Telstra Revives 'Wherever We Go' With New Character Cast
Telstra revives its viral "Wherever We Go" campaign with new characters, building on 27M TikTok views. CMOs: proven franchises drive memorability and earned media at lower spend.
Telstra has launched the sequel to its "Wherever We Go" brand campaign, bringing back its walking mascot "Mick" alongside a new cast of animated characters timed to the start of Australia's footy season.
The campaign was created by independent agency Bear Meets Eagle On Fire in collaboration with Telstra's in-house agency +61.
New Characters Expand the Original Franchise
The sequel introduces a skeleton, scarecrow, and trio of rats joining the original mascot and his whistling seagull sidekick. The campaign launches with a 90-second hero film, supported by 15-second standalone spots.
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Oscar-nominated animation directors Alan Smith and Adam Foulkes led the film, set to the Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers track "Islands in the Stream." An out-of-home component spans 27 locations across Australia, featuring hand-crafted paper artwork created by artist Jeff Nishinaka with unique designs at each site.
"This new iteration of the campaign is inspired by the fact that it's not just about the journey, it's about those you share it with," said Alita McMenamin, Telstra's Head of Brand and Marketing Communications.
Micah Walker, Chief Creative Officer at Bear Meets Eagle On Fire, added: "It was always part of our plan to revisit this idea when the time was right."
Original Campaign Generated 27 Million TikTok Views
The first "Wherever We Go" campaign, released 18 months ago, accumulated over 27 million views on TikTok. McMenamin noted that "people across the world [are] creating their own versions of the Telstra walk," pointing to significant user-generated participation beyond paid media.
Consultancy Cubery subsequently ranked Telstra the most "unforgettable" brand advertiser in its rankings. The same study recorded a 51% love to 49% hate split among audiences, indicating strong memorability alongside polarized reception.
Bear Meets Eagle On Fire was named Agency of the Year at the 46th AWARD Awards, with Telstra work cited as the primary driver of that recognition. The agency and +61 also won a Gold for Graphic Design at the same awards for the campaign's miniature world execution.
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Cannes Grand Prix Win Anchors Broader Creative Momentum
Telstra's parallel campaign, "Better on a Better Mobile Network," comprising 26 stop-motion films directed by Jeff Low through Revolver, won a Grand Prix in Film Craft at Cannes Lions 2025. The Cannes jury described the work as "simple and deeply human and handmade with care."
These results were achieved against a backdrop of Telstra's advertising spend declining 8.9% compared to 2015 levels, indicating a shift toward fewer, higher-quality creative executions rather than increased media volume.
The same BMEOF and +61 partnership also developed "Together Builds Better," an enterprise-focused campaign directed by Johnny Kelly of Nexus Studios using stop-motion animation. That campaign was Highly Commended for Best B2B at the AWARD Awards, demonstrating the platform's extension across both consumer and business audiences. Media strategy for the sequel was handled by OMD Australia, which prioritized premium media placements during the footy season.
Separately, Telstra completed the sale of its Asia-Pacific voice and messaging business to US company iBASIS on February 27, 2026, marking a structural shift in the company's regional operations.
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