Results and Effectiveness

The newly created EnergyTale ritual succeeded where other methods failed, completely bypassing people’s mental barriers. And as result, Australians not only began to actually consider energy in a more positive light, but they began to engage with Origin, discussing their energy issues and concerns. In total, 9 million EnergyTales were read by the Australian public. 38% of people who read an energy tale shared it. While 35% claimed they learnt something new.11% of readers engaged with Origin in a new energy conversation. And perhaps most remarkably, social sentiment for Origin went from only 4% positive to 52%. With Origin EnergyTales, a national chocolate ritual has now become a national energy conversation.

Creative Execution

Origin EnergyTales – a new media idea that sidesteps people’s preconceptions about energy information, through harnessing a much loved, Australian learning behaviour. For over 80 years, Australians have been raised on the ritual of chewing Fantale chocolates, while reading their wrapper to learn entertaining movie facts and trivia. So much so, the behaviour’s almost become a reflex. We decided to apply this simple eating ritual, and adapt it to learning about energy. With a new version of the tales called Origin EnergyTales. Energy topics that have normally been considered too complex and too boring, were broken down and explained in a way people not only understood, but actually enjoyed reading. And at the end of each tale, the hashtag #knowledgeispower was placed to invite people to go online and become part of the emerging energy conversation these tales generated.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

In Australia, due to rapidly rising prices, Energy Companies have now become the most hated service industry in the country. Even below banks. And as a result, the entire industry has been trying to justify their prices and pacify the public by carefully explaining how the industry works. Its such an issue, that even the news has tried to explain it to the public. But instead, millions of dollars worth of media is being completely ignored. Because the truth is, people find the energy discussion frustrating, complicated and boring. Origin Energy, as Australia’s largest energy provider, need more than anyone else to unlock this conversation. We needed to find a new way to break the communication deadlock.