Telstra.
Originality, risk and humorous advertisements caught the eyes of Australians in 2025, according to creatives.
Highlights include Didi’s ‘Yes I Didi’, the Suzuki ‘Index’ and Jeep's ‘Grand Wagoneer'.
However, Bear Meets Eagle on Fire and Revolver’s Telstra Cyber Security campaign impressed many creatives in the industry this year.
BMF creative director Harry Stanford told AdNews that the campaign had enough pull to influence Australians to change Telcos.
"This idea has enough charm to fill a Deathstar. Big budget, kitschy, classic sci-fi vibes, paired with sharp writing and warm Zanulian greetings,” Stanford said.
“The casting of Steve Buscemi, the grumpy alien overlord, plays to his strengths as a character actor, rather than just a celebrity.
“And it’s all backed up by a wonderfully simple OOH campaign - big single, scammy, words blocked by some Telstra tape. Scamtastic stuff."
DDB Sydney creative partner Jack Nunn first saw the cyber security campaign at the cinema, where the audience gave their full attention, and even laughed at some scenes.
“How many ads can genuinely manage to do something like that? And, even more impressively, how many can do that whilst being incredibly tight about the product messaging?” Nunn said.
“I absolutely love that the best advertising in the country is also for the biggest brand/advertiser in the country. No scam, no low degree of difficulty.”
Telstra's wide spread of advertisements this year came with both positive and negative responses.
JOY creative director Libby Young said Telstra's 'Wherever we go' campaigns split the rooms it was played in.
"Some loved it, some didn't, but everyone remembered it. In a year this noisy, that matters," Young said.
"It was viral on TikTok, it showed up in Origin broadcasts with the walk and whistle moment, and it appeared across OOH that was bold, fresh, and impossible to miss.
"An idea that genuinely moved through culture is rare. Everyone wants to do it, but very few pull it off. This one did. Wherever you were, it was there. Task done."
Internationally, Cheetos ‘The Other Hand’, by US-based agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners, took the likes of DDB Melbourne creative director Becky Morriss.
She said that the campaign was messy, chaotic, brilliant and razor sharp strategically.
"It’s one of those beautifully obvious in hindsight ideas you can’t believe no one did sooner,” Morriss said.
“They took a tiny, universal truth, that one of your hands is basically out of action when it’s covered in Cheeto dust, and built an entire creative world from it. And the commitment was so good. A typeface designed entirely with people’s non-dominant hands.
“What it did so well was fully commit to its own logic.
The font was released to download and build a plug-in that let you turn any website into The Other Hand Font.
"People immediately started using in all sorts of mischievous posts for a chance to win a limited-edition The Other Hand Cheetos bag," Morriss said.
"Playful, self-aware and proudly imperfect."
AKQA Australia executive creative director Sarah McGregor highlighted the Suzuki Index from A Time & Place, which pulled live data to demonstrate that (per kilo) a Suzuki is cheaper than spinach, raspberries, mushrooms, coffee or prawns.
“Of course, it’s oh so very topical, which makes it endlessly contextual – you could probably write an execution for just about any victim of inflation on the supermarket shelf,” McGregor said.
“Ideas like this show that you can bring the same kind of craft and polish to data and innovation as you can to more traditional mediums – they’ve turned dry numbers into beautifully written, funny and timely entertainment.”
Emotive CCO Gavid McLeod said the Jeep 'Grand Wagoneer', campaign with Iliza Shlesinger is a great example of what work with a bit of edge can do.
“It kicks off from an obscure website naming the Jeep the best car to have sex in and just takes off from there,” McLeod said.
“It’s the first ad in ages I’ve watched four times straight and laughed harder each time. Lines like “With room for the whole family. And room to make a family” or “I know it’s too much, beautiful intelligent woman” to the all-male panel just kept getting better the more I watched.
“What I love most is how confidently it walks the line between comedy and brand. It’s bold, self-aware and perfectly produced.”
By All Means managing partner, Mat Cummings, said ‘Yes I Didi’ by Sunday Gravy blew him away with respect and admiration for both the agency and client.
“Such incredibly original, brave, confident and focused work is so rare,” Cummings said.
“It stood out from its advertising neighbours like the proverbial. It's a beautiful example of strategic communications, not trying to chase the entire market, but instead sacrificing potential audience to focus on a market segment where they might have a good chance of ripping market share from the market leader.
“Because let's face it, this is not a campaign for everyone. And I think that's exactly why it's so good. It reminded me that 'engaging originality' in advertising is so very important.
"Because as a great adman once said; "If your advertising goes unnoticed, everything else is academic". I bet this one made Uber look in the rear view mirror.”
BCM Media and Creative, creative director Sam Boyd, said Bonds ‘Made for Down Under’ by Special was an Australian brand launching into the US by doubling down on the Australian stereotype.
"Perhaps the unfocused brilliance of the campaign is that it transcended the paid spots to take full flight in TikTok via organic UGC remakes and all kinds of earned amplification,” Boyd said.
“When a campaign drifts into memes, creator culture, a Betoota headline and even an organic Kenilworth Bakery photoshoot, without a manufactured social challenge, you know it has moved past advertising and into culture.”
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.