AIR RESCUE

Short List
TitleAIR RESCUE
BrandWESTPAC
Product / ServiceFINANCIAL/BANKING SERVICES
CategoryB01. Corporate Image & Information
EntrantMEDIACOM Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Media Agency MEDIACOM Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Entrant Company MEDIACOM Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Media Agency 2 MEDIACOM Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Production Company FREDBIRD ENTERTAINMENT Sydney, AUSTRALIA

Credits

Name Company Position
Gemma Hunter Mediacom Executive Creative Director/Head Of Mediacom Beyond Advertising
Shelby Craig Mediacom Creative Director
Taylor Thornton Mediacom Copywriter
Katy Websdell Mediacom Account Director
Susie Si Mediacom Investment Director
Craig Graham Fredbird Productions Executive Producer
Sally Aitken Fredbird Productions Director
Ash Dunn Fredbird Productions Director Of Photography
George Lykouras Fredbird Productions Production Manager

Results and Effectiveness

• First ever fully ad-funded series to air on Australian prime time. • No1 in its timeslot. A quarter of the entire population watched the show. • Over 1.69m Twitter impressions. Over 2m unique Facebook viewers. • $2.2m PR value. • ROI 6 x greater media value versus traditional advertising. • Brand consideration increased by 6% and jumped an impressive 15% for our target market. • Corporate reputation grew 4% to its highest level recorded and jumped 22% against our target market. • An extra 25% of people said they would consider Westpac for banking services as a result of seeing Air Rescue.

Creative Execution

We did something never before done in Australia. We devised, designed, and produced a TV series that was broadcast, in primetime, on Australia’s biggest TV network: AIR RESCUE The show followed the men and women of the WLRHS. All the action, as it happened, using stunning new visual and narrative-based methods including 12 Hero3 Go-Pros mounted across choppers and crew. Air Rescue launched on Channel 7 supported by promos across the network (negotiated with Channel 7 at no cost to Westpac). Throughout all of this, were Westpac branded helicopters and pilots using “Westpac 1” and “Westpac 2” call signs. Priceless, subtle and powerful brand communication. The TV broadcasts were supported by social media activity and web-based episodes to increase exposure, engagement and activity in between the weekly TV broadcasts.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

Westpac, Australia’s first bank, has been supporting Australia and its people for nearly 200 years. Our brief was to build brand consideration and improve Westpac’s corporate reputation. The challenge was doing it in a way that didn’t seem self-serving and pushing our agenda, two traits that our audience believes banks are guilty of. Insight: Talk is cheap in banking - what you do is more important than what you say. A key element of the bank’s activity has been its support for the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service (WLRHS). Our idea was to show Westpac’s support, not talk about it, by creating a TV series, broadcast in primetime on Australia’s biggest network that followed the crew of the WLRHS, showing the action through their eyes. We demonstrated the value of the service, linking back to the brand positioning - ‘Australia, proudly supported by Westpac.’