A.B. Original are a hip-hop duo from Australia. They’re fiercely outspoken and make headlines for their liberal views on Indigenous issues and social injustice. They’re also anti-commercial and anti-establishment – but the first time ever, they partnered with a brand to write an original new track specifically for a campaign. The collaboration between A.B. Original and Monash University was unlikely and unexpected, but it demonstrated what can happen when two parties are passionately aligned to not only reach a specific audience, but to provoke them into action.

Monash University has always been home to rebels and misfits who aren’t afraid to challenge the status quo. The Australian university category is a sea of sameness, and Monash’s new campaign, ‘If You Don’t Like It, Change It’, aimed to shake up tertiary education and redefine why universities exist. To do it, they needed a provocative voice to unsettle the masses.

‘If You Don’t Like It, Change It’ was a campaign that woke people up from their apathy. Climate change, war, disease, famine, inequality… We’ll complain about it on Facebook, but what are we really doing to make positive change? Monash University needed to slap people into action and remind them why universities exist: to make change for the better. The idea’s provocative nature needed a voice to match, and A.B Original was the perfect fit. Their song, ‘Blaccout’, was written specifically for the campaign. It was dripping with attitude, and the lyrics married with Monash’s message.

At a time when the world lacked positive leadership, Monash decided it was time to stop complaining about the issues that matter most to our communities. It was time to stand up and create action. To do that, they needed to provoke people. Our strategy was to put global issues front and centre without sugar-coating them, and tell a generation of young people they have the ability to change what they don’t like in the world. By collaborating with outspoken musicians who are agents of change – A.B. Original – Monash University knew their message would reach a wider audience and create greater discussion.

The tone of the campaign needed to be as provocative as the strategy. So, Monash created a brand film designed to create controversy. Equally as important as the footage was the soundtrack – it needed to capture the fierce discontent of a younger generation. For the first time ever, A.B. Original partnered with a brand to create an aggressive new original track, titled ‘Blaccout’. The song first featured in the Monash brand film, and was then released via Spotify and Triple J, Australia’s number one youth radio network.

When ‘Blaccout’ launched with the campaign, it got music blogs, fans and news sites talking. People either loved it or loathed it, creating a perfect storm for a passionate discussion about how we must take action to create change in the world. The film and song were so controversial they got the attention of conservative media commentators all over the country – even the Federal Minister for Education. Ultimately the film was banned from free to air TV, which made people want to engage with the campaign even more. Six months later, Monash University recorded their highest number of new applications and outperformed its competitors. ‘If You Don’t Like It, Change It’ was unlike any university campaign Australia had ever seen, and it rewrote the rules for university advertising.