Telstra hopes Brad & Emma will be as popular as Patrick & Daniel

Tesltra and ad agency BWM have turned again to the strategy behind the “Rabbits” campaign with the hope of creating an ongoing comic couple in the guise of “Brad and Emma”.  

The network launched a new campaign on Sunday featuring the bickering pair who first appeared in an ad espousing the usefulness of Telstra’s NextG service for mapping. This time round, the service is being spruiked for its speed of uploading images to social networking sites and downloading emails.

 

The strategy was first used by BWM and Telstra after the success of the 2005 BigPond “rabbits” ad, which has since seen characters Patrick and Daniel make several returns. Telstra even contemplated making a movie about the pair.

September 14th, 2009 at 1:58 pm

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Comments


  1. Anonymous
    14 Sep 09
    2:10 pm

    2. People complain about misogyny yet this kind of veiled misandry regular goes to air.

    /sigh

  2. delperro
    14 Sep 09
    2:30 pm

    3. I don’t think they’ll cut as deep as the last series. They were cultural land marks. These are like Aussie ‘Friends’. So 90s.

  3. AdGrunt
    14 Sep 09
    2:47 pm

    4. It makes a nice a nice change form 6 months of imploring to call your mum.

    That’s where the goodness ends.

  4. Andrew2065
    14 Sep 09
    3:12 pm

    5. For all those non-copywriters following at home, ‘misandry’ is the hatred of males. It’s certainly a safer route to portray the male as the idiot in these things, as most advertising will attest. Not that I personally find it offensive, though.

    On the contrary, I actually find the first ad pretty amusing… look forward to seeing what else they come out with. Very difficult to top the ‘rabbit’ ads – although I was always worried by the age difference between those two.

  5. Ad Chick
    14 Sep 09
    3:45 pm

    6. I really like it.

    It’s nice to see a chick in an ad for once not trying to find “the confidence to be her true self” or to “connect with those who matter most” or all of that other crap.

    She’s taking the piss & it works.

    It’s not comedy brilliance, but it did make me smile.

  6. Lucy
    14 Sep 09
    4:02 pm

    7. Hi,
    The link to the movie telstra was going to make of their ads doesn’t seem to work- would you be able to send it through to me?
    With thanks,
    LUcy

  7. Dave the gay art director
    14 Sep 09
    4:04 pm

    8. They gotta be kidding – its barely raised a smile,

    I laughed out loud at the great wall of china one, – these just aren’t funny.

    Also did anyone notice that our couple live in what appears to be a multi-million dollar huge apartment with breathtaking views?

    They should bring back the one with the funny overweifght businessman who was tricking the big businesses into thinking he was a big business too..

  8. Craig Ashley Russell
    14 Sep 09
    5:20 pm

    9. It must be me but I still don’t see what was so great about the first round of Telstra ads. The casting is woeful. That bloke is more ‘dirty-old-man’ than the kids father.

    And as for this lot, when in doubt, rip off Seinfeld. And it’s not even a good rip off of good Seinfeld. FAIL!

    Bring back Sol – now HE was funny! Probably the greatest gag ever done by a government over the voting population. Comedy brilliance.

  9. PR chick
    14 Sep 09
    5:22 pm

    10. @Andrew 2065 – finally someone (other than myself it feels) has noticed the gaping age difference between the father and son…more like grandfather and son to me…

  10. Andrew2065
    14 Sep 09
    5:25 pm

    11. Craig, I’m not saying it was the greatest creative work ever produced, but tell me you didn’t crack a smile at the ‘Happy Easter from Telstra’ press ad which featured thousands of little fluffy pink easter bunnies stranded on one side of the Great Wall?

    The beauty of the whole thing was that it was campaignable – something which many ads lack.

    As per my comment above though, I do agree with your concerns about the casting.

  11. Andrew2065
    14 Sep 09
    5:30 pm

    12. @PR Chick: Thanks – it was the only thing which spoiled it for me… just felt somewhat jarring each time I saw the ads. Was it an ad for Telstra, or a message about the complications of leaving parenthood til too late in one’s life, ie you’ll never be able to keep up with what the ‘kids are into these days’? :-)

  12. NehadK
    14 Sep 09
    9:49 pm

    13. Can’t stand “Emma” however that doesn’t mean I have sympathy for Brad. Bad ads.

    Wouldn’t mind throwing a Telstra phone/modem at both of them.

    Reminds me a bit of the old AAMI ad with the girl and “Todd” (think he finally ran her over?)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYCOARVJgGs

  13. mumbrella
    15 Sep 09
    9:19 am

    14. I seem to remember BWM’s Rob Belgiovane saying that Patrick’s back story – which explains the age difference – is that he’s on his second marriage or something like that.

    It was a couple of years back that he mentioned it, when there was the talk about the film, but it was something along those lines.

    Cheers,

    Tim – Mumbrella

  14. AW
    15 Sep 09
    12:52 pm

    15. Awww – I really like the Brad & Emma ad’s.

    In fact… I have started using the “I’ll tell you where to go” line from the first one with my bf and we always laugh. (Oh that sounds so very sad – but it’s so very true).

    Any way – it always makes me smile when I hear it on the tele. I like the new ads too – I think the casting is perfect.

  15. skribe
    15 Sep 09
    12:53 pm

    16. It’s the trend of misandry that’s the issue. It should be deemed no more acceptable in than misogyny is.

  16. Ad Chick
    15 Sep 09
    2:57 pm

    17. Misandry? Really? Chill out people.

  17. Kylie
    22 Sep 09
    10:33 pm

    18. It is irresponsible not funny. Hasn’t anyone learnt about uploading & circulating unwanted photos/videos. ‘Brad’ doesn’t want her to but ‘Emma’ does it anyway.

  18. Anonymous
    25 Sep 09
    2:50 pm

    19. Kylie is so right. This is making cyber bullying “funny” to sell phones. It is NOT ever ok to photograph and send images of anyone against their will, and then tease them about it. Emma may be pretty but she is also a bully. This ad should be pulled off the screens immediately.

  19. Scarlett
    3 Oct 09
    7:15 pm

    20. Yes, Emma’s a bit cruel at times, but I think she’s also quite likeable. The actress playing her does a good job.

  20. B.
    4 Oct 09
    6:39 am

    21. Quite amusing. Keep em coming.

  21. Luke
    5 Oct 09
    2:10 pm

    22. Love the Brad & Emma ads…but mainly because I find “Brad” absolutely adorable…couldn’t care less about Telstra. Who is he any way ?