Regular cinema goers will be familiar with seeing messages asking you to turn off your phone, mainly feeding off an appeal to the British sensibility that if it rings or pings during the film, you will be very embarrassed indeed.
Droga5 ANZ has come up with a different take on the theme for telecommunications company Optus. They’re asking us to spare a thought for the people who have worked so hard to get these films in the cinema, because “it takes a lot to make a movie” so the least you can do is put down your phone for the duration.
Optus acting chief marketing officer, Lauren Dawber, said, “We saw an opportunity to make the age-old ‘Turn off your phone’ announcement something more meaningful. As a cinema-loving nation, these films celebrate the effort, dedication and creative community that bring movies to life — inviting audiences to give great films the attention they deserve.”
Droga5 ANZ chief creative officer, Barbara Humphries, said, “Filmmaking is a wonderfully obsessive craft. Chasing the perfect moment can involve countless takes and huge dedication from the people behind the camera. We wanted to celebrate that passion and persistence and remind audiences that the best way to respect it is simply to look up and watch. After all that effort, it’s the least we can do.”
It’s a great idea to do something different to get the message across, but while boom operators are worthy of our attention, the execution could do with ramping up for more impact.
MAA creative scale: 6
