ADC Awards
ADC Annual Awards is the oldest continuously running industry award show in the world, with an incredible legacy of over 100 years. These awards celebrate the very best in advertising, digital media, graphic and publication design, packaging and product design, motion, experiential and spatial design, photography, illustration and fashion design – all with a focus on artistry and craftsmanship.
Category
Digital Craft / Use of Technology
Annual ID
ADC105_INT006S
Background
The Telstra Foundation is the philanthropic arm of telco Telstra that focuses on creating social change through technology, particularly for children and young people in Australia. Its mission is to improve digital inclusion, online safety, wellbeing, and access, aiming to help one million young Australians thrive in the digital world by 2030.
In 2014, Telstra Foundation partnered with Code Club Australia to provide free, volunteer-led coding clubs in Australian primary schools. Helping Code Club grow into a network of thousands of clubs in schools and libraries.
Despite this, studies predict Australia faces a significant digital skills gap of over 130,000 tech workers by 2030. So, unless we can inspire more kids to choose digital and tech-based careers, Australia risks falling behind in an increasingly digital world.
Telstra needed an engaging and impactful way to reach kids and inspire them to enroll in Code Clubs and learn digital skills. So, we set out to prove to the next generation that coding wasn’t boring or just for geniuses, but instead could feel easy, social, and stupidly fun.
In 2014, Telstra Foundation partnered with Code Club Australia to provide free, volunteer-led coding clubs in Australian primary schools. Helping Code Club grow into a network of thousands of clubs in schools and libraries.
Despite this, studies predict Australia faces a significant digital skills gap of over 130,000 tech workers by 2030. So, unless we can inspire more kids to choose digital and tech-based careers, Australia risks falling behind in an increasingly digital world.
Telstra needed an engaging and impactful way to reach kids and inspire them to enroll in Code Clubs and learn digital skills. So, we set out to prove to the next generation that coding wasn’t boring or just for geniuses, but instead could feel easy, social, and stupidly fun.
Creative Idea
Codemates is an initiative by the Telstra Foundation that aims to bridge Australia’s digital skills gap by teaching more kids vital coding skills for the future. It does this by challenging outdated stereotypes of coding, as complex, boring, or an activity for nerdy loners.
How? By creating Patch. The first puppet kids can code.
Patch is a furry, mischievous sidekick who allows kids to see their code operating in real life. Any kid with an internet connection can bring Patch to life and make them burp, fart, dance, tell jokes and even do kung fu using Scratch coding language. Connecting with kids on their level and inviting them to do things they already love – through the power of code.
The entire project was aligned with the Australian Digital Technologies Curriculum. Codemates teaching resources were rolled out to thousands of schools. Allowing a potential audience of over 200,000 kids to code mischief while gaining real-world qualifications.
How? By creating Patch. The first puppet kids can code.
Patch is a furry, mischievous sidekick who allows kids to see their code operating in real life. Any kid with an internet connection can bring Patch to life and make them burp, fart, dance, tell jokes and even do kung fu using Scratch coding language. Connecting with kids on their level and inviting them to do things they already love – through the power of code.
The entire project was aligned with the Australian Digital Technologies Curriculum. Codemates teaching resources were rolled out to thousands of schools. Allowing a potential audience of over 200,000 kids to code mischief while gaining real-world qualifications.
Insights & Strategy
A new long-term approach:
Develop a virtual coding partner (a cool way of saying an educational program) to make coding feel tangible and real for school kids everywhere, and importantly, make coding a whole lot more fun.
We needed to ensure useful and recognised skills were being taught, so we adapted the existing Australian Digital Technologies Curriculum, but delivered it in a unique tone of voice that would resonate with kids – mischievous and with a wicked sense of humour.
Executed within a comms-ecosystem built around the school calendar, with the first 3 phases already live:
1. Moonhack (Nov): Build hype & invite participation
2. School Holidays (Dec-Jan): Help kids find edu-tainment
3. Back2School (Feb): Get the program into the curriculum
Develop a virtual coding partner (a cool way of saying an educational program) to make coding feel tangible and real for school kids everywhere, and importantly, make coding a whole lot more fun.
We needed to ensure useful and recognised skills were being taught, so we adapted the existing Australian Digital Technologies Curriculum, but delivered it in a unique tone of voice that would resonate with kids – mischievous and with a wicked sense of humour.
Executed within a comms-ecosystem built around the school calendar, with the first 3 phases already live:
1. Moonhack (Nov): Build hype & invite participation
2. School Holidays (Dec-Jan): Help kids find edu-tainment
3. Back2School (Feb): Get the program into the curriculum
Execution
To launch Codemates, we used a variety of channels to reach parents, teachers and kids. To generate PR, we invited groups of school kids to visit Patch ‘on set’ and captured the meeting for social, as well as getting Patch to act as our furry campaign spokesperson by chatting to journalists on live TV.
We then got real kids to code our launch films, demonstrating the mischief that could be made by logging onto our campaign microsite. Targeted Spotify ads were used to reach parents during summer holidays and invite them to use Patch to entertain their kids during the break. Finally, on social, influencers popular with kids, coded Patch and shared the experiences with their followers.
We then got real kids to code our launch films, demonstrating the mischief that could be made by logging onto our campaign microsite. Targeted Spotify ads were used to reach parents during summer holidays and invite them to use Patch to entertain their kids during the break. Finally, on social, influencers popular with kids, coded Patch and shared the experiences with their followers.
Results
This is a long-term idea that will be executed throughout the entire school year, and beyond, so we are still in the infancy of its effectiveness, however, in the months since launch we’ve already seen some outstanding results:
1. We’ve successfully launched Patch across Australia:
The program has already rolled out to over 2000 schools, helping to raise awareness with more than 200,000 kids.
2. We’re creating a new coding behaviour:
Since launch, nearly 1900 kids have already partnered with Patch to start coding. Encouraging them to learn to code through burps, farts, dance, and more.
3. Patch is proof that helping kids learn to code can improve long-term brand metrics: In December, Codemates helped Telstra achieve their highest-ever RepTrak score, delivering an 11% uplift (vs benchmark).
1. We’ve successfully launched Patch across Australia:
The program has already rolled out to over 2000 schools, helping to raise awareness with more than 200,000 kids.
2. We’re creating a new coding behaviour:
Since launch, nearly 1900 kids have already partnered with Patch to start coding. Encouraging them to learn to code through burps, farts, dance, and more.
3. Patch is proof that helping kids learn to code can improve long-term brand metrics: In December, Codemates helped Telstra achieve their highest-ever RepTrak score, delivering an 11% uplift (vs benchmark).
2026 Awards
Total Points: 21
Silver Cube
Credits
Agency
+61 / Sydney
Bear Meets Eagle On Fire / Sydney
Media Agency
OMD / Sydney
Client / Brand
Telstra / Sydney
Production Company
Nexus Studios / London
Rumble Studios / Sydney
Post Production Company
Cream Studios / Sydney
Chief Creative Officer
Micah Walker
Chief Marketing Officer
Brent Smart
Group Creative Director
Chris Cheeseman
Doug Hamilton
Director
Laurie Rowan
Creative Director of Design
Mike Witcombe
Executive Producer
Lauren Reilly
Head of Strategy
Mike Redfern
Business Director
Cohen Chaplin
Client Lead
Nicola Reeves
Content Director
Felix Ferguson
Head of Brand + Network
Alita McMenamin
Managing Director
Blake Crosbie
Strategic planner
Alexandra Nel
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