Photo by Padraig Treanor via Unsplash
As an Art Director at Imagination Australia, I was entrusted with a unique challenge: to turn Telstra’s sponsorship of Sydney’s iconic New Year’s Eve celebrations into a meaningful experience for millions. With the city buzzing in anticipation and Telstra keen to demonstrate their technological prowess, the task was to craft an idea that not only enhanced the event but solved a familiar frustration faced by revellers each year. The result was a simple yet transformative feature that redefined how people connected during one of the busiest nights of the year.
The challenge lay in addressing a well-known issue—network congestion at midnight, when the volume of calls and messages often overwhelmed infrastructure, leaving many unable to connect with loved ones. Understanding the celebratory spirit of the event, it became clear that the solution had to do more than solve a technical problem; it needed to feel like a gift, enhancing the joy of the moment while showcasing Telstra’s innovation.
The answer was Midnight Messages, a feature seamlessly integrated into the City of Sydney’s official New Year’s Eve app. Designed to sidestep the midnight gridlock, this service allowed users to queue up to 50 text messages in advance. The messages were stored in a cloud-based system and sent automatically at the stroke of midnight, ensuring they reached their recipients without delay—free of charge and across all networks. This not only eased congestion but also gave people the freedom to enjoy the festivities without worrying about connectivity.
The feature proved an overwhelming success, celebrated for its practicality and alignment with the event's communal spirit. Midnight Messages became a favourite among Sydney's New Year’s Eve crowd, demonstrating Telstra’s ability to provide solutions that truly connected people when it mattered most. Its impact was so significant that it was retained as part of the official app in subsequent years, cementing its legacy as an innovative use of technology for large-scale events.
Client: Telstra
Agency: Imagination Australia
Art Director / Ideation: Berto Macario
UI Designer: Lee Nguyen
Agency: Imagination Australia
Art Director / Ideation: Berto Macario
UI Designer: Lee Nguyen
