Australia – Telstra has launched a new campaign highlighting its efforts to protect Australians from cyber threats, with actor Steve Buscemi taking on the role of a villainous intergalactic Emperor.
The campaign, developed by Bear Meets Eagle On Fire (BMEOF) in partnership with +61, comes amid growing concerns over cyber-crime, with Australians reportedly losing thousands of dollars every minute to scams. Telstra said it blocks millions of threats daily as part of its network protection measures.
Directed by Randy Krallman, the series of ads features the fictional “Zalunians” attempting to take over Australia through elaborate scams, only to be thwarted by Telstra’s network. The work will appear in long and short formats across television, digital, social media, cinema, and in Telstra stores.
Alita McMenamin, head of brand and marketing communications at Telstra, said: “This is essentially a product demo, a very entertaining one, that differentiates our network not just on size, but also on safety. Created with the exceptional level of craft we always enjoy from Micah and team.”
“Sounds weird to say, but making comedy work isn’t always fun. This genuinely was. Massive thanks to Randy, Steve and all the folks who worked so hard to make something so smart, so silly,’’ said Micah Walker, chief creative officer of BMEOF.
Blake Crosbie, managing director of +61, added: “The security of a network, and all that happens on it, has serious implications, but doubling down on ‘serious’ too easily follows the tropes of the category. Sometimes making light of a topic is the best way to get people to pay attention to it.”
