Barbara Humphries, Tom Martin, and Elle Bullen Pick AUNZ’s June Work of the Month

From iconic out of home, brand new baby drivers, a multi-layered behaviour change campaign, and a tennis icon-turned-tradie; In partnership with AWARD, here is LBB AUNZ’s June Work of the Month, chosen by Barbara Humphries, Tom Martin, Elle Bullen, and Tom Loudon.

Weiden and Kennedy and McDonald’s: ‘Windings Out of Home’

Barbara Humphries, chief creative officer at Droga5 ANZ

​Cryptic billboards in Wingdings font, revealing ‘peak chicken is upon us’ were a deliciously Maccas way to launch wings. This felt like the brand doing what it does best: leaning on its iconic brand hallmarks, engaging fans with a hit of nostalgia and the product they love. Well played.

SA Police and Showpony: ‘Young Driver'

Tom Martin, partner and chief creative officer at Special Australia

Nearly 20 years ago, the RTA released the ‘Speeding. No one thinks big of you’ campaign. It struck a nerve by making men question how they drove and what it said about their manhood, using nothing more than a little finger.

The campaign won awards, was embraced by youth culture and still holds up today because it didn’t feel like a government ad. I’m not saying this new campaign will be as iconic, but I like that it also makes young men question how they look to their peers at an age when that matters so damn much. When you're desperate to be seen as an adult, no one wants to look like a baby.

Motion Sickness and Whānau Ora: ‘Māori Roll Call'

Elle Bullen, partner at Hellions

My criteria for choosing this was “Damn, I wish I made that”, and the 'Māori Roll Call' from Motion Sickness hit that.

This is one of those ideas that appeals to me in layers.

At first watch, it’s beautiful.

And then some light stalking reveals that beauty isn’t by accident, but by very intentional design -- taking the tiles of a meaningful political space and building them into a stage for a powerful message, all while paying visual homage to the culture it’s communicating with. It's steeped in beautiful heritage and feels genuinely considered and crafted for its audience.

The delivery is simple. Lovely storytelling that stays with you.

The voice and the scene deliver enough gravity that the content doesn’t need to labour over all the reasons why this is important.

Then there’s the cleverness of the roll call device and the longest ad–reading all those names (and the ability to make even that somewhat captivating), but even for those who don’t have half an hour to spare, the short version drives home the message.

In the wrong hands, this might have felt like a home room teacher who's traded a desk for a chessboard, but it’s absolutely in the right ones.

INNOCEAN and Kia: ‘Tasman Town Part 3’

Tom Loudon, AUNZ reporter at LBB

​The latest chapter of Kia’s ‘Tasman Town’ campaign features tennis champions Rafael Nadal and Ash Barty, with an all-star lineup of sporting legends turned tradies.

When Ash relocates to Tasman Town, she finds her house in disrepair. A who’s-who of Australian sports icons arrive to help, including basketballers Luc Longley and Erin Phillips, AFL great Peter Daicos, cricketers Jason Gillespie and Mike Whitney, and tennis stars Pat Rafter and Rafael Nadal.

Having kicked off with ‘Kia’s Getting a Ute’, the brand platform incorporates Australian sporting icons to build hype ahead of the ute’s launch.

‘Tasman Town’ is becoming an excellent example of sustained campaign storytelling. By gradually expanding its roster of athlete-tradies, the automaker maintains freshness while reinforcing its ute’s credentials. The playful trades -- from scoop excavators to stump removers -- cleverly showcase vehicle features without overt specs talk.