Optus’ Nonna Told Off Director Steve Ayson On-Set, Dressed Too Stylishly Because “I’m Off to See My Boyfriend”

Optus’ new ‘There’s Always a Way’ platform seeks to rebuild trust in the Australian telco with a story of an everyday Aussie stepping up when her community needs her. The hero film, directed by Steve Ayson of 3&7, follows a nonna called Maria, who steps up to coach her grandchild’s basketball team with the help of Optus’ capabilities.

Following last September’s 14-hour network outage that led to people being unable to call emergency services, the campaign is designed to rebuild public confidence in the brand.

Droga5 AUNZ co-CCO Barbara Humphries told LBB the central juxtaposition of the character presented an opportunity to tell a story about ordinary people rising to extraordinary moments.

Steve also spoke to LBB about Giovanna, the woman who played Maria, directing non-actors, and building stakes into a 90-second film.

LBB> What was the creative partnership with the media team for this campaign, particularly given the volume of executions?

Barbara Humphries> We worked closely with our media team from the outset, and were always presenting back to Optus a combined creative and media response.

In the case of the launch idea for ‘There’s Always a Way’, it was with a combined basketball sponsorship tie-in. As we refined the creative and production itself, we worked together to create a series of bespoke NBL idents that pulled in match footage from games around the country.

Our media team also created a media rollout that included playful formats that adapted around the story of Maria and the boys' training. From her yelling on one panel to the boys on an adjacent site across the road, to her using a broom to dislodge a basketball from the hoop in super tall formats, it was a really fun process developing this together. It makes it so much easier when you can bring together media and creative thinking from the start.

LBB> How did the nonna come to be cast?

Steve Ayson> I wanted a true character, an interesting woman first and foremost -- not a cliché nonna.

Nonna characters had been done, often in very broad and cartoonish ways, so I wanted this woman to be very much her own person/style/character.

Natalie Harvie at Citizen Jane put the call out -- social media, friends, clubs. The initial group of women, all non-actors, made their own tapes, which were very special to watch.
Giovanna stood out quickly as she had an instant, punchy, unique energy, and incredible original physicality -- she was purely herself, and that was magnetic.

She often turned up to casting looking very stylish -- too stylish for the look I wanted -- one time she said, “because I’m off to see my boyfriend!” So, we had to ‘nonna’ her down a bit -- degrade her hair and find a look with wardrobe that felt like a real woman.

LBB> The hero film is super dynamic; heaps of shots dollying in, smash cut together. Why was this an important feeling to achieve for a spot about a telco?

Steve> The dynamic aspect came from the music track, and we had a big story to tell in a short time.

My challenge was to make the audience feel something emotionally within a montage format.

Early in the pitch, I worked with my creative partner Jane Shearer to evolve the scripted ending -- we built the idea to have the coach crash into the table, giving a shocking, comedic peak that launches Maria into having to step up.

We then built in high stakes and clear lows through the story, so that we earn the highs with her.

LBB> Casting non-actors is notoriously fraught -- how did the actor playing nonna adapt to the role, and what energy did she bring to the production?

Steve> I cast non-actors a lot; I love it!

My theory with casting non-actors is you need time or luck. If you find the right person, but they are awkward or self-conscious, then you need time to work with them. But in my experience, this rarely lands.

Luck and looking in the right places is really where it’s at – they either find us or not, and Giovanna found us. We looked hard, but we were also lucky. With her, there was no adapting to the role; she was the woman we needed.

My job was to get her to stop caring and stop thinking. I often tell non-actors to come with some emotive moments from their real life that they can pull from -- real stories or moments that I can then leverage a true feeling from -- outside of that I just let her be herself and inspired and guided her when needed!

I would often give her notes after a take like, “Great, but remember to hit that eyeline at this point,” and she would tell me off. “I did, did you not see me do it?!”