Sky Television: Come With Us
Sky Television aimed to broaden its appeal and reinforce its position as a comprehensive entertainment provider. They needed to demonstrate their vast content library to a wide, diverse audience, inviting everyone, regardless of their unique interests or personality, to engage with the brand.
Creative Idea
The campaign celebrated every type of person, inviting all to Sky's diverse world.
Sky Television invited everyone - from thinkers and seekers to troublemakers and flying pig breeders - to "Come With Us," celebrating the diverse, often contradictory, facets of human nature to position Sky as the ultimate destination for every unique individual's entertainment needs.
From Casting Tapes to Supernatural Starling Murmurations
A Cinematic Shift in Strategy
The "Come With Us" campaign marked a definitive end to Sky’s "Your Happy Place" era. CEO John Fellet noted that while the brand previously relied on humor, the business had matured into a "preeminent storyteller." This shift was physically manifested at Sky’s Auckland HQ, where the office was overhauled with cinematic Easter eggs - including a "You had me at hello" sign in reception and a "Hasta la vista, baby" exit sign.
The Magic of Murmuration
To promote Sky On Demand, director Steve Ayson and DDB New Zealand created the "Murmuration" spot, featuring a young girl controlling a massive flock of starlings. The visual effects, handled by Blockhead, required complex algorithms to mimic the fluid, organic movement of real birds. The film’s emotional resonance was amplified by the track "Outro" by M83, which saw a significant localized spike in digital interest in New Zealand following the launch. Damon Stapleton, CCO of DDB, described the film as a demonstration of "how complete freedom might feel."
Archival Stars and Market Growth
The campaign’s "Casting Tapes" series utilized rare archival footage, including Bruce Lee’s 1965 screen test for *The Green Hornet* and early tapes of Seth Rogen. These spots were so authentic that viewers often mistook them for documentary trailers. The strategic pivot delivered immediate commercial results: by late 2013, Sky reached a record 870,000 households, covering nearly 50% of New Zealand homes. Specifically, the "Murmuration" film helped drive a 19% growth in My Sky subscribers, reaching a total of 456,000 during the campaign period.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Sky could credibly deliver a vast, diverse range of entertainment content appealing to every imaginable personality and interest.
Category
The entertainment category often segmented audiences, targeting specific demographics or genre preferences with tailored messaging.
Customer
Audiences felt unique and sought entertainment that reflected their complex identities, desiring a platform that embraced all their quirks.
Culture
A growing cultural appreciation for individuality and the celebration of diverse, often eccentric, personal identities made this inclusive message resonate.
Company
Sky could credibly deliver a vast, diverse range of entertainment content appealing to every imaginable personality and interest.
Category
The entertainment category often segmented audiences, targeting specific demographics or genre preferences with tailored messaging.
Strategy:
Unite diverse individual identities under a single, inclusive entertainment platform.
Customer
Audiences felt unique and sought entertainment that reflected their complex identities, desiring a platform that embraced all their quirks.
Culture
A growing cultural appreciation for individuality and the celebration of diverse, often eccentric, personal identities made this inclusive message resonate.
Strategy:
Unite diverse individual identities under a single, inclusive entertainment platform.
Strategy Technique
Find the Consumer Truth
The campaign taps into the fundamental human truth that individuals are complex, multifaceted, and often embody contradictory traits. It acknowledges and celebrates this diversity, making everyone feel seen and invited.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Define, Label and Group
The campaign explicitly lists and visually represents various, often contrasting, personality types and roles. This technique effectively groups diverse individuals under the inclusive umbrella of Sky's offerings.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
This campaign's craft is exceptional due to its masterful cinematography and visual effects, which transport the viewer through diverse and vivid worlds, coupled with an imaginative ideamaking that showcases the breadth of stories available.
The ad's cinematography creates stunning and distinct visual worlds for each vignette, using dynamic camera movements, evocative lighting, and compelling compositions to draw the viewer into every scene.
The seamless integration of CGI, from the flying pig to the robotic superhero, is remarkably executed, making fantastical elements feel real and enhancing the narrative's wonder and action without distracting from it.
The central idea of 'Come With Us' is brilliantly expressed through a series of disparate yet thematically linked vignettes, showcasing the diverse and compelling content available, appealing to a wide range of viewer interests.
The detailed and distinct art direction for each scene, from period-specific interiors to bustling marketplaces and futuristic cityscapes, consistently builds immersive environments that enrich the storytelling.
