Canon Australia and Leo Burnett Sydney's Campaign Celebrates The Power of Curiosity

Associate Professor Maria Kangas of Macquarie University’s Department of Psychology, who worked with Canon on the study, says the research affirms that curiosity has a positive impact on our lives.

Encouraging Australians to put more of their authentic selves into the world, Canon together with Leo Burnett set out to prove and celebrate the power of curiosity. To do this, they found three self-confessed ‘uncurious’ individuals and sent them on an adventure beyond their comfort zones. The first of the three travellers was Irene Zagoridis, a 72 year old Sydney-based grandmother who has devoted her adult life to her family.

Travelling back home to Greece for the first time in more than six decades, Irene was assigned questionnaires and a daily mood diary by Associate Professor Kangas to assess her feelings throughout her journey. Comparing her outlook before, during and after her memorable trip, Kangas found that Irene’s ‘social curiosity’ and ‘joyous exploration’ markers had improved dramatically – leading to a measurable lift in her sense of well-being.

“When faced with a host of activities, the research showed over half of all Australians feel most curious when travelling or visiting new places, so we put this to the test. During her travels, it was heartening to see Irene use her camera to view the world differently, and unlock new and exciting experiences on the way. Her journey has been a truly inspiring one, and is testament to the fact that there is no age limit for becoming more curious and living a fuller life,” said Jason McLean, Director, Canon Consumer Imaging.

“Discovering the extraordinary and unexpected is one of the best parts of travel. But you only find them by following your curiosity,” said Grant McAloon, ECD Leo Burnett Sydney. “We wanted to show that photography, because it compels you to look at the world in different ways, can help you do that.”

Irene shared, “I was born in Greece and came to Australia when I was four. I’ve hardly travelled overseas in my lifetime, and haven’t really been curious about what’s out there either. I guess it’s because everything in my life has been planned out, from my wedding and marriage, to my children and family. When Canon approached me, I decided to do something for myself for a change!”

“Travelling back to Greece was surreal for me. I didn’t really know how to feel, but I was given a camera to use for my trip, and it truly helped me develop an interest in what’s around me. One of the days, I photographed a couple dancing in a café, and before I knew it, one of them invited me to his 30th birthday gathering. Through them, I also discovered a poppy field not too far away – it made me feel like a little girl again, running through my grandmother’s farm. The whole experience was a special one for me, a dream come true. Using my camera also pushed me to see the world in a different way, something I had never done before,” said Irene.

The 30-second edit features a poem written by Irene herself on reflection of her experience, and the OOH and digital artwork was based off her travel diaries. The campaign is running across OOH, cross-track TV, TV on demand, digital and social, with PR support from 27th May until 1st September 2018.

To view Irene’s journey, go here.

Stories of the next two travellers will be rolled out over the next two months. Stay tuned to bringyourcuriosity.com.au.