Hermit crabs use discarded mobile phone packaging in latest ‘new phone feeling’ ad from Telstra
Telstra has unveiled the latest spot in its ‘new phone feeling’ campaign, which allows consumers to pay an extra fee on top of their monthly bill to have the option to upgrade to a new phone every 12 months.
The latest ad in the campaign, created by DDB Sydney, sees an excited customer opening his new phone near a beach much to the excitement of hermit crabs who shed their shells in favour of the phone’s box.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF7VGKFxl40
Agencies and clients need to start thinking about the impact of product advertising on their overall brand. When making the crab ad, the team clearly did not consider the impact of showing littering and the ultimate negative impact littering has on our waterways and sea life.
Improving sustainable practice is part of Telstra CSR and Sustainability policy. Large corporates don’t get to pick and chose which public face they want to portray in their advertising – they need consistency across all platforms. Yet once again this ad shows that agencies and marketers alike miss the point – which is so often the case with sustainability.
Tania, I agree. Who produces an ad involving littering… Maybe the aim was to have a shock impact? It sure got my attention as soon as he chucked the litter over his shoulder.
Disgusted at this ad for the reasons already mentioned above. Not to mention the fact that e-waste is a huge global issue. Who needs a new phone ever year? And where do these 1 year old phones go?
Shamefully irresponsible actions from both Telstra and DDB Sydney.
Does anyone else have a problem with the indescriminate littering that is portrayed in this ad? Trying to spin it, that this is helping nature by replacing their natural habitat with litter is utterly disgusting.
Showing kids that its OK to litter??? i could not believe what I was seeing…and yes who needs a new phone every year. Consume consume consume!!!!
I did a web search just so I could critique this very sad and crappy advert. Seriously, what demented fool would want to sign up for a phone thrown in the rubbish every year, and have the packaging thrown to the crabs. My god, we’ve got world leaders bemoaning climate change, the great pacific rubbish island in the news, and whaling in the southern oceans top of mind. Telstra wants me to sign up to litter in the ocean and a yearly contribution to e-waste. HEY TELSTRA BOSSES LISTEN UP! Your ad sucks.
When I saw this ad for the first time I could not believe that Telsra could be so environmentally irresponsible by showing a man ( a moron) openning his new phone from it’s packaging and then just throw it off the pier. Surely someone at Telstra could see that this is just stupid – or do Telstra executives go around throwing their rubbish from car windows as they drive. I hope not but when they approve such a stupid ad it makes you wonder.