Relationship grey area? “Chat the weird out” says new university campaign launched via Ogilvy

They’re the uni student conversations that are sometimes uncomfortable, often awkward and very likely to create ‘crickets’ in the room.  And they’re also the discussions to address relationship ‘grey areas’ being encouraged by a new animated campaign, developed by Ogilvy.

Aimed at building healthier interpersonal connections among students both on and off campus, the new ‘Chat the Weird Out’ campaign was developed for the Campus Life division of the University of Auckland (UoA), as part of a broader consent education initiative.

Using a cricket character – representing the universal symbol of awkward silence – it tackles several awkward scenarios faced by most university students, and the importance of addressing the “small weird before it gets really weird” according to Ogilvy NZ senior creatives Chelsea Sietses and Matt Woods: “Ignoring an awkward situation is something we’re all guilty of—and for uni students it feels like the easy thing to do, but it just makes things super ambiguous. However, there’s one creature who always has something to say when things go quiet… the cricket. Voiced by comedian, James Mustapic, he’s our crickety interloper, helping address those little weird moments before they become big weird moments.”

Says Tee Bouttier-Esprit from Campus Life: “Relationships are fraught with grey areas – situations or differences that are difficult to categorise. These grey areas often arise from a lack of communication which can make boundaries unclear. That can be because of a fear of confrontation or a lack of confidence to navigate a tricky conversation. That’s where a campaign like ‘Chat the Weird Out’ can be so powerful”.

UoA has deliberately left the ‘Chat the Weird Out’ campaign unbranded so it can be shared with other universities and councils around Aotearoa, with Massey University also now rolling it out across campus.

The strategy and creative for the campaign were developed by Ogilvy, with ‘Chat the Weird Out’ executions now live across social, street furniture and on-campus posters (UoA and Massey).

Client: Campus Life, University of Auckland
Strategy and Creative: Ogilvy
Animation studio: Flux Animation
Laban Dickinson – Creative Director
Joshua Forsman – Executive Producer
Danielle Mendoza – Animation
Lily Martin-Babin – Animation
Duncan Van der Schyff – Animation
Lynn Choi – Design
Sound studio: Boxcutter
Sound design: Milon Williams