SBS wanted to launch an on-air campaign that coincided with the 7bn world population milestone. The aim was to bring to life the new positioning line ‘Seven Billion Stories & counting…’ in a positive and thought provoking way.

The microscopic journey of a sperm to the egg mirrors humanity’s journey to 7bn. Each landscape represents different stages of the human experience. The constantly evolving sperm travels through nature, war, industrialisation and love before finally reaching the egg to become the 7 billionth person/story. The landscapes were inspired by each theme, and deliberately contrasted realistic and abstract visual elements. Distinctive colour palettes also helped to convey the emotional journey of the sperm.

SBS’s standpoint was provocative. Instead of focusing on the negatives like other media, we choose to use the population milestone to reflect on humanity's great potential and celebrate its diversity. It generated a hugely positive reaction from loyal viewers and lots of discussion throughout social media and the broader community. The campaign reinforced SBS’s reputation as a daring broadcaster and multicultural leader.