Monkeys “get” lamb

Because of The Monkeys, the MLA has stopped yelling at us for not eating lamb and is reminding us why we want to.

It’s not what you say, it’s the way that you say it. Everyone knows that getting together over lamb is as much a tradition as wearing thongs and growing up with Weet-Bix.

The Kekovich lamb rants had become tradition too. That’s a shame. What once was good Aussie humour had acquired a bitter edge.

So Kekovich has been quietened. Now he plays second fiddle to another Aussie “icon”, Richie Benaud, who brings with him to Australia Day cricket – the “iconic” Australia Day sport. And Benaud invites the whole Aussie “icon” club to an Australia Day lamb barbie in this year’s Australia Day lamb ad.

The club includes Captain Cook who’s sailing on the Endeavour, Burke and Wills in dire straits in the Simpson Desert and Ned Kelly, Australia’s oldest hipster, who can’t eat gluten.

Ita scored an invite, as did Bradman, but Billy Birmingham, who rode to glory on Benaud impersonations as the 12th Man, gets a snub.

The Australia Day campaign continues (and adds oomph to) The Monkeys’ You Never Lamb Alone theme, which launched in September 2014 shortly after the agency took over the MLA account from BMF.

Clearly, Benaud “gets” how much the Monkeys “get” Aussie lamb: “In addition to my love of cricket on Australia Day, I wanted to be involved in another key part of our national day, the iconic lamb campaign. For me, this year’s campaign encapsulates what Australia Day is all about; Australians getting together for a lamb BBQ.”

The full 100 second version of the new MLA TVC made its debut on Channel Nine’s Today on January 9. The 60 second and 30 second versions cut-downs will continue to run on TV in the lead-up to Australia Day. The full version is now online only.

There’s also a contest, Top Lamb Chop That!, the prize being an Australia Day lamb barbie with Benaud himself for ten Aussies (each with two mates). To win an invite, people upload an impersonation of Benaud’s lamb BBQ to the We Love Our Lamb Facebook page.

Kekovich is not being retired. He is to retain his Lambassador position and will continue to work with farmers. Kekovich is a popular face of lamb for the MLA among lamb and beef producers and participates in a lot of the events that keep things ticking over between the MLA and the growers who fund its existence by paying their levies.