Telstra promises the world through the Magic of Technology in new brand push
Telstra is hoping it can convince consumers they will “Thrive On” its network with a new campaign that shows the magic technology can bring to people’s lives and the claim “What if I could promise you the world?”.
The new work, which has been soft-launched over the weekend, focuses on the story of a grandfather reading a book to his grandaughter through a video call on a tablet as the pair share the experience together.
The bid to reboot the brand comes in a year when Telstra has suffered a series of costly network meltdowns that has forced it to reinvest millions and placed CEO Andy Penn in the embarrasing position of having to apologise to customers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zGytq7ckS8&feature=youtu.be
Opening with a line from Arthur C. Clarke saying “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”, the ad then moves to the grandfather reading a storybook – My Giant Mind – a reference that could be seen by some as surfing on the recent release of Disney’s movie The BFG.
The ad even features a shot reminiscent of marketing for the film with the little girl dreaming she is riding on the giant’s shoulder.
Telstra’s giant
Disney’s giant
While anchored in the story of the girl and her grandfather, the ad wanders across a range of themes as the voiceover extoles the magic that technology brings to peoples lives and how in adulthood people leave the idea of magic behind “because magic’s way too hard to find”.
Scenes move swiftly through people using technology in a range of ways, from firefighters using drones to an old woman wearing a VR headset.
“What if I could promise you the world, then would you believe in magic,” the voiceover continues as rescue workers use their phone GPS to find an injured bushwalker.
“You see, we live in a magical world. We never have to wake from our dreams, our restless minds now free to wander at the wonder of technology, at the magic that we’ve created.
“The possibilities are like stars now. Infinite constellations fuelled by pure imagination leading to one destination. To You. To Thrive.”
The new line “Thrive On” flashes on screen with the Telstra logo.
Telstra is facing a massive assault from Optus, which is positioning itself as an entertainmant hub and also took over Telstra’s long-term partnership as sponsor of thr Australian Olympic team for this years games in Rio.
The Australian Olympic Committee is suing Telstra in the Federal Court claiming the telco is “deceiving Australians” through a partnership with the Seven Network to carry Seven’s coverage of the games on an app.
At the same time, Vodafone is capitalising on Telstra’s network failures to promote the new robustness of its own network, inlcuding a six week deal with Nova to use its phone network as a vital link in the broadcast chain.
Oh FFS, when will companies learn that this sort of fluff is exactly NOT the response to the type of drama that Telstra has had, nor the troubles with its network nor the pain and cost caused to its customers? Telstra needs to address the issue head-on, have the CEO facing front to explain what the company is doing about it, give a 100% clear and binding ‘service promise’ to customers…
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Very brave for Telstra. Congrats Monkeys.
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I wonder how many times they watched the John Lewis Ads…
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Magic is if you get through a week without a fail from Telstra.
Magic is if their streaming services work and don’t have you log in every time you try and view before the buffering issues continue.
Stop waisting money on annoying fluff Telstra and spend it on your back end so companies that develop the devices or apps that make the magic to happen can work.
As for the vo – how annoying.
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OMG there is nothing original about this ad – get your act together with your marketing and brand Telstra you are going backwards
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A courageous attempt at turd polishing.
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Just to confirm, the incredible “magic” is…..doing a video call and having a smart bulb, both of which I can do without Telstra?
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I thought exactly that when I watched this ad. Telstra’s service enables cool sh1t to happen. If their service is on the blink, this can fck it up for everyone. (Has everybody forgotten Vodafail already?) Leave Google, Tesla, Apple and the like to do ad’s like this and to talk about innovation, pioneering technologies and ‘magic’. Telstra need to communicate about what they are doing to secure their service. I scratched my head and yelled “you are kidding me!?” when a Telstra logo appeared at the end of this ad.
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Oh, I thought it was a Foxtel commercial. Yawn. Nothing new to see here.
Maybe the Telstra marketing team need to be refreshed again. Looks like they have run out of original ideas.
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Love the new “magic” campaign.
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I dream too – of magical fast speeds from my internet which at the weekend was running at 0.07mb per second.
Of course I am a long suffering Telstra customer and wish they would disappear into their own fluff and nonsense. I despise paying my bill because I get next to nothing for outrageous prices.
That’s where the magic is – turning poor customer services into millions $$$.
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Twice now, Telstra have pulled the same magic trick with my internet bill, wherein you are put on a plan that you agreed upon with the Friendly Fillipino – and then you get a letter saying that they have “mistakenly applied a discount that you should not be getting”…
But not to worry, you don’t need do anything, coz Telstra will automagically apply it to your next bill. And thus they magically add just under 30% to my monthly costs.
IMHO, this is the sneakiest, most un-CX ploy by a large corporate that I have ever seen: right down there with those awful fund-raising letters of 6 pages and pics of chemo-kids.
Has anyone else experienced this trick? If so, complain to the TCO and escalate it within Telstra. They have the power reverse this oversight. They will accept their blame and wear the cost difference if you stand firm… sadly you’ll be fighting a giant like the one in the tvc
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Dose anyone know the song to this ad! Please.
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Claire De Lune by Flight Facilities
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who is the woman at the end of the commercial
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I actually really like the new Telstra ad, I smile every time I see it.
Yes I have high bills too, yes I too wish I could speak to someone who does not call me ma’am or use my name every 5 seconds & yes I wish that when I call them the person on the other end understands what I’m saying & I don’t have to sigh & repeat myself 5 times, 5 different ways, coz ya know, off shoring the call centres was a brilliant plan! Sighs!
BUT, I like the new ad, I have to say it, I do 😉
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have a little originality – this campaign is the most annoying yet from telstra.
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I hate this ad. Flowery pretentious b.s that induces a wave of nausea and means absolutely nothing in the real world.
Such “aspirational” ads presumably are aimed at an age bracket which the ad company thinks will be susceptible because of their concern with themes such as identity and self expression etc and thereby somehow “win them over”. Patronising. It doesn’t work and everybody sees through it now because it is so entirely predicable.
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Are you for real? do you have a “magic happens” sticker on your car too?
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“What if I told you I could snap my fingers and make this annoying commercial disappear… then would you believe in magic?”
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I love it too Betty! The rhythm, the rise and fall of the narrator’s voice, it’s almost Dr. Suess-esque. I don’t actually care what it’s advertising;
I always pause what I’m doing to listen to it!
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Are you serious
5.7 billion dollar profit and you put on such a manipulative add making out telstra is offering us something they have created
They abuse the latest technology to take advantage of us with poor seevice overpricing and a discusting lack of responsibility re infrastructure leaving 90% of the country without reception opposed to their claim to fame of covering 90% of australia(population)
Shame on you you monopoly
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Who is the narrator??!!
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Guessing you didn’t run this ad past the “Are we looking inward and acting pretentious department” Telstra.
Seriously what are you thinking, customer centricity is about listening to customers, providing great service and services that customers need with real value, simple.
The latest buzzword in the corporate and political space is “sorry”. Well sorry don’t work, i’ve had enough of hearing “sorry”. If you don’t learn from your mistakes what’s the point. Climb the ladder of accountability and start behaving like a real company!
P.S. I’m starting get really pissed with your service. I can get better internet speed free of charge in downtown Bangkok. And if I see your ad one more time and can’t change the channel quickly enough there’s gonna be a big hole in my LG! And sack your marketing department and Ad Agency. We have a no wanker policy at my workplace you should consider the same policy, start implementing the no wanker policy with your board, then move on to the pretentious tossers in your marketing dept. You will save a fortune in non contributing headcount which you can put towards buying some new mice to pedal the wheel driving your internet speeds.
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