How Google Helps Us Help Others in New 72andsunny Campaign
Google has collaborated with 72andSunny to show their love for Aussie Rules and help reconnect families with loved ones living with dementia. Working in consultation with Dementia Australia, the new film tells the tear-jerking story of a granddaughter and grandmother finding their way to each other through their shared love for AFLW and help from Google. Showing that Aussie Rules is more than a game and Google is more than just a search engine, the campaign speaks to Aussies in more ways than one, tugging on heartstrings across generational gaps.
Similar to last year’s story about an immigrant father and daughter discovering the sport and Google helping them become part of the community, this year’s campaign aims to focus on family and its vital importance in Australian society.
“It’s a privilege to partner with Google and the AFL again, to produce a spot that not only celebrates the game, but shows how Google genuinely helps us help others,” says 72andSunny’s ECD Luke Martin. This year’s film educates audiences on the impact of dementia in communities, as well as helps us better understand the ways in which we can aid our close ones that suffer from the condition. In the light of the pandemic, during which disconnect between families and communities has been one of the biggest issues we faced, it seems that topics like this one are more important than ever.
Luke spoke to LBB’s Zoe Antonov to tell her more about the significance of the film for Australian audiences, the huge health challenge that dementia poses to communities and all the heart-warming moments of the production process.
LBB> What was the brief for this campaign and what were the initial ideas behind it?
Luke> For this year’s campaign we didn’t reinvent the wheel – the focus on family still had lots of emotional depth to it. Our 2022 story was about a girl trying to help her grandmother with Alzheimer’s, through their shared love of AFL. It was a story of reconnection in a way – to the game, the memories and their relationship with each other.
Each of the original ideas had to satisfy a very similar criteria, with a narrative built around supporting loved-ones, hitting important cultural levers, while remaining true to the partnership of the AFL and Google.
LBB> Why was it important to start the conversation about dementia and what did you want to spark in audiences?
Luke> We wanted to highlight that dementia is a huge health and social challenge in Australia; and often it is loved ones that help those living with the disease, we hope that more visibility could make a positive change to their lives. We saw an opportunity to start this conversation and recognise the up to 487,500 Australians living with dementia, plus the 1.6 million people involved in their care. If this film were to help even one family living with the disease, prompt them to seek support, or let them know they are not alone, we’d be thrilled.
LBB> How long did the campaign take and what were the most memorable moments from the production process?
Luke> We started planning the campaign in October 2021, with lots of community outreach, focus groups and consultation with Dementia Australia at each stage, which was so valuable to the process. We wanted to ensure the story was authentic to the experiences of those living with or caring for someone with dementia, so keeping a constant line of communication open with the lovely people at Dementia Australia made it a memorable and heart-warming process.
LBB> What role do you believe creative media plays in the discussion of issues such as dementia?
Luke> In the words of Maree McCabe AM, CEO, Dementia Australia: “Films like this are so important in raising awareness and increasing understanding about dementia and the impact of dementia in our communities.” We couldn't agree more. At 72andSunny, diversity and inclusion in advertising is extremely important, starting a conversation for positive change or increased visibility is always a win and at the heart of everything we do.
LBB> How does this campaign tie in with the previous one from last year? Talk us through the connection between the two and the significance of last year's one.
Luke> These campaigns go hand in hand, our task was to show how Google helps Australians thrive in our everyday lives - empowering us with tools for action - with AFL as the cultural vehicle. Last year's campaign established this approach, which we feel is strong enough to deliver great results for Google and the AFL for many years to come.
LBB> What is the significance of Aussie Rules for this campaign?
Luke> Aussie Rules is the cultural backdrop from which to tell the story, the sporting code has always had such an important, community building role in Australian life. For this campaign we wanted to show that there is much more to the sport than the pure excitement at the match, which has a role in sponsorship advertising of course, but instead tell a deeper story about the family relationships that are built around the sport.
