Full Frontal Nudity? SBS and Droga5 Prove ‘We Go There’ In Explicit Ad That Can Only Be Seen On SBS

A TV ad that can only be watched on SBS – because it features full-frontal nudity throughout the 60’" spot – is the centrepiece of a Droga5 campaign to celebrate the broadcaster’s 50th birthday.

“We're well aware that SBS has that affectionate ‘sex before soccer’ association,” Jane Palfreyman, chief marketing and commercial officer at SBS, told LBB of the campaign, ‘We Go There’. “We're really okay with that.”

From today, the campaign will run across outdoor and social, with film assets playing across SBS. The hero, M-rated film –  ‘The Ad That Can Only Be Seen On SBS’ – will only be watchable on the broadcaster, while a PG version will run widely. 

In audience testing, Jane said people reported the ad made them “see SBS in a new light”, and as a broadcaster that's “a bit braver or more diverse than they had assumed”.

Tara Ford, who led the local campaign as CCO before she left for the UK, where she is now CCO at Droga5 London, told LBB “the reaction has been great.”

“It’s been a bold reminder of everything SBS shows and the breadth of content that you can’t find anywhere else. I always preface with a nudity warning, but what has been interesting… even with that, people are still surprised by the amount ‘We Go There’. Have to say, ‘I told you!’”

So how did the team find the perfect streaker? Tara said the starting point, “as always,” was to “look for authentic people with lots of ability to play a part.”

“Full-frontal nudity is not often part of the brief, so that was an added element. We were looking for someone who was natural and likeable, with, how should I say this? Nothing out of the ordinary that would be distracting beyond our message. Of course, as part of the casting process, our talent were not allowed to reveal the full ‘picture’ but we asked all the right questions and went through a rigorous process to get the right person.”

It’s not the sort of ad many brands would back, but Matt Michael, CEO of Droga5 ANZ, said the credit “has to go to Jane and her incredible team at SBS” for getting the campaign – 60", uncensored film and all – through the board room and off the ground with such ease.

“Along with James [Taylor] the MD, right from the beginning when they launched the campaign at the Upfronts last year, they stood by the idea, building on it and holding firm on the idea’s intent and execution through every twist and turn,” he said.

One of Jane’s highlights is that the creative is “so beautifully anchored in who we are.”

“It really understood our legacy and our heritage, but also our future ambition – we all loved the work the minute we saw it. It's had broad support across the whole network, at all levels, which is really exciting.”

When asked if the campaign started out as daring as it ended up, Tara confirmed “the ad was always bold.”

“The various scenes changed but the concept remained intact from the very first presentation: highlight the unique and thought-provoking content by making an ad that can only be seen on SBS.”

For Matt, the campaign “delivers on our aim to push boundaries and provide provocative thinking that delivers lasting impact for our clients.”

“It is very much in service of SBS' 50th anniversary and recognition of the diverse and open point of view they bring to Australia. Yes, it is bold, but importantly, it is so true of that brand and that organisation.”

As for whether the full-frontal nudity will risk breaching the Ad Standards code, Jane said, “we will be careful about where and how we place it as we are with any content of that nature.”

“We were very thoughtful in our creation of that. I mean, yes, there's a streaker, it’s a metaphor, it’s playful and tongue in cheek. It's not designed to shock, but actually to invite audiences in to reconsider. 

“Audience experience is always a focus of ours, and that's been considered alongside the other elements of how we activate this asset.”

In a world in which advertisers are trying to reach as many people as they can, creating an ad that can’t be seen anywhere except SBS is a new tactic. Tara said the intrigue will drive viewers to the broadcaster, so it is a “modern product demonstration”.

“It may seem counter intuitive, however we have a whole PR and teaser strategy around the campaign that will drive people to SBS, where they can see the full spot in all its glory. It’s a memorable and novel way to get people’s interest and attention. Really, it’s a modern product demonstration of the type of content on SBS. We are so used to everything on demand in the way we want it, so this provides just a little intrigue.”

Jane also hopes people will take the leap and head to SBS to see the film, and be left with the message “that SBS is a brand for them, and perhaps – if they are only occasional or light viewers – see something in it that might make them want to engage with us more often. That's really the job we feel the campaign is really well placed to do.”