SME CASE STUDIES

There was real possibility in 2016 that the recommendations of the Productivity Commission to remove Parallel Import Restrictions (PIRs) would be enacted. These rules that uphold territorial copyright and prevent the importation of commercial quantities of books printed elsewhere, are the bedrock of Australian literary culture and a $2 billion publishing industry — the 17th largest in the world. I developed a creative platform and identity for a campaign, in a matter of days, that the entire industry could — and did — rally around.

This campaign was created for the Australian Publishers Association, through publishing agent The House of Rusher, in the lead-up to the Australian Book Industry Awards. Multiple A-list Australian authors got behind the campaign, to reinforce the fact that books create ideas, jobs and futures - Books Create Australia. In the wake of the campaign, the government abandoned support for the proposal. Minister for the Arts, Sen. the Hon. Mitch Fifield, issued a statement: “Australian literature is vital to our cultural and intellectual life and the Coalition values the unique role that literature and books play in communicating Australian stories.”

As Australasia’s leading pre-engineered barrier designer, manufacturer, distributor and installer, Moddex continually develops new product ideas. The Ezibilt® Stair, Ramp & Deck system is a game-changer for compliant access to buildings, delivering ramped walkways in a day or two as opposed to a week or two. Ezibilt®, quite literally, comes straight out of the box.

Moddex wanted a campaign in market before the product could be shipped from their New Zealand manufacturing base… over to me as Strategist & Creative Director. I concepted — and directed a film-art specialist to create — an entire ramp-and-rail system out of the cardboard it comes in, along with detailed components and tools, to demonstrate the ease of installing and maintaining Ezibilit®. Two years on, it's a key element of the offering at Australia’s leading transportable hire and modular construction company – Ausco – and it has been specified by the Victorian Education Department as part of their $388.8 million specialist school upgrade program.

Not only did the early settlers carve their existence out of the forest – on the site of this Park Ridge boom-corridor property development I named Carver's Reach – my idea to carve their hero image out of timber created a real impression on everyone. The new development, promising a 'Life Well Crafted', incorporated a forest regeneration project, and used a tree-ring device as a branding element.

This was applied to a bespoke beer can, with the branded beer given as gifts to builders, supplied as refreshments at builder briefings and for events at the Carver's Reach Sales Centre. The campaign drew the support of Logan City Council for its contribution to local history – where cadastral maps were consulted to confirm the names and identities of immigrants settled on the actual development site and an 'historic walk' was created on the meandering footpaths through the estate and the public park. Local member Bert van Manen attended the sod turning.