The Background:

2017 was the worst time to be a migrant in Australia.

Anti-immigration feeling was at fever pitch, and many in the media and society were characterising migrants as, at best a drain on society, and at worst a threat to it.

However 33% of all small business owners in Australia are migrant owned; and rather than take jobs, migrants make them - crucially it was something that no one was talking about this.

It was a fact not lost on CGU, the small business insurer, who saw an opportunity to make Australians realise that migrants were embodying values and traits that typify the very best of what it means to be Australian.

Setting up a small business is an immensely difficult and entrepreneurial enterprise that requires grit, determination and resourcefulness - all laudable and admirable qualities every Aussie can agree on.

The Strategy:

Our strategy was therefore straightforward:

Get the whole of Australia to recognise that what makes an Australian is not the immutable characteristics of one’s race, ethnicity or even country of origin - rather its the values and ideals that you hold deal.  

It’s as true today as it has been for over 200 years. As Australia’s national story has always been one of people from far distant lands coming over, setting up businesses, and making a success for both themselves and for the nation.

In short the campaign had to get across one thing - that there’s nothing more Australian than a migrant small business owner.

The Campaign:

Our intent was to make clear that migrant small businesses represent the very best parts of what it means to be Australian. This was summed succinctly with the line...

‘AUSTRALIAN AS IT GETS.’

In execution we paid homage to these incredible migrant small business owners by telling the powerful true story of Hamid Ranjbarian, a refugee turned business owner in a 90 second film.

We follow he and his family’s harrowing boat journey in 2011, their near-drowning, being picked up by Indonesian officials and eventually granted refugee status in Australia. We watch as Hamid learns English, finds work as a painter and eventually works his way up to owning his own business. Along the way he experiences setbacks like racism and long hours but eventually battles through to become a business owner, giving back to the economy of the country that gave him a home. A stat at the end of the film (from a migrant research report we commissioned) confirms 33% of small business owners are migrants - migrants who have triumphed through struggle and are perfect examples of Australian values at their best.

The Results:

Our campaign cut through; gaining a 43% increase in recognition compared to the previous CGU campaigns.  It also created a positive impact on the brand, with many seeing the brand as more caring and empathetic – an increase of 35.7% from the previous campaign.

And even though it wasn’t the primary objective of the campaign, it also generated a 10% increase in like for like online sales.