Campaign Review: A telco, financial services… and dog poop

Ike Morris

October 23, 2025 11:40

Campaign Review: A telco, financial services… and dog poop

Where's Nessie in Apple and Vodafone's new advert? This edition of Campaign Review answers that question, and more

In this edition of Campaign Review, Weave’s creative strategy director, Amber Groves, and creative director and head of art at Enigma, Aldo Ferretto, share their thoughts on new brand strategies from Lyka, Vodafone, and Midkey.

Brand: Lyka

Campaign: ‘The Brutal Pick Up’

Agency: Outside In

The verdict: A fresh idea with visceral execution

Amber Groves, creative strategy director at Weave, gave it a 9/10 and said:

It’s refreshing (or, perhaps, revolting) to see an ad for dog food that doesn’t focus on the moment of canine happiness (ie: gleefully tucking in to a bowl of nutritious dog food), instead Lyka and Outside In have chosen to showcase the exact opposite… the moment of proof: when the bowl of dog food reaches its final destination.

Amber Groves

The result is something far more visceral that I have come to expect from ads for dog food, but its effectiveness can’t be denied. This is a clever insight, wrapped in a delightful, and, yes, truly horrifying, execution, because as much as we care about our furry friends’ health and nutrition, we can’t deny that moment is where it becomes all too real. And for people who hadn’t quite connected the dots yet, it provides that ‘aha’ or ‘ewww’ moment that has the power to shift behaviour.

I would’ve gone with the full 10, but deducted a point as I was, unfortunately, eating lunch at the time.

Aldo Ferretto, creative director and head of art at Enigma, gave it a 5/10 and said:

Turning an everyday bad moment into a horror scene is a classic move and honestly a tough one to pull off. It’s been done really well many times before and just as badly just as often. Sadly, for me, this one lands on the wrong side.

Aldo Ferretto

Personally, I’ve never loved ads that focus on the negative to highlight the positive. There are some exceptions, sure, but it usually feels like you’re asking people to take one extra step to get to the point. This brand has such a strong and simple idea already, fresh dog food delivered to your door, and that’s where the magic is. Lean into that.

That said, the cinematography looks good and the story’s told nicely. I just wish they’d trusted us to connect the dots instead of spoon-feeding us the product.

Brand: Vodafone and Apple

Campaign: ‘Questionably-Existent Creature Convention’

Agency: Thinkerbell

The verdict: Witty and well-polished

Amber gave it a 6/10 and said:

The annual iPhone launch is the biggest event on the telco calendar, with every network wanting to prove it’s the best home for the newest device. After all, every time Apple pushes technology forward, it’s networks like Vodafone that need to evolve to keep pace. These partnerships, however, are less about creative collaboration and more about commercial symbiosis: Apple brings the hardware, Vodafone brings the distribution, and one of those things is a far sexier sell than the other.

Against that challenging backdrop, Vodafone and Thinkerbell have found a witty, self-aware way in. The concept is a refreshing break from the starburst, spec-heavy executions that usually define telco advertising.

But as is often the case with Apple-centric work, the creative centre of gravity inevitably pulls towards the shiny new toy, with the humour and storytelling clearly orbiting Apple’s product truth while Vodafone’s story of a stronger, more reliable network gets a little lost in the mythical mist. There’s an opportunity here that feels just out of reach: the idea that Vodafone’s upgraded network is so strong it reaches even the most remote (and mythical) corners of the country. I wanted to linger longer on the implication that great networks provide greater possibilities for connection… or in this case, greater opportunities for exposés!

One last, slightly critical, note, where’s Nessie? The most famously un-photographable beast known (or unknown?) to man feels like an obvious and unforgivable omission.

Aldo also gave it a 6/10 and said:

Not a lot to call out here, apart from the casting and cinematography, which really lift the idea and give it some polish. The film looks great and there’s clearly been care put into the execution, but the rest just feels like a missed opportunity. Two huge brands with so much legacy, and it doesn’t quite live up to what it could have been.

It feels like they were trying to go down the Telstra route when the job was really to stand apart and do something different.

Brand: Midkey

Campaign: ‘The Quest’

Agency: Game

The verdict: Relatable yet absurdist

Amber gave it a 7/10 and said:

When you reach a certain age, there are certain conversations that begin to dominate social get togethers: refinancing woes, renovation hassles, the challenges of unlocking equity. These conversations are as boring as they are numbingly consistent, a reflection of the downside of this stage of life, where financial realities/burdens become an unavoidable part of the everyday.

So, it makes sense that when you’re trying to cut through the dull thrum that is financial services industry, you might want to take an approach that disrupts the vernacular and injects this very dry world with some self-aware humour, while also making a complicated product more understandable, engaging, and dare I say, fun!

This also happens to be a particular age group who were likely to have been raised on Monty Python, and who will appreciate the absurdist humour on display here. However, as a parody, there’s a slight risk of veering too far from the emotional reality of financial stress, but I guess you must “look on the bright side of life”.

While depicting the class chasm between powerful knights and pitiful peasants may hit a little too close to home for Australian homeowners who are struggling with the cost of living (and life in general). I think the intention here is sound, the execution is delightful, and the objective of helping people understand the offering has been nailed.

Aldo gave it a 4/10 and said:

Maybe I just didn’t get it. And that’s okay. Maybe this one wasn’t made for me. I do love a good knight story though, so they had me for a bit there.

Still, sometimes it’s better to step back and focus on what the product does and why that matters. Midkey makes it easy for people to tap into the equity they’ve already built in their home, and that’s a powerful idea. There’s real freedom in that, giving people access to what’s already theirs. I think leaning into that could have made for a much stronger message.

That said, the film looks well produced. It just left me wishing the story connected a little more clearly to what the brand stands for.

As submitted to Ike Morris.

If you are a senior creative or strategist who would like to take part in a future Campaign Review, please email Matthew Leong at mleong@mumbrella.com.au.