ALISTER MCCANN

Gold Effie Winner - APAC Effies

Finalist - Effies Australia / Most Original Thinking

Finalist - Effies Australia / Challenger Brand  

Finalist - B&T Awards / Best Use of Data

Highly Recommended - The DRUM APAC / Best Paid Social

Best Use of Date - Mumbrella Awards

Creative Use of Data - Caples

B to C - Caples

Best Influencer - The Lovies

The Work - Campaign Brief

Most Effective Campaign for Return on Investment - Australian influencer Marketing Awards.

Silver - ADMA / Social Media

Bronze - ADMA / Out of Home

Finalist - Cannes / Lion Cyber

Runner up - B&T Digital / Campaign of the Year

Soon to be entered into the AC&E Awards

Number 1 performing video ad - Twitter Australia and APAC for Q4 2020

ADMA Flat Mail / Bronze

Finalist - ADMA / Experiential

Finalist - ADMA / Art Direction

Australian NBA fans repeatedly refresh online scoreboards to keep up to date while at work. So for the beer that positions itself as uniquely refreshing, we set out to create The World’s Most Refreshing Web Page. During game times, we invited fans to repeatedly refresh the page to access an endless stream of NBA content. What’s more, with each refresh, there was the chance to win NBA League passes and merch.

The brief: In the wake of Donald Trump becoming the President of the United States, how do you sell the American dream?

The task was to promote the Mini D's modest carbon emissions. As you can see, we went for an environmental message that was more cheeky than preachy.

This interactive print placement that shows the dangers of not getting your moles checked, was published in M&C Saatchi’s Best Work, hardback.

Just in time for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, the aim of this ad was to deliver a safe sex message, on behalf of Big Richard Condoms.

The purpose of this ambient traffic light concept was to show Austrians the benefits of living a more active lifestyle.

The intent of this ad was to turn people off from handing money and offer EFTPOS as an alternative.

On the 50th birthday of the Big Mac, we put a modern spin on the classic Big Mac chant to plug how this iconic burger can now be ordered through the Macca’s Mobile Ordering App.

This ambient piece ran in Sydney bars, during the FIFA World Cup, to promote FourFourTwo, a football-centric magazine.

(eDM Header and Modules shown side-by-side)

(eDM Header and Modules shown side-by-side)

(DM piece - Birthday Card to Memebers)

(Webpage and Intranet Facebook post)

(Search placements)

(Employer activation with an instant giveaway that encourages new Rest Members to take an interest in their super balance and download the Rest App to check it).

PLOT

Mel Gibson plays Santa, but not the rotund, rosy-cheeked fella you see in shop windows. This is a grizzled, small-town-living, NRA-card-carrying, salt-of-the-earth type Santa, who’s fighting to save his workshop from going out of business, due to a shifting economy and staunch government regulations. Meanwhile a bratty, cashed-up 12 year old hires a hitman to slay ol’ Santa, after getting a lump of coal under the tree.

THOUGHTS

Not much money was spent on the production of FATMAN. But luckily – like all things Christmas – it’s the thought that counts. And boy do filmmakers Eshom and Ian Nelms have admirable intentions here, with timely social commentary and nuanced characters. Mel Gibson, as the no-nonsense Santa (or Chris as the locals call him) is a highlight, portraying a world-weary soul, disheartened by the corporate cash-grab Christmas has become and the compromises he has to make to keep his factory afloat.

RECOMMENDATION

If you’ve seen THE GRINCH one too many times, know every word of LOVE ACTUALLY and are looking for a more unorthodox Christmas tale, I’d say check out FATMAN. The talent far outshines the budget - and there’s a surprising amount of heart, with a darling performance by Marianne Jean-Baptiste who plays Ruth/Mrs Clause. That said, make sure the youngins are all tucked in and fast asleep before pressing play, because the action is brutal and the language colourful. What could be Christmassy than that?

ROCKETMAN

PLOT:
From his quaint beginnings as the only child of lower-middle-class suburbanites to his dazzling success as one of the world’s most eccentric entertainers, Rocketman tracks the trajectory of Elton John’s astonishing music career. Yet hidden beneath his famously flamboyant and excessive lifestyle, director Dexter Fletcher explores Elton John’s struggles with low self-worth, brought on by the neglectful family life he endured during his formative years.

THOUGHTS:
Rocketman spruces-up the usual tropes found in music biopics, by weaving in a welcome element of fantasy – wherein any given situation a character can burst into song and a scene into a raucous dance number. It’s gloriously choreographed set-pieces like these that energise the narrative, add a sense of wonder to the proceedings and amplify the emotional impact of seminal moments in Elton John’s odyssey.

RECOMMENDATION:
There’s no denying that Rocketman is a wildly entertaining kaleidoscope of colour, movement and music. But it’s also a portrait of a superstar who’s often reduced to rubble because of the pains of his past. For every intoxicating moment of musical jubilation, there’s a sobering scene of intense introspection or self-destruction. All of which are masterfully brought to life by Taron Egerton, whose nuanced portrayal of Elton John ultimately leaves the audience on a high and elevates Rocketman to the stratosphere of a worthy awards contender.

PLOT
Bradly Cooper plays Jackson Maine, a country rock-star whose career is beginning to buckle under his unchecked alcoholism. Through a drunken haze, he meets Ally (Lady Ga Ga), a struggling songstress that’s all but given up on her lucky break. Captivated by her untapped talent, Jackson invites Ally onto his stage and into his world – where her own stardom is given the chance to thrive and shine.

THOUGHTS
A theme of authenticity resonates throughout the filmmaking and storytelling. Every concert feels visceral and real (to the point of wanting to stand up and applaud), while the relationship between Ally and Jackson is deep and nuanced. In keeping with this rhythm, director Bradly Cooper champions the need for emotional honesty in musical expression. Something that’s evidently lost on the American mainstream music industry – who’d rather see a female artist bare her skin than her soul.

RECOMMENDATION
It’s hard to believe that this is Brady Cooper’s first outing as a director and Lady Ga Ga’s first crack at a leading lady. Both feel as though they’ve spent a lifetime honing their craft. The scenes shared by Ally and Jackson are when the film is at its finest. What’s more, the metaphor of living life in the deep end, which comes through in film’s flagship song ‘Shallow,’ is so telling of their relationship – and is made all the more poignant as one inevitably sinks, while the other swims.

PLOT
Bohemian Rhapsody is a biopic based on legendary British rock band Queen. From playing tiny student bars to sold-out stadiums, the film lavishly displays how the group’s sheer talent and front-man Freddy Mercury’s raw charisma, propelled them onto the world stage – where they made music history.

THOUGHTS
Between explosive concert montages, we're privy to more intimate moments, which give us the backstory to some of Queen’s most iconic songs and insights into Freddy’s private life. Producers, Brian May and Roger Taylor (both original band members), wisely made it a point to put emphasis on their lead singer’s musical prowess rather than focus on other aspects of his life that were so often the fixation of tabloid gossip.

RECOMMENDATION
After watching Bohemian Rhapsody, it’s hard not to feel envious of those who were there to witness Queen in all their majesty. Director Bryan Singer makes some broad-brush strokes in his storytelling, but the emotional gravitas is there when it counts. Rami Malek’s performance as Freddy Mercury is undeniably the jewel in the crown. Seeing him traverse between unstoppable Rock God and the off-stage mortal, is the stuff awards are made for.

PLOT
After 40 years of incarceration for the slaughter of four teenagers on Halloween night, Michael Myers breaks free from his confines and returns to his old hunting ground of Haddonfield, to restart the body count. Prepared for his homecoming is Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) – the sole survivor of Michael’s murderous rampage. For decades she’s been fixated on once again coming face-to-mask with Michael, to personally put an end to his sadistic reign of violence.

THOUGHTS
Before we reach the inevitable showdown between Laurie and Michael, director David Gordon Green shows us how Laurie’s obsession with Michael has left her hardened and militant – and at odds with her family. Outside of this central conflict lives a cast of expendables, whose main reason for being is to be slain by Michael, in increasingly graphic and brutal ways.

RECOMMENDATION
At times Halloween is effective at ratcheting up the suspense, with more than a few ‘cover-your-eyes’ moments. But too often co-writer Danny McBride chooses to cut through this tension with oddly place attempts at humour. This detracts from the sense of dread that the movie achieves in its more harrowing sequences. That said, the two leads are worth the price of entry alone. Michael Meyers, described as ‘the shape of pure evil,’ is as intimidating and recentness as any 80’s slasher icon, while Jamie Lee Curtis rises to the role of Laurie, exuding a Sarah Conner-like quality – in her attempts to stop the unstoppable.

PLOT

To stop a crew of highly skilled mercenary drivers from pinching the parts needed to assemble a high-tech doomsday device, Agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson) recruits his own team of elite wheel-men to outsmart and out drive the bad guys.

THOUGHTS

Fast and Furious 6 is an exhilarating exercise in excess. The OTT car stunts have more contempt for gravity than Superman and Dwayne Johnson is packing so much muscle; pretty soon they’ll need to make widescreen wider to fit him in. The plot, of course hits plenty of potholes. But after all the fender-bending fun is done - who cares?

RECOMMENDATION

Though this is the sixth film in the franchise it doesn't look like the series is running out of gas anytime soon. As always, the real stars of the show are the chase scenes (which now include tanks and plans). It’s pretty obvious that script development took a backseat during pre-production. But thankfully the cast don’t take their dialogue too seriously and Vin Diesel's V8 voice can still make lame one-liners sound cool.

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

PLOT
After serving eight months in a mental health institution for beating the snot out of his wife's lover, Pat (Bradley Cooper) is released and on a manic mission to transform himself into the ideal husband. That's when he meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a kindred spirit who’s staring down her own demons. Together they inadvertently strike up an explosive chemistry, which thrives on their unrefined emotions and honesty.

THOUGHTS
Silver Linings Playbook oscillates between calm and chaos, where something beautiful can be broken in a heartbeat. The cast are all gob-smackingly amazing. Both Copper and Lawrence are revelations. And for the first time in a long time Robert De Nero (Pat’s dad) isn’t just playing a caricature of himself.

RECOMMENDATION
A Vanity Fair reviewer wrote that Silver Linings Playbook "puts the fun back into dysfunctions," which completely trivialises the emotional impact of the story. Sure, there are definitely lots of laughs to be had and the final act is a total gem. But at its heart, Silver Linings Playbook is about finding peace of mind at a time when everything has fallen to pieces.

30 DAYS OF NIGHT

PLOT

A grueling fight for survival begins as a vicious clan of vampires lay siege to an Alaskan town that’s doomed to 30 days without sunlight.

THOUGHTS

A beautifully shot frozen landscape is stained with blood in this expertly crafted horror gem. Josh Hartnett and Melissa Gorge bring staunch and believe performances as they lead a flock of dwindling survivors toward the salvation of sunlight.

RECOMMENDATION

Some graphic gore will have the squeamish reaching for their barf bag. But 30 Days of Night is an icy breath of fresh air in a genre that refuses to die.

DRIVE

PLOT

A nameless Hollywood stuntman, who moonlights as a getaway driver for hire hits trouble when a supposedly low-risk heist turns bloody. Left with a bag full of mobster money and a horde of hit men in hot pursuit, the driver must act fast to keep those close to him (a young mother and her son) from getting caught in the crossfire.

THOUGHTS

Drive is a slow burning thriller that elegantly flickers between calm subtly and explosive brutality. Ryan Gosling is enigmatic as the driver, who uses controlled silence and perfectly executed violence as survival tools against the ruthless world that descends upon him.

RECOMMENDATION

With its fist-clenching tension, sparse exposition and a strangely seductive 80’s synth-soundtrack, Drive gets away with being one of the standout films of the genre.

NEVER LET ME GO

PLOT

It’s the late 1970’s, in an alternate timeline, where humanity has escaped the trappings of aging by cloning children and harvesting them for spare parts, once they come of age.

THOUGHTS

This is a sobering metaphor for how we dehumanise and commodify the lives of those who service the demands of modern living. Yet woven within this powerful commentary is a cast of captivating individuals who spend their limited existence searching for belonging, meaning and love.

RECOMMENDATION

Prepare to fall head-over-heals for this film, only to have your heart broken. A beautiful and melancholy experience that stays with you.

SOURCE CODE

PLOT

Military helicopter pilot, Captain Colter Stevens is recruited to pioneer a radically new anti-terrorism technology that allows him to borrow the consciousness of a recently deceased bombing victim and repeatedly relive the last eight minutes of that person’s life. Within these fleeting fragments of time, Stevens is tasked with gathering clues to help identify the terrorist responsible, before he strikes again.

THOUGHTS

Source Code deals with modern day anxieties of looming terrorist threats and the US military’s iron-clad resolve to provide countermeasures – no matter how traumatic they are to human rights. The ‘Groundhog Day’ plot structure i.e. revisiting the same scenario to reveal new information, works wonders to drive the who-done-it storyline and develop characters.

RECOMMENDATION

With its provocative premise and startling third act, you don’t need to be a sci-fi aficionado to enjoy this one. Director Duncan Jones (who’s actually David Bowie’s son!), thankfully doesn't feel obligated to over explain the film’s sciencey elements – so what we end up with is a lean, innovative, if not somewhat off-kilter thrill ride that doesn’t underestimate its audience and offers plenty to chat about afterwards.