Wunderman Thompson

Client: NSW Rural Fire Service
Product: NSW Rural Fire Service
Title: Wall of Flames
Media: Digital billboard
Country: Australia
Date Of Campaign: 19/02/20

Background: In summer 2019/2020, the world watched as Australia faced its worst bushfires in living memory. These fires burned over 24 million hectares, and firefighters fought flames as high as 70 metres.As people around the world gave what they could, Silvercast Media donated the use of their billboard (Times Square’s biggest) to the NSW Rural Fire Service - who wanted to use the billboard to thank their firefighters and raise the world’s awareness of their brave efforts.

Idea: We created a tribute to our firefighters by putting the sheer size of the challenge they faced into context. Turning a huge 77-foot billboard into a life-size bushfire front in the middle of Times Square. The execution quite literally put passers-by in the shoes of Australia’s courageous firefighters, and gave perspective to those watching on from around the world as PR spread.

Results: With zero media spend, the billboard was shared by individuals and news outlets across the world, totalling $10.5 million in earned media and over 680 million impressions. Publications include BBC, CNN, CBS, entertainment publications such as LADBible, and all national nightly news shows.