News Corp taps visual storytelling in new campaign ‘A whole News way to grow’
News Corp Australia has released a new campaign with a focus on the power of visual storytelling, called ‘A whole News way to grow’.
The centrepiece of the campaign is a commissioned piece of art by Torres Strait Islander Alick Tipoti entitled Mura Ukapilamayzinga (All Connected), and is in honour and respect for First Nations peoples and their history of storytelling.
The campaign is said to take inspiration from how News Corp Australia has used “storytelling to reach and represent the many communities and client groups who have been key to our nation’s successful growth”.
News Corp said the artwork “showcases a story of growth, how connections between communities have changed throughout the years and how different categories such as food, travel, sport, technology and data all play a role in connecting people and culture”. The intricate visual story draws on the traditional carvings of Tipoti’s ancestors.
News Corp Australia managing director of national sales, Lou Barrett, said: “This campaign visually depicts a community’s transition from the past to an increasingly digital world. A transition that News Corp Australia has made over the years. We think differently now about our clients’ businesses and the campaign aims to demonstrate this.”
Speaking about the artwork, Tipoti said that it pays homage to the ancient artefacts carved by his ancestors.
Tipoti continued: “It starts from the symbol of fire. Fire is represented at the top right corner of the print as the smoke marking starts to spread into the top half of the work. Through the smoke patterns, I have shown the evolution of communication into the world of technology. This fire represents the beginning of all cultures of the world.”
“It was unusual yet satisfying for me to carve modern images in this new work, which I see as a collaboration of old, current and future imagery and themes interpreted through the eyes of a Zenadth-Kes Islander (Torres Strait Islander).”
News Corp’s Lou Barrett
The campaign centred around Tipoti’s artwork was developed by News Corp Australia’s in-house creative agency, Roller.
Barrett said the campaign came as a creative approach to reflect the creative thinking News Corp tries to bring to solve clients’ problems.
“Clients are actively looking to us for strategy, insights and advice to drive their business in an ever changing world, rather than just a straight transactional relationship.
“Our approach with clients is about understanding the journey that their business is on; and what I love about the artwork is that it reflects this. Showing not just our journey but those of our clients and our country. The art also shows connections, the connections between different audience groups and different parts of the community and our role in connecting our clients to our audiences,” said Barrett.
Barrett also said that the needs of clients and brands have significantly shifted over the past year.
“The economic fallout from COVID-19 has prompted us to really refocus our business and our efforts to meet their needs in a market that has a significant amount of change going on. We are agile; and we are laser focused on delivering return on investment for our clients.”
In April, News Corp announced enhancements to its digital offering for advertising clients via new data capabilities and additions to its digital advertising solutions.
News Corp also said it was ‘vigorously pursuing digitisation’ following the release of its quarterly results in May, which saw revenue on the rise.
The campaign will run over eight-weeks through placements across trade media websites and The Australian, booked directly by News Corp.
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Calum Jaspan was news editor at Mumbrella, based in Melbourne. He was also the producer and host of the Mumbrellacast. He left Mumbrella in May 2023.
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