Just last Tuesday the finalists for Cairns Hatchling, presented by Yahoo, were revealed. Today, we start to delve into the work that earned them this coveted recognition, starting with the Audio category, sponsored by CRA.
Our Round 1 judges said these entrants stood out for their technical skill, innovative creativity and boundary-pushing work.
Need to know who will take home the crown? Get your Cairns Crocodiles tickets today!
Cairns Hatchlings competitors form teams of two to take on their competition. The finalists in the Audio category are: Kym Loats & Connor Bowers, Shilpi Dey & Raj Thakkar, Jazmaree Bell & Kieran Turner.
They respond to a brief set by our charity partner, Musicians Making A Difference. They were tasked with designing an audio creative for the ‘LIVE LIKE MMAD’ campaign that challenges people to take on their dream challenge, something that helps them live their best life, while raising funds for kids doing it tough and allowing them to live like MMAD.
Here’s a look at their work.
Kym Loats & Connor Bowers, Nova Entertainment
Loats & Bowers aimed to flip the script on fundraising by calling out a simple truth: most challenges feel to extreme for everyday people to relate to. Instead of asking their audience to do the impossible, they aimed to bring things back down to earth. The twist? It’s only music and immersive audio to pull listeners into someone else’s experience, making the journey more personal.
At the heart of the idea is a set of punchy 60-second audio clips that capture real growth, like learning a new instrument. It does more than just tell people to get involved, it shows them how, proving that the smallest of challenges tend to make the biggest impact.
Shilpi Dey & Raj Thakkar, VML India
Dey and Thakkar’s concept cuts straight to a feeling everyone can relate to, the voice inside you head right before you try something new.
Their concept ‘The Voice Before You Try’ centres around that split second of doubt, using audio to capture the hesitation and the nerves that come along when stepping outside your comfort zone. The audio campaign spotlights raw human emotion making participation feel relatable and real.
The end goal it to turn hesitation into action. The campaign encourages listeners to push past that inner voice and try something new, all while supporting young people in need.
Jazmaree Bell & Kieran Turner, EssenceMediacom
Bell and Turner taps into the instantly relatable idea of everybody having their own soundtrack.
The campaign reframes the MMAD challenge by letting listeners hear what success feels like before they even begin. The campaign is built on the notion that people struggle to commit when they can’t visualise the outcome. They used immersive audio to bring future achievement to life, turning life goals into something tangible and vivid.
Through the use of evolving soundscapes, the pair was able to mirror the journey of ordinary life to breakthrough. It invites its listeners to imagine and then commit to their own personal 30 day challenge.
