Telstra has quickly become one of our favorite creative brands this year, from its stop-motion shorts to its minimalist four-letter billboards. Now, the Australian telecom is expanding its creative footprint further with a new brand platform, “Wherever We Go,” brought to life with a Smith & Foulkes-directed animated film and a slew of painstakingly crafted out-of-home ads.

Smith & Foulkes, whose prior ad projects include the legendary Honda “Grrr,” crafted a film called “Duets” for Telstra (see above), featuring two characters—a boy and a bird—who travel together through fantastical worlds, whistling “Islands in the Stream.” The message at the end, “Wherever We Go,” hints at Telstra’s cellular connectivity, but the piece is more of an emotional sell than that, creating a halo of warmth and approachability.

Also read: Telstra made 26 brilliant stop-motion animal testimonials set in far-flung locales

“If you want to change how people feel about your brand, you have to change how the brand feels,” said Brent Smart, Telstra’s chief marketing officer. “This work captures the spirit of optimism and promise of partnership that we want the Telstra brand to be all about. We want to show that the biggest brands can also be the most imaginative.”

Just as impressive is the OOH portion of the campaign. Many executions feature graphic illustrations by Ben Hasler that were recreated in layers of paper with artist Kyle Bean and photographer Carl Kleiner. There are 40 special builds as well as painted wall murals. The OOH will hit some 3,000 sites in all.

The result is a campaign with massive reach but with the kind of artistry usually seen in smaller projects.

“I’m just proud of all the folks who’ve cared so hard to make this work,” said Micah Walker, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Bear Meets Eagle On Fire. “It’s not that often you get to make work this considered and crafted, and to do it at this scale, is just really rare.”

More Creativity coverage from Ad Age:

• See this week’s top 5 campaigns.
• How consumers feel about AI in ads.
• Inside the design of CosMc’s, the McDonald’s spinoff.
• RIP, Jim Riswold.
• Meet the most client-y client ever.
• The best ads of 2024 (so far).
• 15 hidden gems among the Cannes Lions winners.

Sign up for our daily Creativity newsletter to see the best stories of the day.