during those moments when the ball traversed the tunnel, it briefly disappeared. The exterior facade of the tunnel structure resembled a giant smartphone screen to remind people that if they’re on their phone while behind the wheel, they’re distracted and blind to the task at hand.

TAC’s Head of Road Safety, Samantha Cockfield, said, “The experiment was very interesting. Aside from it being a bit of fun seeing the players disorientated by the unnaturally dark tunnel, it also brought a very serious road safety message to life. The reality is, if we’re behind the wheel and we glance at our phone, then we’re driving blind in what can be crucial life-or-death moments. To put it in football-related terms, at 50kmph, a two-second glance at your phone means you’re travelling blind for 28 metres, that’s a quarter of the length of AAIMI Park”.

We created a series of films to feature in stadium at AAMI Park and social and digital channels.

Agency credits:
🏭 Creative: Gemba
🎥 Production: Ant Alekna
🛠️ Build: Little Mill

Project:
Social Content Series

Client:
Transport For NSW

‘Don’t Pie Blind’ is a fun experiment with three Sydney Swans players, a blindfold and a pointed message: Don’t get distracted by your phone while driving. Based of previous years campaign with the Sawns; 👉 Don’t Fly Blind 👀.

For the second year we put our players in the position of the fan – could they perform footy fan activities blind?

Agency credits:
🏭 Creative: Gemba
🎥 Production: Chisel

🎬 Director: Emily Mays

Project:
Social campaign

Client:
Optus

The Optus 2016 Olympics campaign was huge — and that meant a lot of stakeholders were involved.

#FanUpAUS was a call to arms to get all of Australia to show support for our athletes.

The campaign launched with a tongue in cheek film featuring Ian Thorpe, Lee Lin Chin and the Bondi Hipsters, all encouraging the public to get involved and show support. On Facebook this achieved 3.95m views and 22.5k engagements

Following this the message was amplified with influencers, creating content that is authentic to their audiences and channels, one of which being the Bondi Hipsters.

The #FanUpAUS campaign showcased how, by effectively leveraging the mood of a nation and inspiring engagement via influencers, athletes and fans, a brand can standout and dominate the Olympics on social.

The public response was enormous, with the #FanUpAUS hashtag becoming the most used brand hashtag during the Olympics, and Optus was the most talked about brand sponsor during the Olympics with 27% share of voice.

Agency credits:
🏭 Creative: Emotive
🎥 Production: Emotive
📱 Social: We Are Social
🤩 Featuring: Bondi Hipsters, Ian Thorpe, Lee Lin Chin

Project:
Campaign

Client:
Optus

With Optus you can stream endless entertainment without using data.

To bring this to life we follow our dancing girl as she seamlessly loops entertainment into her day. Characters representing the various entertainment on offer (Netflix, Stan, Optus Sport & Spotify) burst into the different environments, interacting with her as she effortlessly grooves through.

Filmed at Fox Studios in Sydney, using a motion controlled camera rig to stitch the multiple takes together.

The soundtrack is “Let it roll” by Ladyhawke.

Agency Credits:
🏭🎥 Creative/Production Company: Emotive
🧠 ECD/Creative Director: Charlie Leahy
🧠 Optus Creative: Mark Harris & John Weir
🎬 Director: Darcy Prendergast (Oh Yeah Wow / Exit Films)
🎥 DOP: Evan Papageorgiou
👩‍🏭 Executive Producer: Simon Joyce
👩‍🏭 Senior Producer: Hayley-Ritz Pelling
🎬 Activations Director: Alison Mitchell
👩‍🏭 Producer: Johnny Greally
👩‍🏭 Production Manager: Serena Rettenmaier
👩‍💻 Production Designer: Aaron Crothers
🎞️ Editor: Uthayan Selvaraj
✨ VFX House: Oh Yeah Wow
✨ VFX Producer: Christina Remnant
✨ VFX Supervisor/Lead: Josh Thomas
🎵 Sound Design: Ryan Granger (Dead On Sound)
🌈 Colour Grade: CJ Dobson (Pocket Post)
👩🏼‍💼 Optus Marketing: Michelle Katz, Bo Van Graan, Jennefer Elten
👩🏼‍💼 Optus Brand: Jane Saleh and RE
🗞️ Media Agency: UM
📱 Digital Agency: Amobee

Project:
Content Series

Client:
Optus + Swimming Australia

This film series 'Moments' was produced to drive awareness of FINA World Championships in Budapest, and the Partnership between Optus and Swimming Australia.

To give our current swimming champions the platform they deserve we  partnered them with past Australian Olympic swimming greats, to hear from them just how talented our next generation are.

Tallent included:
Mack Horton and Ian Thorpe
Emma McKeon and Susie O’Neill
Cam McEvoy and Michael Klim

The series ran on Facebook, Instagram and during live broadcast.

Agency Credits:
🏭🎥 Creative & Production: Emotive

Project:
Campaign, Social Content Series, TVC, Broadcast Integration, Activations, Digital

Client:
Hyundai

The 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup was held in France.

As official partner of the Matildas, Hyundai used the global event to drive the women’s game forward with a campaign focused on messages of support.

Starting with our Letters campaign, we used the Matildas biggest stars including Sam Kerr, to define what support means to them by writing a letter of thanks to the person most important in their sporting success to date.

The heart felt messages grabbed huge attention amongst fans, which triggered the fan engagement phase of our campaign where fans were invited to get involved too.

We made a canvas out of a Hyundai i30 car, and invited 1000’s of Australians to write personal messages of support to the team.

We then drove these messages of support all the way to their training camp in Paris, so the team could read at a time they needed it most.

Agency credits:
🏭 Creative: Octagon
🎥 Production: Milkmoney

Project:
Social Content Series, Programatic Branded UGC, Digital

Client:
QBE

QBE’s 34+ year partnership with the Sydney Swans delivered strong awareness, but brand consideration had slipped. So we doubled down on what no other insurer could own. Longevity. We reframed the partnership as a story of commitment, loyalty and consistency, shifting QBE beyond selling insurance to standing for confidence and belief.

When sport shut down and footy fans felt disconnected, we set out to bring them closer to the team they love. Using exclusive access to Swans players, footage and stats, we rebuilt that connection when it mattered most.

Every footy fan has their own story, yet insurance customers often feel like just another number. That insight led to QBE Swans Story, a data driven, interactive film personalised to every fan.

Instead of boring data capture, fans relived key moments from their Swans journey. Each film was completely unique, introduced by favourite players, packed with personalised highlights, fan milestones, AFL stats and comparisons to their heroes.

With over five million possible outcomes, 44 iconic moments from 34 years of AFL archives were illustrated and animated, then stitched together by a bespoke platform into highly engaging fan films.

Launched during COVID lockdown, the campaign rewarded sport starved fans with epic highlights and a genuine way to reconnect. QBE Swans Story was recognised as the top sports campaign globally during COVID-19.

1,644 personalised films
500,029 views
1,846,644 total reach
58 hours of bespoke content
109 hours spent on platform

Awards:
🥇🤖 ANA International ECHO Award for Data Inspired Creativity 2020: best video content for QBE Swans Story.

🥇 Nielson Sport 2020: QBE Swans Story acknowledged as the top sports campaign globally during Covid 19 😷.

Agency credits:
🏭 Creative: Octagon
🎥 Production: Milkmoney
🤖 Digital Agency: Zebrar

Project:
Campaign, Social Content, TVC, Broadcast Integration, Digital

Client:
realestate.com.au

realestate.com.au (REA) signed a 1 year deal with the AFL to become the Online Property Partner of the AFL.

Octagon were briefed to bring to life the brands role, purpose and creative for the partnership.

We helped them realise this by helping them take to market their first campaign: The Other Saturday Game

Taking a content led approach, REA shone a light on the lead up before and debrief after the ‘big game’. Using shared terminology and analogy, REA helps Australians and Footy fans prepare (and rehab) each week to get the competitive edge in the other Saturday game.

The campaign featured TVC spots to be used across the season featuring former Sydney Swans and Melbourne Demons coach Paul Roos, AFLW player and Channel Seven commentator Daisy Pierce, and West Coast Eagles star Nic Naitanui.

Output:
11 episodic TVC’s
11 social recuts
10 pre rolls
3 OOH
6 Social long form content pieces
Multiple News Ltd & REA website takeovers

Results:
📊 12% points uplift brand preference in target market

Agency credits:
🏭 Creative: Octagon
🎥 Production: Milkmoney

Project:
Campaign, Social Content, TVC, Broadcast Integration, Activations, Hospitality

Client:
Hyundai

Australia is a sports mad nation. We love our footie, we’re rugby obsessed, cricket mad and swimming is in our blood….

However every 4 years something comes along so exciting that we all put our first love aside and embrace something new: the FIFA World Cup™.

Hyundai have always always loved football, in fact they’re the only brand in Australia supporting across all levels of footballs sponsorship, from grass routes, to A League and of course the national Socceroos teams.

The Socceroos were playing in Russia for the IFA World Cup™, so national excitement would be at a high as the global event brings in a huge football audience, beyond the core football fans.

So we created a provocative campaign to engage the large number of ‘bandwagon’ fans as well as core fans. We encouraged all to jump in, even if its for the first time, and even if its just for a a short but beautiful 4 weeks.

‘Have a Fling with Football’ was Hyundai’s message, and we used other codes to bring in passionate fans to enjoy FIFA World Cup™

To champion our campaign message we use famous stars from other codes such as Wendell Sailor, Luke Hodge and Damien Flemming to encourage everyone to get involved.

We even put the challenge out on social for fans to show us just how they were having a fling with the game for the chance to win a Hyundai i30 using #footballfling.

Finally we hosted all hours viewing events at locations across the nation, best known to fans for sports other than football.

Brisbane Event:
We took over the Caxton Hotel in Paddington, famous for it’s devotion to Rugby League. Much to the shock of locals, a giant soccer ball appeared on the roof and Rugby memorabilia was swapped out for soccer memorabilia. Staff, fans and celebrities were kitted out in a sea of green and gold to enjoy their 'fling with football’ in a place where maroon is normally compulsory.

Sydney Event:
The North Sydney Olympic pool is normally associated with world class swimming events, but on this night football took over. Sydney fans came together on a chilly night at the famous pool to ‘have a fling with football’. Fans, former Socceroos and sporting celebrities from other codes came together is a sea of fleecy-lined green and gold to support Australia as they took on Denmark.

Melbourne Event:
We created an star-studded event opposite Ethiad stadium in Melbourne, the heart of AFL land. The plan was to hijack die-hard Carlton fans after a game as they exited the stadium and invite them to cross the road and 'have a fling with football’. The plan worked. Fans swapped their team colours for Socceroos kit and joined celebrities from other sporting codes doing exactly the same thing.

Agency credits:
🏭 Creative: Octagon
🎥 Production: Milkmoney

Project:
Campaign, TVS, Social Content, Activations

Client:
Aldi

Aldi created a new range of healthy of kids friendly family meal ranges, as part of a play to improve brand quality perception.

To launch this initiative we used Aldi’s partnership with the Mini Roos , Australia’s largest grass roots football program, to get the healthy message out there.

Specifically we use the exponentially growing fame of star Matilda Sam Kerr to become ambassador to our ‘Mighty Mini Chefs’ campaign, a campaign that put kids in the driving seat of the kitchen meal preparation, healthy food made easy.

We created the Aldi ‘Mighty Mini Chefs’ food truck, which travelled the nation turning up to Mini Roos events as well as W-League and Matildas games, spreading the Aldi healthy food message.

Agency credits:
🏭 Creative: Octagon
🎥 Production: Milkmoney

Project:
Social Content Series

Client:
Optus

The #FanUpAUS campaign finalised with an exclusive social-only six part series starring Ian Thorpe, where he brought all the support messages straight to the athletes in Rio. Ian also joined in on various fun and games alongside a traditional interview format, only, in a pool.

As Optus Creative Director I developed the show identity and generated ideas for the shows format and treatment, working closely with the team at We Are Social and Jungle.

Highlights include:
• First consumer brand to release a social talk show
• 6.6 million total impressions
• 1.1 million total views
• 16K engagements

Agency credits:
🏭 🤳🏻 Creative: We Are Social
🎥 Production: Jungle (David Curry & Craig Melville)

Project:
Partnership Platform, Social Content, Activation

Client:
QBE

The Challenge:
QBE had been principle partner of the Sydney Swans for 33 years. Whilst 52% of fans were aware of the QBE brand only 17% were considering buying their insurance products and only 3 % held a product with QBE.

Research showed that whilst fans were more than familiar with the logo, they had little connection to the company. There was little meaning in the partnership.

So our objective in 2019 and beyond was to use the partnership to inject meaning - the why - into the QBE brand.

The Solution:
We had a plethora of assets that can carry our brand name. LED, static signs, banners… great awareness drivers. Poor vehicles for meaning. But there is one asset that exists in a place above all others. A place which QBE owns. A place that no our brand has sat on the hearts of fans and players for more than three decades: the famous Swans Guernsey, thats had the QBE logo front and centre since 1986.

This became our singular canvas to deliver messages of meaning to over a million fans – The Fabric Of The Swans.

The Fabric of the Swans goes far beyond the literal guernsey, it celebrates all the threads that make up the wider Swans community; from the fans, players, coaches and back team staff, right through to the volunteers and Swans Academy members.

As a partnership positioning, QBE would focus all activity on showcasing their proud part of the the fabric of the swans. A part they’ve played since 1986.

The Launch:
We launched Fabric of the Swans at Fan Day commencing the 2019 season. We created a ALF banner sized wall which we encouraged all fans to write a message of support to the club and players. We captured all messages and in the process gathered meaningful fan stories. The best of which became part of our launch content, where selected fans got to help make the teams home game banner, and run out onto the field with the players.

Agency credits:
🏭 Creative: Octagon
🎥 Production: Milkmoney

Project:
YoPRO TVC

Client:
Danone

‘Chasing Passion’ is a film featuring seven-time World Champion Stephanie Gilmore, and showcases how YoPRO can help give you the energy to pursue and fuel your passion.

Shot in Indonesia, on the island of Sumbawa at Lakey Peak, directed by surf legend Taylor Steel, using the best water cinematographers and DOP’s in the business (Talon Clemow and Chris Bryan respectively).

Agency credits:
🏭 Creative: Emotive
🎥 Production: Rapid Films
👩‍🏭 Executive Producer: Abby Bond
👩‍🏭 Producer: Drew Bailey
🎬 Director: Taylor Steel
👻🎥 Phantom DOP: Chris Bryan
🌊🎥 Water DOP: Talon Clemow

Project:
Content, Promotion

Client:
McCafe / McDonalds

McDonald’s wanted to drive McCafe coffee purchases through the winter months by demonstrating the role a McCafe coffee can play in the Aussie weekend sport ritual.

Luckily McDonald’s have lots of great partnerships in all the major sports that require soccer mums & dads to mission round frantically delivering kids to. Frantic moments where McCafe coffee stops are vital, and a caffeine injection becomes their trusted sidekick.

So our idea took these partnerships; Melbourne city FC, Melbourne Vixens & Melbourne Demons, and offered fans the chance to win an actual weekend sidekick, to go with the coffee.

McCafe Weekend Sidekick's offered money-can’t-buy experiences to customers who have the MyMacca’s app and purchased a McCafe coffee through the campaign period. They got to spend the day with a sporting superstar, from their code of choice, joining them and their kids team on their weekend of sport.

Our Sidekicks were legendary, including Scott Jamieson (Melbourne city FC), Kate Moloney (Melbourne Vixens) and superstar Christian Petracca (Melbourne Demons)

Agency credits:
🏭 Creative: Gemba
🎥 Production: Chisel
🎬 Director: John Weir

Project:
SMB campaign

Client:
Optus

Leveraging the current SMB positioning of “Believe Big, Big Support”, we needed to create a through-the-line campaign offering SMBs the chance to win $30,000 by signing up to Optus.

Using a real Optus Small Business customer as our hero, we created a lighthearted campaign that dramatised the savings benefit in an interesting and engaging way.

Agency Credits:
🏭 Creative: Yes Agency Optus
🎥 Production: Yes Agency Optus

Project:
Social video

Client:
Optus SMB

To promote the Optus Business $40 SIM and drive traffic to the website, we targeted SOHO and Micro Business owners with a social campaign.

We created a series of hyper-lapse videos to bring to life the value of the offering, with each one providing a short visual that’s fun and fascinating to watch via mobile — our primary comms channel.

This campaign proved to be one of the most successful SMB SIM promos ever, with a record low cost per click of 20c.

Agency Credits:
🏭 Creative: Yes Agency Optus
🎥 Production: Yes Agency Optus

Project:
Optus Sport 30' TVC

Client:
Optus

As part of the deal to allow SBS to show a Premier League match each week, Optus were given TV spots during the game.

The idea was to smuggle a channel promo onto another network, every week.

Working closely with Brand & Comms and Optus Sport, we set ourselves the task of creating a new ad each week for the rest of the season (seven months).

Each one is written, recorded, produced and despatched in a matter of days. This ensures our football content is as up to date as possible, delivering on the brand’s promise to move at the speed of culture.

Agency Credits:
🏭 Creative: Yes Agency Optus
🎥 Production: Yes Agency Optus

Project:
Optus Pay launch video

Client:
Optus

Optus Pay, they needed a video to showcase the exciting, and market leading, new wearable payment accessories.

Using a unique illustration style we brought the story to life in light-hearted and fun way, showing all the creative ways you can use payment wearables in the hope of encouraging behaviour change.

Agency Credits:
🏭 Creative: Yes Agency Optus
🎥 Production: Yes Agency Optus

Project:
Campaign

Client:
Shell

Shell Helix engine oil cleans while it lubricates. Encapsulated by the line ‘clean on the inside’  and brought to life by creating a life size piece-for-piece model of a Nissan 300ZX, assembled entirely from clear moulded acrylic (built by Asylum London).

My involvement included art direction of the print photo shoot using photographer Dan Tobin Smith, art direction of the film shoot working with director Ivan Bird and finally design of print and outdoor advertising.

Agency Credits:
🏭 Creative: Antidote London & JWT London
🎥 Production: Rattling Stick London
📸 Photography: Dan Tobin Smith
🎬 Director: Ivan Bird
🛠️ Prop Design: Asylum London