Australian telecommunications company Optus asks the question, “What if you could write a love song for a whale, and an orchestra went out into the ocean to play it?” Film director David Denneen worked with composer Bruce Heald and a specially selected chamber music group to perform music that both whales and humans could appreciate.
An orchestra was placed on a barge with film crew and sent out to serenade the whales, emulating the sounds made by male humpback whales as they migrate along the coast of Queensland. “When it comes to communication, anything is possible.”
Click on the image below to play the video in YouTube (HD)
The television ad and online campaign is inspired by Humpback Acoustic Research Collaboration, a collaborative project between researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO), the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Organization (DSTO), and the University of Queensland (UQ).
The campaign is online at www.optuswhalesong.com.au, providing an opportunity to interact with a virtual humpback whale through song, information on the science and music behind the commercial, interviews with key staff from the project, a screen saver and ringtones (piano soundtrack and whale sounds).
Credits
The Whale Song campaign was developed at M&C Saatchi, Sydney, by executive creative director/copywriter Ben Walsh, creative group head/art director Paul Carpenter, copywriter Andy Fleming, agency producers Jenny Lee-Archer, Rod James and Loren August.
Filming was shot by director David Denneen via Film Graphics, Sydney, with producer Anna Fawcett.
Music was composed by Noise creative director Bruce Heald.
Everything below the water line was developed by Boffswana, Sydney. The digital team created the whale and the environment it swims in as well all of the programming for users to interact with him and make songs.
The site won a FWA Award (Favourite Website Award).
(Average: 4.27 out of 5)
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I’m sure this will win awards for agencies but not customers for Optus.
what a beautiful ad. love to see it more often well done to the creator.
i dont get it did it actually happen?
is it real?
self indulgent ad, that has nothing to do with helping or assisting customers….so Optus can now talk to whales, pitty they have no success talking to people…
You are pushing the boundaries of creativity. Well done. We only know a small bit of creation.
The negative comments by others say more about themselves than anything else. Keep developing the communication science
Bill Skinner (Clinical Psychologist)
Great Post! Very informative and a great read. I saw this site during my browsing and think it may be relevant http://www.whales.org.za.Keep up the great posts!
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A wonderfully beautiful example of harmonic resonance and interspecies communication. Why don’t you make a complete DVD and full orchestration of the event available for the public to purchase? Donate the proceeds to Save The Whales. It would be a best seller I’m sure and, no doubt, strike a magical cord among those of us environmentalists with deep hearts.