MATESONG

Short List
TitleMATESONG
BrandTOURISM AUSTRALIA
Product / ServiceTOURISM AUSTRALIA
CategoryA07. Use of Talent
EntrantM&C SAATCHI Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Idea Creation M&C SAATCHI Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Media Placement UM Sydney, AUSTRALIA
PR OPR AGENCY Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Production REVOLVER Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Production 2 SOMESUCH London, UNITED KINGDOM
Post Production FIN DESIGN + EFFECTS Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Post Production 2 TRIM EDITING London, UNITED KINGDOM

Credits

Name Company Position
Cam Blackley M&C Saatchi Chief Creative Officer
Mandie van der Merwe M&C Saatchi Executive Creative Directors
Avish Gordhan M&C Saatchi Executive Creative Directors
Curt McDonald M&C Saatchi Senior Copywriter
Chris Brailey M&C Saatchi Senior Copywriter
Rosita Rawnsley-Mason M&C Saatchi Senior Art Director
Rubini Gun M&C Saatchi Copywriter
Matt Corcoran M&C Saatchi Art Director
Russell Hopson M&C Saatchi Group Managing Partner
Emma McJury M&C Saatchi Group Head
Nikki Chapman M&C Saatchi Senior Account Director
James Steer M&C Saatchi Account Director
Loren August M&C Saatchi Head of Broadcast
Greg Hyslop M&C Saatchi Lead Print Producer
Justin Graham M&C Saatchi Chief Strategy Officer
Rachael Fraser M&C Saatchi Head of Strategy
Nick Jacobs M&C Saatchi Senior Strategy Director
Simone Cherry M&C Saatchi Design Director
James Jamias M&C Saatchi Design Director
Matt Harrington M&C Saatchi Designer
Ian Hartigan M&C Saatchi Designer
Holly Jones M&C Saatchi Finished Artist
Richard Hughes M&C Saatchi Retoucher
Nicko Mueller M&C Saatchi Retoucher
Matt Collier M&C Saatchi UK Creative
Wayne Robinson M&C Saatchi UK Creative
Mark Newnes M&C Saatchi UK Deputy MD
Steve Parker M&C Saatchi UK Head of Strategy
Evan O’Driscoll M&C Saatchi UK Account Director
Samantha Lane M&C Saatchi UK Senior Account Manager
Kylie Minogue n/a Music Artist
Eddie Perfect n/a Music and Lyrics
Revolver/Will O’Rourke . Revolver/Will O’Rourke x Somesuch Director
Michael Ritchie Revolver/Will O’Rourke x Somesuch Managing Director/ Executive Producer
Pip Smart Revolver/Will O’Rourke x Somesuch Executive Producer
Serena Paull Revolver/Will O’Rourke x Somesuch Producer
Leilani Croucher Revolver/Will O’Rourke x Somesuch 2nd Unit Director
Ryley Brown n/a Director Of Photography
Enzo Iacono n/a Production Designer
Kate Darvill n/a Hero Wardrobe
Sophie Fletcher n/a Wardrobe
Ashley Wallen n/a Choreographer
Citizen Jane Casting n/a Casting
Elise Butt Trim Editing Editor
Simon Bourne Framestore Grade
Luis Almau Soundtree Music Music Produced and arranged
Henning Knoepfel Soundtree Music Sound design and final mix
Jay James Soundtree Music Producer
Nicole Bentley n/a Stills Photographer
Phillipa Harrison Tourism Australia Managing Director
Susan Coghill Tourism Australia Chief Marketing Officer
Michaela Chan Tourism Australia General Manager – Brand, Campaigns & Media
Ashleigh Sorensen Tourism Australia Global Campaigns Manager, West
Laura Rankine Tourism Australia Campaigns Executive, West
Alex Lowes Tourism Australia Global Manager, Media & Partnerships Marketing
Rochelle Vinson Tourism Australia Marketing Media Manager
Andrew Still Tourism Australia Studio Manager
Stephanie Denman Tourism Australia Campaign Executive – Brand
Anita Godbeer Tourism Australia General Manager, PR, Social & Content
Emma Sturgiss Tourism Australia Global Manager, Public Relations
Nicole Foster Tourism Australia Global Manager, Advocacy
Minta Burn Tourism Australia Broadcast & Event Partnerships Manager
Lauren Caverley Tourism Australia Publicist
Nick Henderson Tourism Australia Global Manager, Social Media
Novy Wong Tourism Australia Social Media Producer
Joleen Booth Tourism Australia Global Manager, Content
Leo Seaton Tourism Australia General Manager, Communications & Government
Kim Moore Tourism Australia Public Affairs Manager
Erin Foster Tourism Australia Government Communications Manager
Hayley Taylor Tourism Australia Senior Corporate Communications Manager
Georgie Johnson Tourism Australia Consumer Marketing Graduate
Paul Bailey Tourism Australia General Manager, Digital Strategy
Larissa Nery Tourism Australia Global Manager Digital, Mobile & UX
Shaune Rosser Tourism Australia Chief Information Officer
Manjit Gill Tourism Australia Marketing Technology Manager
Rachel Bernauer Tourism Australia Global Digital Product Manager
Sally Cope Tourism Australia Regional General Manager
Kirsten Webber Tourism Australia Marketing Manager
Stuart Fyfe Tourism Australia PR Manager
Pete Mills Tourism Australia Partnerships & Distribution Manager
Kate Hodges Tourism Australia Senior PR Executive
David Olding Tourism Australia Marketing Executive
Nick Musson Tourism Australia Digital Marketing Executive
Benjamin Taprell Tourism Australia Business Development Manager
Silvija Bradford Tourism Australia Digital Coordinator, Aussie Specialist Program
Alison Lee Tourism Australia Aussie Specialist Trainer
Jack Graham UM Senior Strategy Director
Ashleigh Markou UM Senior Client Director
Anthony Thomas UM Senior Client Director
Sarina Ballauff UM Digital Director
Sophie Bingham UM General Manager Sydney
Neil Peace UM Client Director
Charlotte Netherwood UM Comms Director
Allison McMordie UM Performance Director
Deborah Widdick UM Comms Manager
Isabelle Locke UM Comms Manager
Zoe Sylvester UM Broadcast Director
Lauren Raymond UM Strategy Director
Savarna Burrows UM Comms Executive
Lizzie Strobel Digitas Head of Production
Oli Cassidy Digitas Client Partner
Simon Brock Digitas Creative Director
Rachel Malone Digitas Account Manager
Max Cahill Digitas Account Director
Oliver Ree Digitas Design Lead
Nick Duron Digitas Creative
Júlia Correa Digitas Designer
Rupesh Kumar Digitas Senior AEM Developer
Umang Mittal Digitas Senior AEM Developer
Marcus Robinson Stack Chat CEO
Mark Szumowski Stack Chat CTO
Sam Banks Stack Chat Senior Devops Engineer
Jo Carr Hope & Glory Managing Partner
Gavin Lewis Hope & Glory Creative Director
Natalie Davies Hope & Glory Associate Director
Nicola Burton Hope & Glory Associate Director
Joccoaa Hand Hope & Glory Account Director
Dani Hayhurst Hope & Glory Senior Account Executive
Lisa Barlow Hope & Glory Senior Account Executive
Agatha Hyatt Hope & Glory Account Executive
Stephanie Talbot Hope & Glory Account Assistant
Kaz Scott opr Chief Strategy Officer
Bridget Jung opr Chief Creative Officer
Luke McClelland opr Associate Director
Ellee Donald opr Account Director
Laura Stoll opr Strategy & Planning Manager
Daniel Young opr Chief Digital Officer
John Harding-Easson opr Senior Digital Strategist
Zoe O’Sullivan opr Senior Account Manager
Madison Scott opr Senior Account Executive

Why is this work relevant for Entertainment?

Matesong is a 3-minute ballad, performed by the inimitable pop icon, Kylie Minogue, to invite Britons to visit Australia. It was introduced to audiences as a Christmas special on iTV right before the Queen’s National Address. In the lead-up to the performance, we mimicked regular broadcast programming, with station idents and a reminder to view in the TV guide. We embedded ourselves into culture, only to reveal that the entire performance was one country extending a hand of friendship to another.

Background

Brexit dominated the news cycle in 2019. With the political and economic fallout expected because of Brexit, Tourism Australia anticipated a drop in British tourists. Big vacations were less of a focus in the context of such turmoil. And if it was a consideration, most Brits were choosing to holiday in Europe before that became too difficult. In this climate of uncertainty, how do you convince a nation to consider traveling to the other side of the world for a holiday? This was our main objective. Our audience was Brits. Specifically high value travelers (they travel further into the country and/or for longer periods of time). They’re looking for authentic experiences and a connection to locals.

Describe the creative idea

Matesong is a 3-minute ballad, performed by Kylie Minogue, to invite Brits to Australia. The pop singer is a sensation in the UK - calling both Britain and Australia her home. And in 2019 she’d had her biggest year yet - breaking records at Glastonbury (with the most-watched performance in the festival’s history), releasing a chart-topping album and packing stadiums across the UK on her Golden Tour. Brits couldn’t get enough of her. Kylie Minogue delivered Matesong as a musical outstretching of the hand from Australia - a country that has a long, close connection to Britain. We still have the Queen’s face on our coins! We used the things that unite us, as well as the things that separate us, to remind the UK that if they ever wanted to escape the turmoil at home, they’d always have a mate in Australia who’d welcome them with open arms.

Describe the strategy

Although Brexit was the cause of Tourism Australia’s business problem, we realised it offered an opportunity - Brits were sick of Brexit and desperate for a respite. Australia was in a unique position to offer it. We were not only far away from the political and emotional toll of Europe. But we were also one of Britain’s oldest and best mates. So we decided to do what friends do in tough times. We invited them around to ours.

Describe the execution

Matesong is a 3-minute ballad inviting Brits to visit their old mates in Australia. But it was introduced to the British public as a Kylie Minogue Christmas Special that was to be aired right before the Queen’s National Address. To make sure people tuned in to see our ad, we pretended it wasn’t one. In the weeks before Christmas, our media partner, ITV, helped us create tactical promos and idents, as well as reminders to view in the TV guide. We made it feel like typical broadcast programming for a Christmas Day special. On Christmas Day, just before the Queen was expected to deliver her National Address, when Kylie fans and Brexit-weary Brits tuned in, they discovered an ad for Tourism Australia - Matesong sung by Britain’s favourite Aussie. It was one nation extending a hand of mateship to an old friend in a time of need.

Describe the outcome

182M digital impressions 46M online views $40M in earned media. And Australia became the #1 searched holiday destination globally

Links

Website URL