Helping Reduce Global Counterfeit

How Data61 used animation to explain blockchain and build trust in Australia’s digital future

Client & Context

Data61, the data innovation group within CSIRO, needed a way to communicate the value of blockchain to non-technical decision-makers, including policymakers, business leaders, and industry stakeholders. Despite their deep technical expertise, they faced the common challenge of making abstract digital concepts relevant and understandable, particularly in the context of national discussions about data security and economic trust. They engaged Redboat to create a narrative-driven animation that could bridge the communication gap and demonstrate how blockchain improves transparency and reduces fraud in high-risk supply chains.

Challenge/Objectives

Blockchain is technically dense and often misunderstood, making it difficult for non technical audiences to appreciate its practical benefits. The challenge was to present the technology clearly and meaningfully without oversimplifying its mechanics.

Objectives included:

Making blockchain understandable through a human-centered narrative.
Showing how distributed ledgers improve transparency and prevent fraud.
Grounding abstract concepts in real world examples, such as fake meat entering the supply chain.
Providing Data61 with a versatile communication tool for meetings, events, and stakeholder engagement.

Redboat’s Approach

Redboat worked closely with Data61 researchers to unpack the technical details and identify the most important ideas to convey. Through a structured discovery process, we clarified the mathematics, data structures, and system behaviours behind blockchain and shaped these into a simple, relatable storyline. The team focused on accuracy, clarity, and audience relevance, ensuring the animation remained both technically faithful and easy to understand.

The solution

Redboat delivered a narrative driven animation that followed a product from farm to consumer, illustrating where fraud can occur and how blockchain strengthens transparency at each step. The animation contrasted traditional data systems with the distributed ledger model, making the advantages immediately clear. It was produced in multiple formats for presentations, briefings, and social media use.

Results & Impact

The animation provided Data61 with a practical, easy to use asset for communicating blockchain to non expert audiences. It helped simplify a previously abstract concept, enabling clearer discussions with business leaders, ministers, and industry stakeholders. The piece supported broader conversations around data security, safety, and trust, and positioned Data61’s research as both relevant and actionable.

Why it matters

Counterfeit products and weak data systems pose real risks to consumers, businesses, and national economies. By making blockchain understandable and relevant, the animation helped Data61 show how emerging technologies can strengthen trust and safety across supply chains.

The project: