Sanitarium Weet-Bix has been the fuel for Aussie kids for nearly 100 years. That doesn’t mean that it can rest on its laurels. Cereal marketing is fierce, and streams of new products regularly invade its territory. So, 303 MullenLowe are trading on nostalgia to welcome Weet-Bix into a new era through its classic Aussie Kids are Weet-Bix Kids campaign.
The agency chose Photoplay’s master of performance direction, Louis Sutherland, to create a campaign that warms Aussie hearts and relates to every Australian. To reignite a love of breakfast across generations and capture the essence of what it means to be a Weet-Bix kid in Australia, with official Weet-Bix kid, soccer star, Mary Fowler in the spotlight.
Weet-Bix tells its story through generations of everyday Australians who herald themselves as Weet-Bix kids and live life in the moment.
The hero 30-second commercial leads a series of 15- and 6-second films.
Sutherland has earned the nickname, “the child whisperer”, for his innate ability to connect with children and his eye for street casting that delivers raw, unique performances.
Having relocated to New York since filming the new commercial, 10-year-old Tierna O’Reilly hopes being a Weet-Bix Kid will be life-changing for her. “I cried with happiness when I was cast. From being in the Weet-Bix commercial, I am trying to get into the top performing Arts School in New York and hope to become a famous performer on Broadway or in Hollywood movies,” she said.
Sutherland’s flair for teasing out authentic performances is also evident in his commercials, Push Play for Sport NZ created by EightyOneX:
Scamathon for New Zealand’s National Cyber Security Centre created by Special Group:
…and the unforgettable Mike and Mandy for One Percent Collective
Credits
Client: Sanitarium Health Food Company [Weet-Bix]
Head of Marketing & Communications ANZ: Jessica Manihera
Senior Brand Manager, Weet-Bix: Saray Smyth
Advertising, Media & Sponsorship Manager: Helen Reiher
Creative & Strategy: 303 MullenLowe
Chief Executive Officer, Sydney: Joanna Gray
Chief Creative Officer, Sydney: Bart Pawlak
Chief Strategy Officer, Sydney: Jody Elston
Creative Director: Adam Whitehead
Group Head: Jonathon Bates
Head of Production: Skye Lanser
Head of TV: Rachel Devine
Production: Photoplay
Director: Louis Sutherland
Executive Producer: Emma Thompson
Producer: Breigh Sutherland
DOP: Marty Williams
Sound & Music: Squeak E Clean Studios
Sound Design & Mix: Simon Lister
Audio Post Producer: Emma Duncan
Music Producer: Karla Henwood
