Telstra revives the ‘telstrut’ with new campaign from +61 and Bear Meets Eagle On Fire

Telstra’s unofficial marching mascot “Mick” has picked up a whole new crew of companions as the telco rolls out its latest “Wherever We Go” brand campaign, bringing back the signature “telstrut” and the whistling seagull sidekick.

Created by Bear Meets Eagle On Fire in collaboration with Telstra’s in-house agency +61, the campaign features a colourful cast of characters — from a skeleton and a scarecrow to a trio of rats — joining Mick and his feathered friend as they strut their way across Australia.

Launching with a 90-second hero film timed to the start of footy season, the campaign is also supported by a suite of 15-second spots spotlighting standalone duets.

A sequel to Telstra’s original “Duet” ad, the new instalment is once again directed by Oscar-nominated animation duo Alan Smith and Adam Foulkes from Riff Raff Films, and features the classic track Islands in the Stream by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers.

The new ad comes 18 months after Telstra first released its brand platform “Wherever We Go”, which, according to Tesltra’s head of brand and marketing communications Alita McMenamin, has since racked up over 27 million views on Tiktok.

McMenamin said she was surprised by the sheer volume of views, noting that “people across the world [are] creating their own versions of the Telstra walk.”

“This new iteration of the campaign is inspired by the fact that it’s not just about the journey, it’s about those you share it with,” she said. “It’s been a joy to work on. The team has put so much care and craft into the campaign execution.”

As further testament to the campaign’s virality,  consultancy Cubery ranked Telstra as the most “unforgettable” brand advertiser in July last year, while also finding it to be the polarising brand in the study, registering a near-even 51% love to 49% hate split ratio.

“It was always part of our plan to revisit this idea when the time was right,” Micah Walker, chief creative officer at Bear Meets Eagle On Fire, said.

“The amazing response we received last time gave us some playful ideas and cameos to add to this journey. Massive thanks to everyone who’s been working so hard to make this epic Part Deux such a fun one.”

Once again, the commercials will be supported by an out-of-home campaign, where an array of walking legs has been brought to life by hand across 27 locations.

According to Telstra, each piece features intricate layers of folded and crafted paper, created by artist Jeff Nishinaka, with different shots created for each media site.

Telstra’s recent branding renaissance followed the appointment of creative-led chief marketing officer Brent Smart, sparking an era that also produced the Cannes-winning “Better on a Better Network” campaign.

This creative revival comes despite Telstra’s advertising spend having dropped sharply, now sitting 8.9% lower than in 2015.

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