Thinkerbell & Vegemite: The Aussiest campaign for the Aussiest food

Vegemite, the Aussiest food in the world, is going multicultural for Harmony Week 2021. The Thinkerbell outdoor campaign underlines the vast range of cultures that makes up Australia by featuring the brand’s classic Tastes Like Australia headline written in the top ten most spoken languages in Australia – Mandarin, Arabic, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Italian, Greek, Tagalog, Hindi, Spanish and English. The multilingual ads will also be posted on social media.

Australia is one of the most multicultural countries in the world. According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, almost half (49%) of Australians were either born overseas or one or both parents were born in a different country. There are more than 300 separately identified languages being spoken in Australian homes. More than 5 million Australians speak a language other than English at home.

“Australia is a wonderful, unique and truly diverse nation. Of the more than 25 million people who live here, 21% speak languages other than English at home, yet just about all broadcast advertising is presented only in English,” stated Jacqui Roth, marketing manager spreads at Bega Cheese Limited, which owns Vegemite. “Any of the languages represented in these outdoor ads rarely feature on the Australian landscape yet are spoken in the home every day. We want to celebrate the diverse languages spoken and put them front and centre loud and proud on our outdoor advertising.”

She added, “Like the platypus and the Big Prawn, VEGEMITE is a symbol of Australia’s national identity, so we feel we have a duty to recognise how important different cultures have been in shaping our country, and our national cuisine for that matter. This past year has shown us how unique Australia is and how great we are as a country. We want to encourage Aussies to celebrate our culture and the ingredient that makes us great – our people. What a better way to do that than enjoying the mix of flavours that make up the taste of Australia and celebrating the diverse languages spoken Down Under.”

Vegemite will also be sharing a series of recipes inspired by each of the top ten most spoken languages in Australia. The new recipes will be available on the Vegemite website and social media channels and all Australians are invited to share their favourite dishes of cuisine from around the globe using vegemite by posting on Instagram with the hashtag, #TastesLikeAustralia.

“When people think about Aussie cuisine, Vegemite on toast often comes to mind. But really, our country is a melting pot of cultures and flavours, and our cuisine is broader and more diverse than ever before. We want to truly reflect our unique mix of cultures by putting our message out into the world in multiple languages,” stated Ben Couzens, chief creative tinker at Thinkerbell.