Telstra has partnered with +61 and Bear Meets Eagle on Fire to build a one-off synthesiser made from reclaimed e-waste. Created with The Avalanches and designed and built by Scott Stirling, the project aims to highlight Australia’s e-waste problem by encouraging people to give their old devices a second life.
Australians produce 22kg of e-waste per person, per year, making it one of the highest producers of e-waste globally. To combat this, Telstra will recycle e-waste components from old phones, modems, soundboards and even a vintage game controller. Telstra’s goal is to to re-use, recycle, repair, or donate one smart device for every two sold, by 2030.
The synthesiser will reside in Telstra’s flagship Discovery Store on Bourke St for 2 months before finding its forever home.
Robbie Chater of The Avalanches said: “We wanted to show that e-waste can be repurposed into something that people can relate to universally. Through music, we are demonstrating the amazing link between sustainability and creativity.”
Alita McMenamin head of brand and communications Telstra said: “Telstra has a long track record supporting customers and community in doing better by the environment, including taking steps to progress a circular economy. This campaign helps to highlight how we’re evolving our approach with a new 2030 target
that aims to keep more devices and materials in use for longer.”
Blake Crosbie managing director +61 said: “Rather than just tell consumers to recycle e-waste we wanted to encourage them to imagine the possibilities a simple action like bringing an old device in can actually make.”
Credits:
Creative Agency: +61 with Bear Meets Eagle on Fire
Media Agency: OMD Australia
PR & Communications agency: Herd MSL
Client: Telstra
Chief Marketing Officer: Brent Smart
Head of Brand and Communications: Alita McMenamin
Brand and Sponsorship Lead: Nicola Reeves
Marketing Specialist: Rosalind Lewis
Internal & External Communications: Telstra Comms team
Production Company: Revolver
Performance film Director: Matt Devine
Project & Design film Director: Scott Stirling
Synth Build & Design: Scott Stirling & Hugh Burridge
Performance film DOP: Stefan Duscio
Design film DOP: Tommy Thoms
MD/Co-Owner: Michael Ritchie
Executive Producer/ Partner: Pip Smart
Producer: Lily Warland
Snr Producer (Post): Alex Kember
Performance film Production designer: Sam Lukins
Design film 1st AC: Jesse Phillips
Design film Build Support: Michael Bennett
Design film CAD Drafter: Jonathan Tran
Design film Graphic Design Assistant: Madeleine-Eve Pattison
Design film Production Design: Scott Stirling + Sam Lukins
Design film Props Assistant: Bridget Shapter
Post-Production
Performance film Editor: Luke Crethar
Performance film Colourist: Ben Eagleton
Design film Editor, Colourist, VFX Compositor: Scott Stirling
3D Artist: Leslie Sharpe
Retoucher: Colour Cartel/Elise Healy
Additional Editor: Kent Hau
Additional Motion Designer: Emily Cheung
Sound: Sonar Music
Synth Compositions: The Avalanches (Robbie Chater, Tony Di Blasio)
Executive Producers: Sophie Haydon, Haylee Poppi
Sound Engineer: Josh Dives



