We provocatively launched with an excerpt distributed virally and on YouTube. A gravelly voice-over, flame-throwing koalas, sun-baked landscapes, and a boomerang shatters stars, revealing a slogan - Determined to be Different. Was this the new ad? Next day the full commercial appeared on television. The leaked ad is revealed as the work of an overblown American ad agency. They’re presenting it to marketing people at the Commonwealth Bank, who say the last two seconds “aren’t bad”. What kind of bank advertising is this? A fictitious ad, made by a fictitious ad agency for a real client. Where’s the insight? The product? The problem and solution? Industry bloggers and the media watched, and then vented their derision, boosting awareness (and curiosity) about the launch. And the negativity quickly melted into raves when we moved on from the trick of the launch into the real campaign.

Two main bank competitors recently launched new brand spots at similar spend levels. They each got 10% effective reach (proven recall with correct brand attribution). Our Commonwealth Bank spot got a whopping 65% effective reach!!! We successfully USED the media to boost CBA’s campaign into the stratosphere.