It’s tough being a fast food brand. The teens and tradies market is held in fiercely competitive hands. The cool young things market has been captured by an upstart. And one international brand has owned the young family market for decades. Red Rooster’s new brand campaign zeroes in on the one thing it does own that its competitors don’t. Its Australia-ness.

Red Rooster CEO, Samantah Bragg, explained, “The brief was simple. We are a great Australian success story that grew from one person’s dream to open a chicken shop, to a national brand run by small business owners operating in a market where we need to punch above our weight against some big global juggernauts. The best way to challenge was to create work that is authentic to who we are, who we’re for, and where we’ve come from. A story that only Red Rooster can tell.”

Leo Australia’s answer is one of those “authentic” campaigns that has to walk a tightrope without falling into forgettable. Leo’s creative strategy rejected aspirational perfection and instead leans into authenticity. The TVCs are shot entirely in real suburban locations, leaning heavily into street casting, with the work featuring everyday life and Aussies showing up as themselves in every day, lived-in situations.

 To find the right talent, Leo’s wrote a love letter to the heartlands of Australia, seeking the people who make those places what they are and help put Red Rooster’s support on the map.

Tommy Cehak, executive creative director at Leo, stated, “Fast forward to now, and somehow the very people we imagined when writing the scripts have ended up in the ads, which almost never happens. It’s truly captured the imagination and authenticity of Australia’s suburban heartland.”

Samantha Bragg added, “The work is not about being a little fancy through glossy food shots and aspirational locations but is centred on celebrating the communities we serve and our ability to reward their efforts with hearty feeds and honest value. Red Rooster has always been a part of Australia’s heartland, and we’re here to keep backing the people who keep it running.”

The soundtrack is Matchday from Western Sydney artists 3NDLES5 and Crazymike. The voiceover is by local rapper, Zion Garcia. NRL and Sydney Roosters legend, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, appears in an off-field role, while former Red Rooster crew member and TikTok creator, Hady Saleh, represents a younger generation of suburban voices and Red Rooster devotees. The film is directed by Riley Blakeway, whose documentary-style approach captures honest performances.

Watch the director’s cut:

Cehak continued: “Reds isn’t some global fast-food chain. They’re Australia’s first chicken shop and this campaign is a reminder of that. The brand is proud of who they are, the people they serve and represent, and where they come from. Red Rooster is a place for the hungry, the hardworking and the hot chip obsessed.”

The full campaign covers branded film, OOH and product advertising, with media led by Atomic 212°. The campaign’s brand reinvention will be embedded into the full customer experience, from tone of voice and menu boards to uniforms, social strategy and in-store design.

Credits:
Client: Red Rooster
Chief Executive Officer: Samantha Bragg
Head of CX & Digital: Hollie Lowe
Head of Marketing: Lisa White
PR & Communications Manager: Stella Katsaros

Creative Agency: Leo Australia
CEO: Clare Pickens
CCO: Andy Fergusson
Executive Creative Director: Tommy Cehak
Senior Art Director: Daniel Stewart
Senior Copywriter: Tatsuki Kamekawa
Creative Director: Michelle Walsh 
CSO: Catherine King
Group Strategy Director: Vince Usher
Chief Client Partner: James Walker-Smith
Group Business Director: Shae Jones
Senior Business Manager: Sebastian Soto Lopez
Senior Producer: Fiona Norman
Media Partner: Atomic 212°
 
Production Company: DIVISION
Director: Riley Blakeway
Managing Director & Executive Producer: Genevieve Triquet 
Executive Producer: Lib Kelly 
Producer: Marge McInnes
DOP: Tyson Perkins
Photographer: Josh Robenstone
Senior Producer: Karen Hayward

Casting: Byrne Creative
Post-Production: White Chocolate
Editor: Stewart Arnott 
Online: Chris Grocott 
Grade: Matt Fezz
Sound House: Rumble
Sound Designer: Daniel William