Telstra builds a synth from e-waste with +61 and Bear Meets Eagle on Fire
Telstra has built a one-off synthesiser made from reclaimed e-waste in partnership with +61 and Bear Meets Eagle on Fire.
The announcement:
Created in collaboration with The Avalanches and designed and built by Scott Stirling, the project aims to highlight Australia’s e-waste problem by encouraging people to give their old devices a second life.
Australians produce 22kg of e-waste per person, per year, making us one of the highest producers of e-waste globally. To help reduce this, Telstra’s goal is to re-use, recycle, repair or donate one smart device for every two sold by 2030. Instead of telling people about its recycling goal, the integrated campaign shows what their old devices can become.
Made by recycling e-waste components from old phones, modems, soundboards and even a vintage game controller, the synthesiser will reside in Telstra’s flagship Discovery Store on Bourke Street for two months before finding its forever home.
Robbie Chater of The Avalanches said: “We wanted to show that e-waste can be repurposed into something that people can relate to universally. Through music, we are demonstrating the amazing link between sustainability and creativity.”
Alita McMenamin, Head of Brand and Communications at Telstra, said: “Telstra has a long track record supporting customers and community in doing better by the environment, including taking steps to progress a circular economy. This campaign helps to highlight how we’re evolving our approach with a new 2030 target that aims to keep more devices and materials in use for longer.”
Blake Crosbie, Managing Director at +61, said: “Rather than just tell consumers to recycle e-waste, we wanted to encourage them to imagine the possibilities a simple action like bringing an old device in can actually make.”
Credits
Creative Agency: +61 with Bear Meets Eagle on Fire
Media Agency: OMD Australia
PR & Communications agency: Herd MSL
Client: Telstra
Chief Marketing Officer: Brent Smart
Head of Brand and Communications: Alita McMenamin
Brand and Sponsorship Lead: Nicola Reeves
Marketing Specialist: Rosalind Lewis
