Some (OK, many) brands and their agencies seem to have forgotten how many ad messages people see every day these days.
The Monkeys and MLA haven’t.
Their work voyages outside ad talk and colonises general conversations. Their campaigns make it onto the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald online. Usually more than once each.
Sure their work gets attacked as well as applauded. It gets people hot as well as hot under the collar. It gets noticed, it gets analysed, it gets discussed. It puts lamb in the spotlight. It puts lamb and Aussie in the same (shopping) basket.
It makes it onto the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald because it’s provocative, but also because it’s relevant. In the days just before Australia Day and just after the cancelling of ANZAC Day marches, You Never Lamb Alone’s message about inclusivity and acceptance is newsworthy. News media newsworthy, not just ad media newsworthy.
The Monkeys’ work often makes it hard for me to be an impartial journalist. Shameless admiration and awe to Scott Nowell and the team for that. [:ed]
This year’s January lamb campaign for MLA finesses a very fine (Monkeys) tradition.
Scott Nowell, executive creative director, The Monkeys, commented, “The thought behind the ad this year, and following the evolution of lamb over the past 12 months, was to celebrate all the people who have contributed to making this country great, uniting the way we know best at this time of year, over a lamb barbecue. This time everyone was and is invited to be part of it.”
The two and a half minute ad launched on January 12 across digital channels (including YouTube, Facebook) and owned socials. A 30-second TVC goes to air on January 15.
Broadcast partner, Channel Nine, will support the campaign from launch with activities throughout January. These will include integration with the TODAY show, Australian themed movies and on air features throughout Channel Nine’s Summer of Cricket.
The campaign will also be supported by an on air partnership with the Nova Network’s Fitzy & Wippa nationwide program from January 12 – January 26.
On January 26, lamb-lovers from across Australia will unite at Parramatta Park, Sydney at The Big BBQ. Channel Nine and Nova will broadcast the event live to their audiences. As part of the Nova partnership, some lucky Aussies will be flown in from across the nation to join in.
Andrew Howie, group marketing manager at MLA noted, “As a brand, Lamb stands for unity. Australia is the greatest country on earth and lamb is the nation’s favourite meat. Hence we have brought those two things together to prove we should be able to celebrate this great country every day of the year.”
Credits
Client: MLA
Group Marketing Manager: Andrew Howie
Lamb Brand Manager: Matthew Dwyer
Creative Agency: The Monkeys
Executive Creative Director: Scott Nowell
Creative Director: Grant Rutherford
Senior Art Director: Paul Sharp
Senior Copywriter: Mike Burdick
Head of Production: Thea Carone
Senior Broadcast Producer: Jade Rodriguez
Planning Director: Michael Hogg
Managing Director: Matt Michael
Group Content Director: Humphrey Taylor
Content Director: Katie Wong-Hee
Content Manager: Victoria Zourkas
Production Company: Plaza Films
Director: Paul Middleditch
Executive Producer: Peter Masterton
DOP: Jeremy Fitzgerald
Music Composition: Lamp Music
Music Composer: Adam Gock
Sound Design: Song Zu
Post Production: Fin Design
VFX Supervisor: Richard Betts
Media Agency: UM
PR Agency: One Green Bean