New Commbank campaign features first-ever BVOD roadblock

In an Australian first, the rollout of Commbank’s new campaign — which provides a “very fresh, very different” take on an otherwise typical finance category — includes a broadcast video on demand (BVOD) and digital platform roadblock.

“Doubt Never Did” is live across all the usual channels including BVOD, TV, cinema, digital, social, OOH, Youtube, Meta, and Tiktok, with media strategy led by Essencemediacom.

It will include a linear TV roadblock — where the advertisement runs simultaneously on every channel — and for the first time in Australia, will include a 48-hour roadblock on BVOD (across “leading broadcaster streaming services”, according to the release), as well as Youtube, Meta, and Tiktok.

Emma Robbins, executive creative director at Commbank’s creative agency partner M+C Saatchi, told Mumbrella these roadblocks were to support launching the new work “in a big, different way”.

“It’s a pretty huge way for the bank to go out and say something really optimistic to every Australian, at the exact same time,” she said.

Based off one simple insight — that doubt holds us all back — the new campaign acknowledges that the ‘great Aussie dream’ looks different for everyone, and positions Commbank as a resource to help them achieve whatever their dream may be, and overcome their doubt.

Set to a Wolfmother cover of Bon Jovi’s ‘It’s My Life’, the campaign covers off a range of ‘dreams’  — including launching a podcast, quitting a corporate job, running an ice-cream truck, and even getting a divorce.

“We know that some dreams are difficult, but to Commbank’s marketing team’s credit, that is reality. We’ve managed it really carefully but that’s a situation a lot of people find themselves in, and it’s raw and honest,” Robbins said.

‘Doubt Never Did’ was informed by cultural insights and macro trends, including research undertaken by M+C Saatchi. The research found that financial concern is the primary thing (59%) standing in the way of people achieving their dreams.

47% of Australians feel anxious about their personal finances, while 31% feel overwhelmed and 29% feel hopeful. Only 9% feel proud about their finances.

88% agreed the cost-of-living crisis has made it more difficult to adopt savings habits, with many saving for things outside the ‘great Aussie dream’. Saving for a holiday was the number one financial goal for 42%, compared to paying off the mortgage at 28%.

“It was really from that research that we found this really simple truth that really resonated, that doubt was the thing that holds all of us back,” Robbins said.

“And there was this absolute agreement from all of us that we wanted to do something very fresh, very different, and perhaps just not keep reciting to Australia what they already feel. So we ran full pelt at a platform that’s about what you can do and what we’re all dreaming about doing.”

OOH placements

She said the most “beautiful thing” about the research and campaign is that it recognises the uniqueness of people’s dreams — it’s not all about a traditional or monolithic “great Aussie dream’.

The campaign ties into Commbank’s 13-year-long brand platform ‘Can’, which Robbins described as a “brilliant one-word summation” of what the brand stands for.

“This is a 2025 spin on it,” she told Mumbrella.

The six-day shoot in Goulburn was mostly live action, to capture “authentic performances”, with some VFX added after.

“We didn’t want to make it on a sound stage, we wanted to shoot it for real,” Robbins said. “Yianni Warnock, the director, is just brilliant at capturing such authentic performances.”

The campaign is also extended with longform audio interviews, hosted by popular podcaster and media personality Matty J, featuring Aussies who have overcome their own pressures and doubts and followed their dreams.

Described as the “emotional core” of the campaign, the interviews celebrate resilience, honesty, and personal potential, according to Robbins.

Credits:

CommBank 

M+C Saatchi Group
National Executive Creative Director: Emma Robbins
Creative Director: Russel Fox
Creative Director: Daniel Borghesi
Creative Team: Chris McKee + Avani Maan
Chief Creative Officer: Steve Coll
Head of Strategy: Mike Hyde
Strategy Director: Grace Wallace
Strategy Director Amy Kousis
Social Strategy Director Clement Simon
Chief Executive Officer Michael McEwan
Client Partner: Am Lall
Senior Account Director: Jaime Wright
Account Executive: Aisling Loewenthal
Senior Account Manager Rebecca Farinola
Head of Broadcast Production: Loren August
Senior Broadcast Producer: Zoe Rixon
Senior Broadcast Producer: Lill Schroeder
Head of Integrated Production: Gemma Heyes
Integrated Producer: Sydnie Kendall
Senior Integrated Producer: Francesco Piazzoni
Design Director: James Jamias
Senior Retoucher: Matthew Cox
Integrated Designers: Ian Hartigan, Chantelle Galaz, Kristopher McDuff, Gabby Orfanos 
General Manager, Re: Sarah Burling 
Senior Account Manager: Jemma Barry 
Creative Director: Shannon Bell, Sionen Adijans 
Design Director: Maxine Allen 
Creative Team: Maddy Merzvinskis, Shane O’Brien, Oscar Brooks-Luscombe, Heather Whitlock 

MOFA
Director: Yianni Warnock
2nd Unit Director: Hayden Sommerville
Executive Producer:  Llew Griffiths
Executive Producer: Claire Perkins
Producer: Stu Giles
Cinematographer: Jeremy Rouse
2nd Unit Cinematographer: Sean Ryan
Production Design: Steven Jones-Evans
Art Director: Loretta Cosgrove
Sound Design: Lachlan Harris 

EssenceMediacom
Client Managing Partner: Maria Poulton
Chief Strategy Officer: Sophie Price
Sydney Head of Strategy: Marine Turner
Group Planning Director: Myles Haslam
Sydney Head of Investment: Anthony Sciacca
Investment Director: Natassja Corban
Performance Director: Chloe Moreland
Performance Associate Director: Ryan McIntosh
Performance Manager: Claudia Ortiz
Client Director: Eliza De Mesa
Associate Director: Peter McBride
Associate Manager: Yiwen Sun 

Hart&Co
Photographer: Cory White
Executive Producer: Monica Clapott 

Level Two Music
Supervisor: Marcus Brooke-smith & Emily Crews 

Massive Music
Producer: Alexa Tonkin
Sound Design/Mixing: Abby Sie 

ARC Melbourne/Sydney
Executive Producer: Daniel Bradford-Fry
Executive Producer: Winnie O’Neill
Post Producer: Kani Saib
Lead Editor: Jack Hutchings
2nd Editor: Harrison Carr
Editorial Assistant: Amelia Pieri
Editorial Assistant: Jack Charter
Colourist: Ben Eagleton
VFX Lead Artist: Eugene Richards
VFX Artist: Richard Lambert
VFX Artist: Viv Baker
VFX Artist: Stu Bedford
Junior VFX Artist/Assistant: Max Wild
Post Production Assistant: Christian Misuraca
3D Post: Atmos Studios
VFX Supervisor: Andreas Wanda
3D Artist: Chris Harris
3D Artist: Ferry Taswin
3D Artist: Nick Deboar
3D Artist: Martin Tim
VFX Producer: Dave Kelly 

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