Fresh branding strategy means the end of Telstra's patriotic-style advertisements

Mark Collis, who heads up Telstra's creativity, innovation, brand strategy and customer experience team, said: "I never really understand what brand campaigns are about. I used to question it at [Leo] Burnett and I am still doing so."

Mr Collis said that future advertising needed to bring to life Telstra's new brand idea, which was centred on what Telstra did for its 11 million customers rather than how it saw itself.

"Our brand essence is really around connection. We want to build our brand around that," he said.

The new corporate strapline, "It's how we connect", will appear in all communications. "What you won't see us doing, though, is going out with a big song-and-dance or marching-band ads. The advertising needs to be a window into what we are doing," said Mr Collis, who was hired in May to inject some creativity and innovation into pricing, product and promotion.

This direction marks a break from the past when Telstra's brand advertising bordered on the patriotic if not nationalistic. Much of its marketing and sponsorship used to hang off its bombastic "I am, you are, we are Australian" ads.

Mr Collis said Telstra needed to spend more time thinking of ways to engage its customers. He has briefed Telstra's three main agencies Belgiovane Williams Mackay, Ogilvy and DDB to present to him ways to activate that brand essence.

He cited as an example of the sort of thing Telstra could do the Life in a Day project by filmmakers Ridley Scott and Kevin Macdonald, who plan to produce a film from footage uploaded to YouTube on July 24, documenting a day on Earth.

DDB Australia and New Zealand chief executive Martin O'Halloran said: "I think it's a very workable idea. We have to think about ways to show how Telstra can connect rather than talking about it in the traditional brand sense."

Mr Collis will work alongside Inese Kingsmill, a Microsoft marketer, who joins Telstra in November to become director of business unit marketing and communications.

"My vision is simple. It's to get our 11 million customers talking more positively about us. If I can do that, then, game done," Mr Collis said.