The inaugural Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Award for Best Use of Australian Music in Advertising (over two minutes) has been officially presented to agency network Innocean alongside Australian folk singer John Williamson.
Innocean and Williamson were recognised for their ‘Voice of the Sea’ campaign for the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS), which featured Williamson’s titular bespoke song.
The award ceremony, presented in-person by ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd at the Warner Music offices in Pyrmont on Wednesday, was a holdover from last year’s event that Innocean Australia was unable to attend.
The adland ARIA Awards, featuring categories for both under two minutes and over two minutes, were introduced in 2022 as a part of Our Soundtrack Our Ads to promote Australian creativity and talent within the advertising industry. They are a collaboration between Our Soundtrack Our Stories (an open invitation from the nation’s music community to discover, champion, share, and consume more homegrown music) and M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment.
Williamson described the recognition as “an honour”, praising the award’s encouragement of advertisers to use Australian music.
“This will hopefully continue to spread the message of the Australian Marine Conservation Society to take care of our precious oceans,” he said.
Last year’s winners in the under two minutes category were 72andSunny with Campfire X for ‘Google Helping You Help Others’ featuring music from Baker Boy.
The ‘Voice of the Sea’ campaign launched in late 2022 alongside the release of Williamson’s song, intending to create a national anthem for the ocean, provide an educational platform for children, and inspire the next generation of conservationists.
Earlier this year, Innocean partnered once again with AMCS and Penguin Books to develop a children’s picture book inspired by the song. The initiative is geared towards educators, leveraging Penguin and AMCS’ databases to provide lesson plans, interactive classroom activities, and discussions.
The goal of the extended campaign is to foster a deeper connection and appreciation for our oceans among young children, while also involving their parents.
During the ceremony, Herd also announced the Award for Best Use of Australian Music in Advertising (for both up to, and over two minutes) would make its return for a second consecutive year, and that applications are now open for participation in the judging panel.
“Musicians and advertisers both have a critical role in telling our nation’s stories and defining our culture.” said Herd.
“We are so thrilled to welcome back a very important strategic addition to last year’s ARIA Awards and continue to celebrate the pivotal role advertising and the broader media and marketing industry can play in spotlighting Australian talent and creativity.”
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Top Image: L-R Top: Emily Crews, Imogen Scott, John Williamson, Annabelle Herd, Dan Rosen, Carolyn Cho, Charlotte Berry, Meg Doyle. L-R Bottom: Brii Jamieson, Eliza Millet, Wes Hawes.