18 Campaigns in 18 Years: The Monkeys in Retrospect

The Monkeys' rebrand to Droga5 takes effect today, as part of a global integration under Accenture Song.

As Mark Green, co-founder of The Monkeys and now Droga5’s global CEO, says of the rebadging, “We have always wanted to make sure that our people feel like they can make the best work of their careers at The Monkeys. Now with the transition to Droga5, they can also have the confidence that their best work is also ahead of them. And I am excited to lead the team into this new era.”

As the Droga5 brand returns to the Australian and New Zealand market, The Monkeys reflects on 18 years of bold creativity blending entertainment, technology, and strategy. Here are 18 of the agency's best campaigns across its 18 years:

The Sydney Opera House released a special musical tribute to mark 50 years of bravery, creativity, and wonder at the world’s most celebrated cultural landmark. Australian singer Tim Minchin wrote and composed Play It Safe as an ironic salute to the bold, visionary experiment that became the Opera House. The song is a musical homage to a building that tested the limits of engineering and design, forever changing the face of Sydney. Directed by award- winning filmmaker Kim Gehrig and produced by Revolver, the epic music video featured Australian artists and arts companies who share an enduring connection with the Opera House.

For almost 100 years, NRMA Insurance has provided “HELP” to Australians, becoming the country's most trusted insurer. But high prices amid cost-of-living pressures saw retention and market share decline. As the brand approached the next century, the agency led a business transformation that saw it redefine its commitment to Australians as a leading insurer and A Help Company.

Internally, this unlocked numerous initiatives, from a refreshed digital experience to a national disaster preparedness program and a new drone-based roof safety service. After the launch in June, 46% of customers joining NRMA Insurance in the past year cited the new platform and communications as part of the reason for joining.

The Monkeys helped low-lying Pacific nation Tuvalu respond to the threat of rising sea levels with a radical solution that allows them to remain a country – even when their land disappears under the waves. The First Digital Nation recreates the country’s physical land digitally and moves the nation into the metaverse.

It was a bold, provocative appeal for sovereignty and global action on climate, announced during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) by Tuvalu minister Simon Kofe. By combining creative thinking with technology to communicate Tuvalu’s message to 2.1 billion people, The Monkeys didn’t just revolutionise the metaverse as a tool to preserve island nation’s history and culture; a historic Loss and Damages Fund was also approved during COP27.

2023, Uluru Statement from the Heart – You’re the Voice

As part of ASB’s commitment to supporting more young people with their mental well-being, The Monkeys created a scientifically designed song to help when you feel anxious. The agency paired pop star BENEE with neuroscientists from Auckland University of Technology to produce the track using musical elements such as key, tempo and chord structure that are scientifically proven to relieve anxiety. The music video also incorporated anxiety-relieving principles like Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EDMR), a powerful therapeutic tool used in the treatment of trauma.

Footy lives in the country. It’s where the sport is purest, the players are toughest, and entire towns are built around the field. Along with Telstra, a 20-year sponsor of the NRL and AFL, The Monkeys decided it was about time someone celebrated that special relationship. The film launched during the 2023 footy finals, and people loved it. In post-campaign brand tracking, over 55% of respondents said it ‘was the best ad they had ever seen’.

The campaign thrust a small New Zealand outfitter onto the global stage, winning a Cannes Lion, Four Gold Pencils at AWARD, and many other accolades in the process. The work draws on classic advertising product demonstration techniques and moulds them flawlessly with modern, understated Kiwi humour to create something effortless and effective.

Global gender equality is still 132 years away. This means humans will walk on Mars, have brain enhancements, elevators to space, and a colony on the Moon all before women are equal on Earth. The Monkeys questioned the world’s priorities by contrasting real projections of scientific and technological advancements with the projected date of global gender equality. The agency’s eerie animated film follows a young woman as she leaves a protest in 2022, and travels through a future that progresses in every area except equality.

To celebrate Qantas’ return to international travel and Australia reuniting with the world, this three-minute film revisited the iconic anthem 'I still call Australia home', showcasing Australian and international destinations as well as famous Australians Kylie Minogue, Adam Goodes, Hugh Jackman, Troye Sivan, Bronte Campbell, and Ellie Cole, alongside the children’s choir, Bangarra dance group and Qantas staff. The story also paid tribute to Qantas’ 100-year journey as the Spirit of Australia. Out of a testing time for the airline post-lockdown, the film celebrated the resilience of the Australian spirit and the joy of finally being 'Together once more'.

Australians love to complain about Telstra, our national telco. So much so, that it unfairly drowns out all the work Telstra does for the country. So The Monkeys set out to tell the story of what Telstra does and, just as importantly, why it does it. The new brand platform started with film and outdoor and the generous act of turning Telstra’s 14,000 payphones across the country into free phones.

This spot featured legendary Australian cricketer and commentator Richie Benaud, enlisting the help of a pantheon of national icons to encourage Aussies to get together over lamb on Australia Day, because ,as everybody knows – you never lamb alone.

Berlei launched its Spring Summer '18 Sport collection with a provocative campaign via The Monkeys, demonstrating the impact different sports have on women’s breasts when they are not wearing a supportive sports bra.

43% of women are unaware that not wearing the right bra while exercising can contribute to breast tissue damage that can cause breast sagging later in life. The campaign, ‘Stop Your Boobs Playing Their Own Game’, spoke to women of all ages, with a range of different breast sizes, who play all kinds of sports. It aimed to empower women to care for and invest in themselves by choosing the right sports bra for their chosen sport or favourite type of exercise.

MLA and The Monkeys launched a lamb campaign with an epic lamb barbecue celebrating diverse people coming together to make Australia the best place on earth.

In what was the first Airbnb collaboration in the world, The Monkeys helped IKEA turn the spotlight on its bedrooms and bathrooms by allowing Aussie families to spend the night in the furniture chain’s Sydney store in Tempe. The work gained global attention through Time Magazine, Daily Mail, and Huffington Post, among others.

With the NRL season set to kick off, Telstra launched a new ad campaign for its NRL Digital Pass featuring current players and legends “hamming it up” to the original song ‘Straight in Your Eyes’. The ad was created in the style of a glam rock music video, and directed by Owen Trevor at Rabbit Content.

The Monkeys collaborated with Flume and Finch to create this experimental piece for Intel – a sound and light installation performed by a robot they built and a band of Intel-powered tablets. The original composition was created by Flume and released on his deluxe edition album.

The Monkeys pulled together a stellar line-up of talent to celebrate Australia’s most iconic building. The ad took 10 months to produce and included luminaries such as Neil Finn, Kev Carmody, Sarah Blasko, Angus and Julia Stone, Paul Kelly, Temper Trap, Martha Wainwright, Katie Noonan, and Daniel Johns, all performing the Nick Cave classic 'The Ship Song'.

Parmalat’s Oak milk drink launched its first ad campaign from Three Drunk Monkeys, featuring an aggressive front man explaining the concept of 'Hungrythirsty'.