In honour of the Sydney Opera House’s 50th birthday, the 4 minute film ‘Play it Safe’ is an ode to creative bravery, a musical tribute to the defiant creative spirit that defines the house. Starting timidly, the film teases the irony of the song’s title as the pace quickens, building to a crescendo on the famous steps in celebration of riotous self-expression. The final film premiered on YouTube via SOH’s own channels, Tim Minchin’s Spotify and social channels, and in cinemas across the country - revealing an unexpected side to the famous building to an audience of 1.8 billion people.

There are two Australias.

On the one hand, there’s the enduring myth of the larrikin. The one who’ll never let the rules get in the way of what’s right, and who’ll break rank with a cheeky smile on their face. Bold, brave, brash. This is how Australia likes to see itself.

On the other hand, though, there’s the real Australia. The nervous, conservative country defined by the phenomenon known as ‘Tall Poppy Syndrome’. If anyone becomes too bold, too outspoken, too successful – if any poppy grows too tall – we are quick to cut them down to size. We’re suspicious, often resentful, of anyone who breaks rank or challenges convention. Though it was born of noble, egalitarian ambitions, Tall Poppy Syndrome has created a culture that encourages playing it safe and leaving conventions unchallenged.

Australia’s cultural identity is a contradiction – we’re defined by a love of boldness, until we actually see it.

We wanted to appeal to Australia’s best side by taking aim at its worst.

And our lead artist and songwriter was key to delivering our message.

Australian artist Tim Minchin is an internationally renowned Australian comedian, provocateur and songwriter. A passionate advocate of the arts and challenging the status quo, we knew Tim’s experience would give him a unique perspective on resisting conformity and creating provocative work that lives on in culture.

The 50th birthday moment presented the perfect opportunity to celebrate creative bravery and help the public reconnect with their own creative and curious spirit.

Play It Safe is a musical journey from nervous conformity to joyful riot. 

Tim Minchin embodies the listener’s cautious inner voice, imploring us to toe the line and keep it simple – but all the while, winking at what’s possible if we're brave enough not to listen. 

While Tim directs us to play it safe, the action on screen shows the wonders that are possible when you do the opposite. The music video begins inside the House, before scaling the roof and bursting out onto the steps. The colour palette evolves from drab greys and browns to a vibrant kaleidoscope. Cameo appearances from the Opera House’s eight resident companies, as well as a host of treasured Australian performers, serve as further evidence that nothing extraordinary ever came from playing it safe. 

We needed to create a tribute worthy of the Sydney Opera House- one that like the house stands alone as piece of entertainment. A daunting task, it also required us to:

Nod to the past but celebrate the future.

Our solution needed to acknowledge the rich legacy of the Sydney Opera House, while also shining a spotlight on the bright future of Australian creativity.

Incorporate each of the Sydney Opera House’s resident companies:

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra, The Australian Ballet, Bangarra, The Sydney Theatre Company, Bell Shakespeare, The Sydney Philharmonia Choir, Opera Australia, The Australian Chamber Orchestra.

Make people feel like the House belongs to them.

There’s a common misconception that the Sydney Opera House is elitist, or “not for people like me.” Though whatever we created needed to be artful, it also needed to speak to everybody – and urge them to visit.

Since its release, Play It Safe has made Australians laugh, cry, and burst with pride.

It was covered widely, locally and internationally, landing 662 stories in top-tier publications across TV, radio, digital and print media.

Play It Safe achieved a total campaign reach of 1.8 billion people globally.

It appealed to existing members and subscribers, with 40% surveyed participants were ‘certain to visit’ after seeing the film.

And more importantly, 73% of people not on their database said they “had a better opinion of Sydney Opera House’ after watching the film, and 49% said they were “certain or very likely to visit”

And Tim Minchin (who admits to being somewhat dubious of advertising), also now closes his shows with the song.

Like the building itself, ‘Play it safe’ was created to disrupt and challenge our perceptions of what an arts institution, Australian icon and ‘home of Opera’ should look and sound like.

While everyone knows the House is home to the performing arts – as a brand, it often takes backstage to its artist and performers, and rarely shares a point of view.

Architect Jorn Utzon’s vision, commitment and bravery have left a legacy that is felt by every one of the performers who grace its halls.

But to communicate that feeling to those outside the building, we needed a bold and disruptive approach that brought a new energy to the brand and gave it renewed relevance – and our ironic and subversive message in ‘Play it Safe ‘ gave us just that.