Royal Agricultural Society of NSW Appoints Connecting Plots as Agency of Record Following Competitive Pitch
The Royal Agricultural Society Of NSW has been an influential force in the establishment and progression of Australian agriculture since its foundation in 1822. The first project, which is currently in development with Connecting Plots, will be the iconic Sydney Royal Easter Show.
We were really impressed with the way Connecting Plots used research and data to inform their creative approach and their design and production thinking to crack our brief. They showed a great deal of care and insight in how to bring their thinking to life perfectly in every channel and every touchpoint.
RAS Head of Marketing, Frances Jewell
Connecting Plots has been tasked with the branding and development of a creative platform that encapsulates the spirit of the Sydney Royal Easter Show and celebrates everything that makes it an event everyone can enjoy.
It’s a real privilege to partner with such an important non-for-profit organisation. Many of us in the agency are from rural communities and some have agricultural backgrounds, so it’s good for the soul to be helping promote the great work of the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW and its pinnacle event, the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
Connecting Plots Co-Founder, Tom Phillips
The Sydney Royal Easter Show will run from Thursday 6 April to Monday 17 April.
Menulog Is Giving Aussie's a Chance To Win Custom Katy Perry Inspired 'Sushi Sneakers'
Developed by Connecting Plots, the campaign extends the global brand platform in Australia by having some fun with the eclectic and indulgent iconography from Katy Perry’s larger-than-life ‘Did Somebody Say’ campaign, paying homage to her iconic sushi dress worn in the video.
To secure a pair of the coveted custom ‘Sushi Sneakers’ and a year’s supply of sushi, Menulog has partnered with TikTok to create a category-first branded lens and interactive game feature called ‘Menulog Run’, a way to enhance the delivery experience by giving customers game play during wait-time. Players must dodge bins and catch Aussie food favourites while navigating a Menulog courier as they race to complete a delivery on time.
The custom sneaker designs are modelled on the classic Nike Air Force 1s and feature a salmon maki roll inspired colour palette, complemented with striking rice prints, fishtail loops, emergency soy sauce pouch and a pair of chopsticks.
To bring the shoes to life, Menulog has collaborated with iconic Melbourne-based sneaker creator, Damian Sim “BespokeIND” who has designed custom shoes for celebrities and designers including Drake, French Montana, Dior and Louis Vuitton.
We partnered with one of the world’s top shoe customisers to create the first ever sushi sneakers, bringing to life the excessive and indulgent world of Katy Perry who we know our fans love. At Menulog we seek to bring the best possible delivery experience to our customers, and our TikTok game delivers joy to hungry Aussie’s while they wait for their food. We’re excited for the three lucky winners who will get their hands on these one-of-a-kind sneakers!
Menulog Marketing Director, Simon Cheng
The Menulog Run game has achieved over 30,000 plays and 1,000+ entries within the first five days, with the TopView takeover reaching over 2.8 million people.
The abstract world of Katy Perry has given us something very iconic and visual to play with. Sneaker culture is no longer niche and so what better way to create local relevance for the Katy Perry campaign than by combining these two worlds and having some fun along the way.
Connecting Plots Co-Founder, Dave Jansen
Menulog Run will be available for TikTok users to play until 1 February 2023.
Schwarzkopf Launch New Sustainable Hair Care Range Via Connecting Plots
The creative platform ‘Great hair makes a world of difference’ deliberately talks to the eco-conscious consumer who won’t compromise on the quality hair products that Schwarzkopf is renowned for.
Schwarzkopf are leaders in high performance hair care products the world over and we’re excited to be able to use our influence in the category to now also be more sustainable. Our goal is to be the go-to hair care product for those looking to do their small part in minimising wasteful packaging.
Schwarzkopf ANZ Marketing Manager, Anne-Marie Viguier
The campaign, developed by Connecting Plots, takes into account research by University of Leeds showing that people are still unwilling to buy green products because of doubts over the products performance ability, with most consumers perceiving them to be less effective.
Harvard Business Review says 65% of consumers want sustainable products, but only 26% will prioritise them when buying. So while sustainability is key, we need to think about what’s actually going to make this product a commercial success. Appealing to category cues, speaking to the audience’s needs, creating a lasting impression, that’s what will drive success. This campaign shows the audience this product is the quality and standard you would expect from Schwarzkopf but delivered in an eco-friendly and new way.
Integrated Strategy & Planning Partner, Tim Collier
The campaign is rolling out across Video on Demand, YouTube and OOH.
Connecting Plots has been working with Schwarzkopf for two years and last year developed the hugely successful LIVE Colour hashtag challenge campaign on TikTok which achieved over 34 million total views and grew LIVE Colour loyalists by 113%.
Connecting Plots Challenges Old Industry Habits With New Positioning
The new positioning, ‘Imagination in every impression’ addresses the issue at the heart of the industry’s current struggles – that a great idea, although fundamental, isn’t enough in isolation. Both brands and agencies now need a relentless focus and the expertise to bring ideas to life perfectly in all of the channels consumers are actually spending time.
The agency’s founders, Dave Jansen and Tom Phillips, believe that everything a brand does tells its story. And without connecting these stories through all touch points of a brands ecosystem, brands are leaving money on the table with inefficient and ineffective creative.
The two are taking cues from the global decline of creative effectiveness (which has been steadily happening over the past 10+ years), which coincides with the growth of the major platforms, gaming and digital communities – the places which command the lion’s share of consumer screen attention. But rather than reject this trend, Connecting Plots has embraced it to better deliver on its clients’ needs.
We’re hearing marketers say the same thing time and time again. Their agency presents interesting thinking but then they only create a TV ad and matching-luggage or cut-downs. This isn’t an approach that is fit for purpose in 2022, and it highlights how many agencies are unable to adapt to modern media. It’s essential that creative ideas are built to stretch and adapt across screens and platforms.
Connecting Plots Co-Founder, Tom Phillips
Both founders firmly believe that the path forward isn’t just about trying something new. Instead, they’re taking an old-school meets new approach to business and fusing the proven and timeless principles of creative effectiveness with a healthy obsession with modern day channels.
This isn’t just big claims – we’ve been pioneering this approach for a decade and the proof is in the results we are getting for clients. TV is still important, however the focus from a creative perspective needs to mirror that of where the audience is spending most of their time and where the client is spending the majority of their media budget. It’s essential we no longer match luggage, but adapt to the core delivery mechanism for the majority of creative campaigns.
Connecting Plots Co-Founder, Dave Jansen
And they’re proving their approach works with clients like Fantastic Furniture (winner of an APAC Effie Award in Retail), which reduced negative perceptions of cheap and increased consideration by +5% and Tourism Australia, whose immersive 18-month long content platform ‘Australia in 8D’ reached over 226+ million people and contributed to the government agency’s $300+ million in earned media while international borders were closed, fuelling later demand for an Aussie holiday.
Whether it’s activated on Fortnight, YouTube or in an eDM, the experience needs to earn attention, make you feel something and be consistent in the way it shows up across all nooks and crannies and channels that the brand is playing in. As an agency founded out of a production company we have a deep love and understanding for TV, film and ads and their role in signaling to customers that a brand is legit. We just want brands to look beyond that to find a different starting point for building campaigns, so they can work harder.
Connecting Plots Co-Founder, Dave Jansen
Both partners come from backgrounds in media and social, entertainment and production, together winning a International Emmy Award™ for #7 Days Later where the story was told in different ways across TV, social, radio and digital and proving a sum-of-the-parts approach in storytelling worked. This is where the name Connecting Plots came from.
Having the media, creative and production thinking all working together from the start has given us something unique. It means it’s easier to be inventive with what we need to say, who we want to say it to, where we want it to go and how we are going to make it
Connecting Plots Co-Founder, Tom Phillips
Since the agency opened its doors in late 2018, Connecting plots has earned itself an enviable client portfolio including Fantastic Furniture, Tourism Australia, Menulog, Lendlease, Westinghouse, Nestlé, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Brown-Forman.
Read the full interview with Co-Founders Tom Phillips and Dave Jansen on Mumbrella →.