Alexander Graham Bell’s head comes back to life in Telstra T-Hub ads
Telstra is launching a campaign featuring Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, to promote its new touch screen phone, T-Hub, which combines a traditional home phone with mobile phone-type applications.
In the different creative executions, Bell dubs the T-Hub a travesty of his original invention, but then reveals his admiration of the new phone.
The integrated campaign, created by Three Drunk Monkeys and media planned by OMD Sydney, consists of TV, digital, print, inserts, outdoor, direct marketing and point of sale.
The T-Hub’s 18-centimetre touch screen allows users to make and receive phone calls and text messages, go online, play music and radio stations, and also use it as an organiser.
Justin Drape, Three Drunk Monkeys co-founder, said: “Mr Bell invented his original phone in 1876 so we decided to bring him back to observe how advanced telephony has become in his absence.”
Bell was first revealed in teaser outdoor ads on Adshel sites this week, with the campaign rolling out on April 19 with print advertising and the first of eight TV ads, created by director Martin Granger and Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings DOP, Andrew Lesnie.
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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v v v funny
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Very Creative… I don’t like Telstra, but the ad is good – very catchy and clever
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Good to see Telstra are doing something new. Love it! Can’t wait to see more of it!
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Great launch for what looks like a great product. I want to find out more about this thinga-ma-do, visual whatcha-ma-call-it, phoney-ma-bookey thing!!!!!!
I want to see the rest of the campaign.
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Fresh and very non-Telstra. Like it.
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Yawn
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nice one guys.
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Just like a mobile phone, sans mobile.
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thats really good for a telstra ad
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According to the media puppets, the new Telstra phone is “just like the iPad…”
Maybe – but only if you chain your iPad to the kitchen bench…
Only Telstra* would launch a major new product based on 19th Century, copper wire technology and then charge and arm and a leg for it.
* Disclaimer: Author has been happily Telstra free for four months now, despite them continually sending him bills for the new tenants reconnection at his old house…
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Yes, sorry but Telstra?
No thanks. I don’t care how good their ads are.
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Really nice ad for a new product. Not sure I could watch it more than twice but with other ads in the mix I don’t reckon it’s a problem.
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Reminds me of Futurama… Its not a bad ad. Takes a little to get into the message, but its different.
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I had no idea Alexander Graham Bell was Indian. That is supposed to be an Indian accent isn’t it?
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Uh Antonio Meucci invented the telephone, the US congress accepted it why can’t telstra.
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Sounds Welsh to me. Either way, doesn’t sound Scottish.
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I thought he sounded Welsh too, had to Google it to make sure he was Scottish.
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Agree with 12. Fan of the TVC on its own, though is a whole lot less appealing when viewed amongst the masses during a break. Doesn’t have much recall.
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So, in this wireless age where information can go anywhere Telstra release a product that is leashed to your wall… It’s just like there continued drive to sell advertising in the printed Yellow Pages. Spells fail to me, no matter how good the advert is…
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The kitchen in this ad is bigger than my whole apartment. Where do I get one?
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Yeh… this one’s tricky. On the one hand – it’s quite an enjoyable ad, a new direction for the brand, with new news and a new gimmick. On the other – it’s redundant technology from a useless company. It’s a doozy…
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meow
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I hate Telstra, but I hate this ad even more! Why is his head in a jar?
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