LIA Chairperson Terry Savage Presents Grand LIA to Revolver, Bear Meets Eagle on Fire, and Telstra

LIA Chairperson Terry Savage has presented the Grand LIA to Revolver, Bear Meets Eagle on Fire, and Telstra.

Telstra CMO Brent Smart accepted the award, alongside Revolver’s Michael Ritchie and Pip Smart, and Bear Meets Eagle on Fire’s Micah Walker and Emma Wright.

The Grand LIA win marks the success of the ‘Better on a Better Mobile Network,’ campaign from Bear Meets Eagle on Fire with +61. The work was the first TVC campaign of the agency’s already impactful partnership with Australia’s largest telecommunication network Telstra.

The campaign celebrated Australia’s oft forgotten corners and underrepresented communities. The 26 stop-motion animated spots utilised 56 puppets and 42 voices – all demonstrating the power of Telstra’s Network.

Directed by comedy powerhouse Jeff Low, the highly crafted micro-narratives feature idiosyncratic native flora and fauna from around the country, starring everything from apathetic Goth Cockatoos in Naracoorte to Tasmanian Devils LARPing on Rocky Cape.

The scripts were brought to life by real voices cast from regional Australia, as well as through a meticulous approach to the animation, with the production on the campaign in its entirety taking eight months to complete. 

Micah Walker, CCO/founder of Bear Meets Eagle on Fire said of the win, "It's lovely to get this recognition for such an ambitious idea and production. Massive thanks to Jeff, Tobias, revolver and to all of the production team of animators, puppeteers and voice actors who made this such a success."

Speaking to the ubiquitous appeal of the work, Emma Daines of Fin Design + Effects, who served as jury president for the production and post-production jury said of the deliberation, "Often it can be quite contentious when voting for the Grand LIA, but we were pretty unanimous."

Revolver was also named the regional production company of the year, with Bear Meets Eagle On Fire taking home the regional independent agency of the year.