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Play It Safe
Agency The Monkeys, part of Accenture Song / Sydney + MassiveMusic / Sydney + ARC EDIT / Sydney + Revolver + Somesuch
Category
Cinema Advertising
Annual ID
OS24_FI091M
About the Work
Since 1973, the Sydney Opera House has stood as a monument to the power of brave, crazy, beautiful ideas. So, to mark its 50th anniversary, we created a film that celebrated the House’s creative spirit and reminded Australia that the best things only happen when you refuse to play it safe.
This wasn’t just an opportunity to pay tribute to the House’s legacy. With Australia’s once defiant creative culture being stifled by an increasingly conservative social and political climate, the House’s anniversary would also be a clarion call for artistic bravery. The project also sought to undo the elitist connotations that had come to be attached to this global icon, with the message that the Opera House – like art itself – belongs to everyone.
The result was Play It Safe: an original song and music video created in collaboration with actor/playwright Tim Minchin, director Kim Gehrig, and a host of other Australian artists. Combining striking visuals of the House’s iconic exterior with the bold displays of creativity that take place inside, the film is a musical journey from nervous conformity to joyful riot. Along the way, it features performances from each of the House’s nine resident companies, and beloved Australian performers like Jimmy Barnes, William Barton, John Bell, and Elma Kris. With its 4.22 runtime, the extended film ran in cinemas across Australia with a specially engineered Dolby surround sound mix. The film was also released online and quickly shared around the world, reaching 1.8 billion people with 662 pieces of media coverage.
From its inception, the Sydney Opera House faced protests, political pressure, doubters, and naysayers – but its determination to be different made it one of the most famous buildings in the world. Play it Safe is a paean to this creative bravery, and a reminder that if we ignore the little voice in our heads and do the opposite – there’s no limit to what we can achieve
This wasn’t just an opportunity to pay tribute to the House’s legacy. With Australia’s once defiant creative culture being stifled by an increasingly conservative social and political climate, the House’s anniversary would also be a clarion call for artistic bravery. The project also sought to undo the elitist connotations that had come to be attached to this global icon, with the message that the Opera House – like art itself – belongs to everyone.
The result was Play It Safe: an original song and music video created in collaboration with actor/playwright Tim Minchin, director Kim Gehrig, and a host of other Australian artists. Combining striking visuals of the House’s iconic exterior with the bold displays of creativity that take place inside, the film is a musical journey from nervous conformity to joyful riot. Along the way, it features performances from each of the House’s nine resident companies, and beloved Australian performers like Jimmy Barnes, William Barton, John Bell, and Elma Kris. With its 4.22 runtime, the extended film ran in cinemas across Australia with a specially engineered Dolby surround sound mix. The film was also released online and quickly shared around the world, reaching 1.8 billion people with 662 pieces of media coverage.
From its inception, the Sydney Opera House faced protests, political pressure, doubters, and naysayers – but its determination to be different made it one of the most famous buildings in the world. Play it Safe is a paean to this creative bravery, and a reminder that if we ignore the little voice in our heads and do the opposite – there’s no limit to what we can achieve
2024 Awards
Total Points: 3
Merit
Credits
Agency
The Monkeys, part of Accenture Song / Sydney
Production Company
Revolver + Somesuch
Music / Sound Production Company
MassiveMusic / Sydney
Studios 301 / Sydney
Sydney Symphony Orchestra Australian Chamber Orchestra & Sydney Philharmonia Choirs / Sydney
Turning Studios / Sydney
Post Production Company
Arc Edit / Sydney
Trim / London
Chief Creative Officer
Tara Ford
Director
Kim Gehrig
Director of Photography
Stefan Duscio
Editor
Elise Butt
Tom Lindsay
Executive Creative Director
Barbara Humphries
Executive Producer
Katrina Aquilia
Producer
Izzy Robertson
Sound Designer
Simon Kane
Strategist
Raghav Iyer
Co-Founder & Group Chief Creative Officer
Scott Nowell
Costume Creative Director
Vanessa Coyle
Experience Strategy Director
Tim Wilson-Brown
Post Executive Producer
Daniel Fry
Noreen Khan
Senior Art Director
Alex Polglase
Senior Copywriter
Jake Ausburn
ACO & SSO recording
Bob Scott
Assistant Engineer
Brad Hasiuk
Band & main vocal recording
Rose Mackenzie-Peterson
Bass
Jonathon Schwartz
Choreographer
Lucy Guerin
Colourist
Trish Cahill
Costume Stylist
Nicchia Wippell
Olivia Simpson
Drums
Hamish Stuart
Executive Music Producer / Arranger
Elliott Wheeler
Foley Artist
John Simpson
General Manager
Kezia Quinn
Guitars
Ben Hauptmann
Head of Production & Senior Producer
Penny Brown
Individual Performers
Joshua Craig
Managing Director / Co-Owner
Michael Ritchie
Music & Lyrics
Tim Minchin
Music Mix Engineer
Jamieson Shaw
Online
Eugene Richards
Post Producer
Kani Saib
Tatyana Alexandra
Producer / EP
Pip Smart
Production Designer
Steven Jones-Evans
Recording Assistants
Benjamin Cauduro
Brianna Salisbury
Keens Brewer
Will Lobb
Senior Business Director
Fizzy Keeble
Single Release Mastered
Leon Zerves
Sydney Philharmonia Choir recording
Carlos Arango
The Monkeys Co-Founder & Group CEO, Accenture Song ANZ President
Mark Green
Turning Studios Producer
Carla de Menezes Ribeiro
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