After a period in which its communication was strongly shaped by questions around network reliability and accountability to customers, Optus is entering a new phase for the brand. Together with Droga5 ANZ, part of Accenture Song, it has introduced the There’s Always a Way platform, the first major work to emerge from the partnership that began last year.
The platform draws on the everyday resourcefulness, persistence and optimism of Australians, positioning “connectivity” as a tool that enables people to find solutions themselves. Rather than making technological performance the central story, Optus is trying to show what its network can mean in specific everyday situations.
That idea is introduced through a film directed by Steve Ayson, whose protagonist is Nonna Maria. After the coach of her grandson’s basketball team drops out shortly before a semi-final, she takes over his role and, with the help of the internet, starts learning about a sport she barely knows. She does not become an expert overnight, but through persistence, information and the tools available to her, she finds a way to help the team.
Choosing a woman in her seventies or eighties for the lead role was a deliberate departure from the typical protagonists seen in advertising. For the Droga5 creative team, the combination of an ordinary character, an unexpected situation and determination was precisely what gave the broader platform idea a human dimension, without the need to build the story around a perfect hero.
Behind the creative concept lies a more important task for the brand itself. Last year’s 14-hour network outage, during which some customers were unable to contact emergency services, further damaged trust in the company and delayed the originally planned launch of Droga5’s first major work for Optus. The We’re On It campaign, which followed the incident, focused on taking accountability and investing in network resilience. There’s Always a Way now shifts the communication towards longer-term brand building.
For Optus, the new platform is part of a five-year strategy aimed at making the company more reliable and easier for customers to choose. Over the past year, the company has simultaneously worked on its processes, accountability and governance, while the new communication seeks to rebuild an emotional connection with a broader audience.
The campaign has launched nationally across television, online video, outdoor, social media and audio, alongside shorter films focused on the 5G network and human tech support. The media strategy is led by Accenture Song Media ANZ, which is also connecting the creative platform with Optus’ partnerships with local basketball leagues, including the NBL and WNBL, ensuring that the same idea is not limited to the hero film alone.
The platform is also accompanied by an evolved visual identity developed by Droga5. The aim is to make the communication more dynamic and adaptable while retaining the distinctive elements Optus has built over more than three decades.
There’s Always a Way is therefore not conceived as a standalone campaign tied to a single service or product. For Optus, it marks the beginning of a longer-term attempt to move beyond a period spent explaining what had not worked and return to the question of what role a telecommunications brand can play in people’s everyday lives.
