ABEL Unveils Coates Campaign Featuring "Certified Banger" Jingle and Original Illustrations

Coates has launched its new integrated campaign, ‘Why don’t you just Coates it?’, with not only an original 'certified banger' of a jingle, but original illustration from ABEL co-founder, Simon Fowler.

Following a competitive pitch late 2023, agency of record ABEL, today launched their new brand work for Coates, Australia’s leading equipment hire and solutions provider.

Sheridan Jones, group manager of marketing and communications, said, “Since 1885, Coates has been supporting Australian industry with the equipment and expertise needed to deliver the country’s most iconic and complex projects. As we celebrate our 140th anniversary, we needed an impactful idea that refreshed our brand from the inside out, connected with our customers and community, and embedded Coates’ value proposition ‘Equipped for anything’. That meant finding a true strategic and creative partner like ABEL to help us unlock that challenge as an opportunity.”

Through a rigorous strategic process and internal EVP development, it was clear that despite leading the way in Engineering Solutions, Industrial Solutions and Power, and HVAC, Coates is often primarily known for equipment hire.

ABEL's creative culture lead, Nicholas Kelly noted, “Instead of a laundry list of products and solutions, we wanted to give Coates something that genuinely connected them with their customers and community. We needed to be top of mind when key decision-makers were looking for support at the start of their projects - and nothing beats a jingle.” 

Joining forces with Sonar, ABEL wrote and crafted a jingle that held the heritage of the brand, while bringing a fresh and modern approach to it, and ‘Why Don’t You Just Coates It?’ was born. Not only working as a distinctive ear-worm, but cleverly turning Coates into a verb synonymous with a single, memorable, catch-all solution.

“The jingle haunts anyone who hears it (in a good way). We wanted to make something that felt authentic to the brand and the talented team at Sonar have done an amazing job. We hope one day our kids will be singing our Coates song too,” said creative and co-founder of ABEL, Simon Fowler.

As true creative collaborators, ABEL’s input didn’t stop there. Moving into production, Fowler stepped up to the challenge of illustrating the motley crew of witty, irreverent machinery and equipment, who were then brought to life with the magical touch of director Steph Smith and animator Jonathan Chong from Photoplay.