Why is this work relevant for Direct?

Non-Indigenous people have embarrassingly low understanding of First Nations cultures. Nevertheless, to close the gap of disadvantage facing First Nations people, we were determined to connect with younger generations destined to lead our future. We threw out the rule book and tackled an issue seemingly outside our remit: over 60% of teens were suffering from sleep deprivation caused by excess online consumption. It was the ultimate Trojan horse manoeuvre. Dreamy fused the ancient tradition of storytelling, with modern day podcasting. The stories were designed to connect teens with Country, consequently disconnecting them from the addictive nature of the virtual world.

Background

Non-Indigenous people have an embarrassingly low awareness and understanding when it comes to First Nations cultures. This only exacerbates the barriers First Nations people face as a result of systemic racism and colonialism. Common Ground is one of many non-for-profits trying to raise awareness and forge broader, more accurate, understanding. But that existing lack of connection towards First Nations cultures means that awareness initiatives can struggle to cut through at times, particularly with frugal budgets underpinning them. Our objective was to find a completely disruptive way to finally connect with young non-Indigenous people. And in a way that would provide the First Nations community with a platform to finally be seen and heard; overturning decades of inaccurate, misrepresentation.

Describe the creative idea (30% of vote)

Acknowledging your sense of place physically is the starting point to better rest and sleep practices, whilst Acknowledgements of Country is one of the vital steps towards connecting with First Nations people, knowledge, and cultures. The Dreamy platform blends these two worlds together by, using modern-day storytelling formats (podcasts) to allow a new generation of non-Indigenous people to connect with the rich and timeless beauty of First Nations cultures; and doing so in a way that helps them physically connect with Country and achieve a revitalising sleep. Altogether we developed five podcast episodes written and narrated by First Nations storytellers and brought to life by First Nations mixed media artist, Carmen Glynn-Braun. The entire series also incorporated the latest sleep psychology practices for dual effectiveness. Each episode took a walk through our ancient land, helping listeners disconnect from their screens, and connect (through audio) to the cultures of our land.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

Our goal was to reach teenagers. Why? Teens have the greatest propensity to learn. So, if we were going to start laying down the foundations for stronger understanding for First Nations cultures, teens were the ideal candidates. We decided to reach them by fixing a problem that was completely out of our remit: their excessive consumption had led to a worrying trend of sleep deprivation. Low impulse control meant they struggled to tear themselves away from the endless cycle of online content consumption…. but we had the ultimate Trojan horse. At the heart of First Nations cultures is storytelling designed to connect you to Country. The more connected we are to Country, the more easily we can disconnect from the addictive nature of the virtual world. To increase understanding around First Nations cultures, we used its core nature to overturn the destructive consumption habits of the virtual world.

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

The animated stories were primarily available on popular podcast platforms (Apple and Spotify). The Dreamy website also allowed playback and gave the audience further detail on our storytellers and key partners Common Ground. The media push was very singular and purposeful: Snapchat. Not only did Snapchat over-index with our teen target, but it also inadvertently contributed to the “never switch off” lifestyle. They readily partnered with us thanks to their commitment to improve the mental health and wellbeing of its users. They recognised they were in some ways part of the original problem, and they wanted to be amongst the first with the solution. A modest PR push snowballed as more people were exposed to a side of First Nations cultures that they’ve never seen, and more importantly, heard before. What started as a PR push across First Nations radio outlets quickly extended and was picked up across mainstream channels.

List the results (30% of vote)

Campaign Engagement: The first indicator of success was having our podcast series charting #3 on the Australian Spotify Podcast Charts. And more importantly, it was the first and only podcast on the charts produced and developed by First Nations artists. Audience Behaviour: The average bedtime for teens sits between 9:30-10pm. So, to improve their sleep quality, we had to encourage them to switch off socials and connect to Dreamy between 7 to 9pm. Post campaign results indicate that over up to 60% of streams of Dreamy occurred between the 7-9pm window. Whilst post-9pm streams dropped significantly to less than 20%. Business Impact: Up to 89.2% of listeners did not identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders; meaning we’d succeeded in our primary organisational goal of broadening the exposure of First Nations cultures. And of those that did listen, 78% strongly agreed that listening to Dreamy strengthened their understanding of Country.

Please tell us about the cultural insight that inspired the work

We effectively connected with young non-Indigenous people by fixing a problem that was completely out of our remit. But it was one that would authentically give us the platform to showcase what First Nations cultures was truly about, and why it was more relevant than ever before. Low impulse control meant teens struggled to tear themselves away from the endless cycle of online content consumption…. but we had the ultimate Trojan horse. At the heart of First Nations cultures is storytelling designed to connect you to Country. Country is not just a physical manifestation, but it’s also spiritual and emotional. The more connected we are to Country, the more easily we can disconnect from the addictive nature of the virtual world. Dreamy blends ancient traditions, with the latest technology, to help a new generation see the rich value and timeless beauty of First Nations cultures