'Sport is stranger than fiction': Meet the unlikely stars in The Monkeys campaign

Ad Nut is a bit on the podgy side these days. Too many nuts and not enough exercise. That mid-life slump has been hard to break out of. 

 

But there's hope... or so we’re told by Rebel, Australia’s top-selling sports retailer, with their latest campaign that focuses on the athletic journeys of everyday Australians whose lives have been transformed by sport. 

 

One film shows how outback swimmer Brendan Cullen swam his way out of a drought, and another tells the inspiring story of Sinead Diver, the 'never-too-late athlete', who at 47 years old is running for gold in Olympic marathons.

 

 

The campaign is the latest instalment of Rebel's 'Sport is Calling' brand platform, which was formed in 2020. This latest iteration, created by The Monkeys (part of Accenture Song), carries the message that sports have the power to transform lives.

 

“Brendan and Sinead’s stories demonstrate Rebel’s belief that sport can be the catalyst for incredible change and growth in our lives. Not just physically, but mentally too,” said rebel general manager eCommerce and marketing Rosemary Martin.

 

“Sport really is stranger than fiction,” added The Monkeys’ creative director Adam Slater.

 

“Whether it’s a farmer who dealt with a drought by swimming laps of the dam or a 47-year-old IT professional turned national record holder, we’ve loved unearthing the best sports stories Australia has never heard of.”

 

All these very inspiring people might actually be the push that Ad Nut needs to break that mid-life slump and take up a sport. Rumour has it that squirrels make excellent gymnasts. Watch out, Paris 2024...