Telstruting

Telstra is launching an ambitious sequel to its ‘wherever we go’ brand campaign, building on the cultural response to the now iconic Telstra walk, often affectionately referred to as the ‘Telstrut’.

Directed by Smith & Foulkes from Riff Raff Films, the campaign sees the return of ‘Mick’ and his partner continuing their whistling duet, but this time inspiring a wide collection of fun characters to join in. The core idea of the ‘duet’ is a metaphor for the partnership and possibility that sits at the heart of Telstra’s promise to all Australians.

Launching as a 90 second film to coincide with the start of the footy season, the campaign is also supported by a series of 15s spots featuring standalone duets.

In out-of-home, an array of walking legs have been brought to life by hand – with intricate layers of folded and crafted paper created by artist Jeff Nishinaka. Shot by Carl Kleiner, the range of artworks is unique to each media site.

Alita McMenamin, Telstra Head of Brand and Marketing Communications, said: “We were surprised to see more than 27 million views on TikTok, with people across the world creating their own versions of the Telstra walk, last time. This new iteration of the campaign is inspired by the fact it’s not just about the journey, it’s about those you share it with. It’s been a joy to work on. The team has put so much care and craft into the campaign execution.”

Micah Walker, Chief Creative Officer, BMEOF said: “It was always a part of our plan to revisit this idea when the time was right. The amazing response we received last time gave us some playful ideas and cameos to add to this journey. Massive thanks to everyone who’s been working so hard to make this epic part deux such a fun one.”

Helen Guard, Managing Partner, OMD Australia said: “There’s no bigger cultural moment than the start of the footy season, and we’re proud to launch this sequel on such an iconic sporting platform. We’ve crafted the media strategy to hero this beautiful creative in premium, high attention environments, creating multiple opportunities for audiences to discover something new with every viewing and truly immerse themselves in the experience.”