Telecom’s Tommy and Boris on track to become two of NZ’s most lovable brand ambassadors
UPDATE: Just a week after the launch of Saatchi & Saatchi’s new campaign for Telecom, Tommy and Boris are set to become two of New Zealand’s most lovable brand ambassadors.
With feedback on Telecom’s Facebook, YouTube and Twitter pages being almost universally positive and their Facebook page swelling with an additional 4000 fans, the campaign is looking to be one of the year’s favourites.
The first TVC in the series introduced the world through the eyes of the excitable eight year-old and his pet turtle. Together the pair will showcase the wonders of modern communications technology.
Antonio Navas, Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand executive creative director, Antonio Navas said that the campaign was designed to remind us just how amazing the time we’re living in really is.
Says Navas: “Tommy and Boris have been created to tell a story about connection, which is ultimately what telecommunications is all about.”
The challenge for Saatchi & Saatchi was to remind New Zealanders about the local telecommunications provider’ place in keeping Kiwis connected with each other and the world in a sector increasingly populated with internationally-owned competition.
After recently bringing its once-divergent business units and products under a single structure, Telecom needed a new integrated promotional vehicle to convey all of its offerings under one unifying thought. Tommy and Boris were Saatchi & Saatchi’s solution for the iconic New Zealand brand.
The good news for Tommy and Boris fans is that the popular pair will continue to share their take on life via TV, print, digital, radio, outdoor and in-store channels for the foreseeable future.
Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand
Client: Telecom New Zealand
Executive Creative Director: Antonio Navas
Creative Directors: Guy Roberts, Corey Chalmers
Creative Team: Matt Campbell, Simon Pound
Agency Producer: Jane Oak
Account Service: Sarah Williams, Brendon McLean, Rachael Williams
Planner: Murray Streets, Ben Fielding
Production Company: Robber’s Dog
Director: Luke Shanahan
Film Producer: Mark Foster
Editor: Tim Mauger
Post production: Assembly (3D) and Blockhead
Music composition: Franklin Rd / Jonathan Bree
Audio Post: Franklin Rd / Shane Taipari
53 Comments
This is 2012 and telcos are still churning out stuff like this. Where did I park my Velorian?
S&S, you have struggled for years with the big beast but this is your best work for a long long time. Congrats.
Ok….this is the best ad yet by S&S for a long time, which is not saying much… but it is still a steaming turd burger…..as WTF said….great ad for 10 years ago. Next Paris will bring back spot the dog, perhaps a rabbit, or cat next….a turtle called Boris is your answer….come on! Seriously!
Next to your DeLorean, WTF?
Nice but dated, was Hilux gold winning car spot a speed bump on the way back to 2010?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMNry4PE93Y
Thanks Doc, that’s what I meant. Now let’s get back to 2012…
“Technology is constantly changing, but one thing that hasn’t changed is our need to connect” Clever insight – pat on the back to the planners.
Nice one using the turtle as your bastion for high speed internet. Telecom and irony.
Beautifully shot and crafted. Pitch perfect direction of the kid. I’ve got an 8 year old. Pretty close. With a brief like that, hard to get character and charm and not get cutesy but it does it…. Tough audience… Okay- toughest client in NZ. After their last two years- everyone should know that…. Nice one…
Wow – dated, mannered, old school, tired. And a turtle, which is slow, as a front for a hi-tech company.
well, well,
you’d have to be as cynical as all get out to not love this spot. Beautiful. Gorgeous performance, astute direction….Anyone that has worked Saatchi’s knows this client is tough! Tell me about it.
Lets applaud well crafted and executed work. More please.
The kid is exceptional casting…. well done..
Care to guess how many of the above comments are from DDB’ers, who are all over the Telecom account trying to get in. Look at the Aussie blog for fair assessment of this ad.
Great spot. Kid is fantastic. Lovely touches. Nice one kiwi people.
well said So said – We all know DDB is itching to get involved but forget about it. This is fantastic. Who shot it? Beautiful. And that kid. This concept could have been frought with danger had they not nailed a likable kid. They did.
Well done. Measured direction. Not over the top. No pink fists!!
love it. A tree hut. What is “tommy time”? Golden. Well made too. Who shot it?
The idea seemed fine enough, but can’t say I warmed to the kid very much. Bit on the precocious side..
It’s charming and puts Telecom back in the right territory. Plus it engages right across the spectrum – kids, teenagers, parents all love it from what I’ve been hearing. Nice work guys.
Is that there’s a troll on here (it’s got to be a bloke from his smug, condescending tone) who for years thought Michael J Fox time travelled in a…’Velorian’. LOL.
so- I’m guessing from your comments on the aussie site that you’re the Saatchi camp. Good luck with that. Telecom’s a kiwi client by the way. This is just more in a long line of the same. I think kiwis might be a bit over it now.
Seen the stuff DDB did for this already. It’s smarter. Sorry.
It’s ok, would probably make my reel, just feel like I’ve seen this style of ad a bazillion times for a big corporate trying to look human.
beep
He would have done this. But 17 years ago.
Why don’t people use their real names and then we can judge if your opinion matters.
I like this, it’s very cool and well written.
Hats off and pats on backs to all concerned.
well said high and mighty. This is a well crafted spot with a fantastic kid actor. Looks slick, feels honest and real and i don’t care who has the business and who wants it. Angry people against DDB for pink batts – is this payback?. Both spots rock in my opinion…
Me – patting yourself on the back then pal? 🙂
The ad is ok, average at best, nothing new or exciting let’s be honest, and it probably won’t be troubling the juries. It’s just another telecom ad. Would have been nice to see something a bit different, but it’s ye olde telecom after all. At least they didn’t promise to send someone in to space…
‘we can judge if your opinion matters’
written like the ultimate ad w*&nker
I Quite like this ad, but it’s clearly a Pond Terrapin rather than turtle.
No – def a turtle. Spends too much time out of the water in my opinion – tutles have rights too
This really doesn’t stand up to repeat viewings and they’ve set it up as banners too. Fecking irritating!!
very cool spot. best thing out of saatchis for years. get better now.
the battle of the telcos –
Vodafone vs Telecom.
Both nice spots. Both will be popular. Good acting. Good direction…blah blah…
Kids rule the world apparently….
4000 fans on facebook (you do realize that’s a pathetic tiny number right?) and now we’re going to be subjected to hundreds of ads!
Telecom, of course people like this ad (at the moment), it’s a kid being cute with a turtle and the only time your brand interferes with it is the endframe.
As soon as this little shit and his turtle try to sell me a phone, you and this campaign can fuck right off.
Normally I get paid for this advice, but this time I’ll give it to you for free: your brand value is about to tank… and I’m certain of this, because right now you probably think it couldn’t get any lower and ridding a cute kid is just about the worst you could do.
are you kidding?, are you kidding? The moment you used the line, Normally i get paid for this advice…….. you lost every sad middle aged “confused ad-man” there is out there. Of which there is many.
Ideally you need to go and write a kids book and find again what it was that made you want to be creative all those years ago, but alas…. you ended up in advertising.
Think its a really nice spot and I don’t even have kids – let alone hate them as much as you seem too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&NR=1&v=SJn2bweZ9gk
No, I don’t work at Saatchi’s. I just know a well written, charming and engaging spot for a fucking tough category and client when I see one.
Compared to most ads out there I didn’t mind this one, the part I liked best was when he sent the image of the turtle to that suit, got a wee laugh out of me. However I was left confused about what they were trying to get across to me. I’ve only seen it a few times and if I can recall now I would say it’s something about how technology is excitingly moving fast into the future. No durr Telecom and no offence but I would say you would be the last network to catch up with current changes.
The whole kid/children being the hero of a campaign is nothing new either and it’s getting old fast, kind of insulting when they’re the face of massive ruthless money hungry corporate company but that’s media for you.
Good job Saatchis for producing something acceptable for Telecom, it would be difficult. Definitely room for improvement though.
Come on guys it’s a TVC not a movie! cue Nelson Muntz laugh, HA HA!
Everyone here is so tough talking why don’t we have a fight for life and donate the proceeds to charity!
I have wanted an ad fight night thing for so long…
30 negative comments on a cynical industry blog by the competition.
600 positive comments and 7500 likes on Facebook by consumers in the real world.
Hmmm…
I’m not sure you old farts actually understand what works for an audience.
Jesus.. I’m new in advertising and I’m like hell that don’t turn out like all you cynical tosspots!
nice spot. looks great. kid is perfectly cast.
from a guy in production that doesn’t even want the business – or would know what to do with it, even if he got it.
Why would a turtle need a USB port in his shell? Even if he did it wouldn’t be practical as it would get wet when he’s under water.
The kid is unconvincing, what’s his back story? Is he adopted? Did he have some traumatic experience as a toddler that manifested into an unhealthy obsession with turtes?
Does the ‘suit’ use Telecom as a service provider? If so how is it he is able to get reception?
This ad has far to many plot holes for me.
“and I’m like hell that don’t turn out like all you cynical tosspots!”
Cynical or honest? Let’s face it the ad is just about a kid’s obsession with a turtle and a Telecom logo slapped on the end.
Isn’t a short story with a logo what we were all chasing with that term, branded content…. here it is – a short story, well crafted, well told, high level production values on a blue chip brand that affects most of us in some way……. and here we all are talking about it, and talking about it and talking about it…..
Telecom must be laughing all the way to the bank…
perhaps branded content has arrived. and for that, well done mr’s Chalmers and Roberts.
Can’t believe the kid was paid 30K. What was the turtle paid?
Yes, Telecom have another ‘Telecom’ ad out. 2Degrees have their own identity… The only real loser is Vodafone who seem to have no fucking clue who they are or who their customers are!
This is just another ‘trying hard to connect’ telco ad written by so called middle aged ad men. Saatchis and telecom really ought to call it day for both of their sakes. They are both looking a bit old. Funny comments though. Facebook comments woohoo!
I like it. Makes me want to buy a turtle, that’s what they’re advertising isn’t it?