Outdoor & Events

Clever Buoy

Optus

Issue 32 | September 2014

Agency

M&C Saatchi Australia

Creative Team

Concept / Copywriter Jonathan Flannery Concept / Art Director Paul Gregson Concept / Creative Technologist James Bush Creative Directors Paul Dunne Ant Larcombe Design Director Steve Hanzic Executive Creative Director Ben Welsh Group Innovation Director Ben Cooper

Production Team

Project Director Nadine Frisk Executive Producer Mick Perry Producer Nikki Marsh Animation Company 60/40 Production Company Shark Mitigation Systems Head of Technology Roger Chapman

Other Credits

Google Australia Optus Head of Brand and Comms Nathan Rosenberg Media Agency Starcom Optus Brand Project Lead Andrea Darling Content Film Director Josh Moore PR Company Fuel Communications Strategy Director Dan Bye Chief Strategy Officer Justin Graham CEO Australia Jaimes Leggett Senior Account Director Karlee Weatherstone Senior Account Manager Sarah Cunningham

Date

25 May 2014

Background

Optus was Australia's second largest Telecoms provider. Most people thought it had much less network coverage than the market leader though, in fact, the difference was less than 1%.

The challenge was to change the conversation from the size of the Optus network to how amazing it was.

Idea

An opportunity was identified in the number of shark attacks that occurred around the Australian coastline. In 2014, shark attacks had become so frequent, the Western Australia government sanctioned the culling of all large sharks.

Despite the frequency of shark attacks, defence methods had not changed in 60 years.

The question was: could the power of the Optus network be put to use protecting surfers and swimmers?

The 'Clever Buoy' was a smart buoy that detected sharks and sent instant alerts to lifeguards on the beach nearby via the Optus network.

Where sharks had been difficult to identify using sonar, Optus developed new detection systems based on face recognition technology. Each new confirmed detection helped the software become more accurate as it learned the intricacies of the swimming patterns of sharks.

Once a shark was identified, a real-time message was transferred via Optus' Inmarsat satellite to the Lifeguard towers. This data was also shared in Google+ with scientists and researchers.

Results

In the first month since launch there has been an estimated reach of over 19 million through social media, with an 84% positive sentiment towards the Optus brand. The idea was featured in over 485 global news stories earning PR to a value of over $3.7million.

Optus earned a 92% share of voice in relation to #innovation and #technology compared to other Australian Telco's on social media.

The commercial Clever Buoys are now in development with public rollout currently targeted for 2015.

Our Thoughts

This is what Directory was set up to evangelise, ideas like this where technology, advertising and brands have converged to create innovative solutions to problems. Who knows where the idea started, in the agency or at Optus, but either way it provides confirmation that what brands do can be so much more powerful than what they say. If I tell you I’m funny, you think I’m a jerk. If I narrate an amusing story, you think ‘He’s funny’. Here is Optus showing us how smart they are and making watersports a heck of a lot safer. I hope Australians show their gratitude by migrating to their network.