Directed by Hello Shovel’s Adam Connolly, while at Visual Domain. In collaboration with Roller Agency
Milwaukee tools
Milwaukee – Forever For The Trade
Most tool advertising talks to tradespeople from the outside looking in. Loud. Performative. Covered in sparks and slow motion for the sake of it. Milwaukee wanted to take a different approach for their first ever Australia and New Zealand brand campaign.
The brief was to create something that felt like it understood the people behind the tools. Not weekend DIYers. Not a parody of “hard yakka.” Real tradespeople building a life through the work they do every day.
Because “Forever For The Trade” only works if the people watching believe you mean it.
About the project
Created during Adam Connolly’s time at Visual Domain in partnership with Roller Agency, this fully integrated national campaign launched Milwaukee’s new “Forever For The Trade” platform across television, digital, print, and out-of-home throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Hello Shovel’s Adam Connolly directed and edited the campaign, overseeing creative production across five locations over three intensive shoot days while simultaneously capturing both motion and stills.
A huge part of the process was getting the details right. Real tradies were cast throughout the campaign because people who use these tools every day move through a space differently. The way they carry gear. The way they hold themselves on site. All scenes were meticulously reviewed in consultation with Milwaukee tradespeople.
The production itself was built with the same mindset as the campaign. No shortcuts. Every department digging into the details, wardrobe, lighting, art direction, product placement, performance, all working to make the world feel honest without losing the cinematic weight expected from a national brand campaign.
Result
The solution was restraint. Instead of making tradespeople look larger than life, we focused on making them feel real. The final rollout delivered more than 50 assets across television, social, digital, print, and out-of-home, including localised hero campaigns for both Australia and New Zealand, trade-specific cutdowns, stills, and platform-ready edits across every major format.
Built from the ground up, the campaign helped establish “Forever For The Trade” as a long-term brand platform for Milwaukee across the region and went on to receive internal recognition via a an award for visual excellence as part of the brand’s first national campaign launch in Australia and New Zealand.
