Telstra’s singing donkey wishes you a holly, jolly Christmas

Telstra, the Australian telecom, wraps up a strong creative year with a charming Christmas commercial that continues its embrace of animals—as a donkey becomes an unlikely singing star after swallowing its owner’s smartphone. Also read: 13 creative campaigns to know about today Created by agencies Bear Meets Eagle on Fire and +61 and directed by Revolver’s Steve Rogers, the 90-second spot shows the donkey enjoying instant fame and going on a global tour—before realizing it actually wants to be home for the holidays. The ad follows the 26-spot Telstra campaign from last summer, in which stop-motion animated animals spoke to camera from far-flung places across Australia about how great the Telstra network is there. It also follows Telstra’s sweet Christmas spot from last year, featuring a girl and a lost reindeer. “This is a second chapter for us—our second big Christmas ad, following on from last year’s, that was a business success and picked up a couple of Effies,” said Brent Smart, Telstra’s chief marketing officer. “And more importantly, the second chapter in our ‘Wherever We Go’ brand platform, reminding us that no matter where we go in life, Christmas is about getting back to those who matter most.” “We wanted to tell a Christmas story without falling into the holiday clichés. Hopefully the heart of this rings true and people get a bit of giggle along the way,” said Micah Walker, Bear Meets Eagle on Fire’s chief creative officer. More Creativity coverage from Ad Age: Sign up for our daily Creativity newsletter to see the best stories of the day.

Telstra’s singing donkey wishes you a holly, jolly Christmas

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