Spinach bulldozes Sydney Opera House, MCG in Australian Conservation Foundation campaign

Melbourne-based Spinach has launched a new campaign with the Australian Conservation Foundation featuring the demolition of iconic landmarks including the Sydney Opera House and the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The campaign, called ‘Save our big backyard’, aims to raise awareness about Australia’s wildlife extinction crisis and educate Australians about the risk of extinction facing the country’s wildlife. ACF said its own research found only 34% of Australians are aware the country is in the midst of an extinction crisis.

Launched on Monday, the campaign kicked off with a television commercial during the Anzac Day eve AFL match, showing the Sydney Opera House being levelled as a voiceover comments on the destruction of native species habitats which are bulldozed at a rate of 28 Opera Houses every hour.

“We know Australians love nature,” ACF campaigns director Paul Sinclair said.

“But sadly, many people don’t know the true extent of nature destruction taking place every hour across the country. We needed to shock people into taking notice. This campaign has the power to do exactly that.”

The campaign also extends through a partnership with 7RED Engine, providing in-program integrations throughout AFL programming and news coverage.

‘Save our big backyard’ will also be localised for each state with out-of-home and digital, with the Victoria version showing the demolition of the MCG and the Queensland version demolishing the Suncorp Stadium. The other landmarks destroyed in the campaign are West Australia’s Optus Stadium, the Adelaide Oval and Tasmania’s Salamanca Arts Precinct.

Spinach chief creative officer Frank Morabito said: “This campaign aims to highlight the magnitude of threatened species habitat destruction with unforgettably graphic visual statements. We aim to raise questions and get Australians to recognise that we have a nature destruction problem.”

“Why are we horrified to see the destruction of the Opera House, yet we’re unconcerned about doing the same to forests and woodland? This is an important cause and one we’re proud to have worked with ACF to raise.”

Spinach said this was the agency’s first work with the ACF since winning the business in a competitive pitch at the end of 2022.

CREDITS

Spinach

CCO: Frank Morabito
CD: Justin Groves
General Manager/Media Director: Ben Willee
Director of Client Services: Nicole Miranda
Design Lead: Justin Groves
Copywriters: Frank Morabito, Justin Groves
Account Executive: Paige Sobczyk
Strategy Director: Glenn Myatt
Production Director: James Williams
Producer: Beaver

CGI Animation: Cadre Pictures
Producer: Steven Kerswell

Sound: Production Alley
Engineer: Rodney Lowe, Ben Lowe
Producer: Les Molnar
Music: Nir Tsfaty

Edit: Primordial Productions
Editor: Craig Tonkins

Grade: Moodlab
Colourist: Edel Rafferty

Aerials: Flying Pictures
DOP: Peter Davis

Voiceover: Special thanks to Aaron Pedersen, Marcia Hines

ACF

Chief Executive: Kelly O’Shanassy
Strategic Marketing Manager: Claire O’Neill
Strategic Marketing Manager: Felicity Trembath
Marketing Communications Lead: Hansika Bhagani
Nature Program Manager: Basha Stasak
Engagement Project Manager: Carly Derisz
Digital Marketing Lead: Bronte Small
National Nature Campaigner: Jess Abrahams