Australian Made: The roo returns for election season
Today, Australian Made launches a new campaign starring Olympic swimming star Ariarne Titmus. CEO Ben Lazzaro talks to Mumbrella about protecting and promoting the iconic brand during an election period hyper-focused on local production.
In 1986, then Prime Minister Bob Hawke commissioned legendary designer Ken Cato to create what may be the nation’s most recognisable graphic: the Australian Made logo.
A Roy Morgan survey showed that 98.8% of Australians recognise it, and the familiar kangaroo is now used by more than 4,500 businesses across thousands of products sold, both here and internationally.
The design is elegant. It’s shape suggests a rural street sign, the green and gold represents our unofficial colours, and just three pen-strokes conjure the unmistakable image of the kangaroo.
During the pandemic the Australian Made campaign was given a new governmental push, in a bid to encourage Australians to support local production.
To further this cause, Australian Made Week was rolled out in 2021, with model Elyse Knowles tapped as the first ambassador. TV cook Adam Liaw, tennis champ Ash Barty, and singer Jessica Mauboy have each taken up the role in each subsequent year.
This year it’s Olympic swimming star Ariarne Titmus encouraging Australians to ‘go for gold’ in their purchasing decisions. Lazzaro says the three-time Gold medallist was chosen because she “embodies the Australian values of hard work and resilience” seen in our local manufacturers and producers.
This year’s campaign will roll out across TV, radio, print, and online the lead up to Australian Made Week, which falls between May 19 and 25.
That timing lands it smack bang in the middle of the federal election. With looming export tariffs and a cost-of-living crisis, supporting Australian production may well be a political plus.
Lazzaro acknowledges the political lens the campaign will be under this year, but says it would be “running regardless” of the situation. “That’s our role, to promote and protect the Australian made logo.”
At any rate, increased attention won’t hurt.
“We’re a not-for-profit organisation, so we’re certainly apolitical,” Lazzaro says, “but we’re in favour of any policy positions from any government that supports manufacturers and that creates an environment that fosters innovation and manufacturing excellence.
“Given the timings around this year’s campaign, I absolutely understand it’ll get a whole lot more focus, but it looks like for the right reasons, for the positive reasons: that we’re here to promote Aussie manufacturers now.
“The government’s involvement might be heightened because of what’s happening globally, but our job is to stick to the positive and promote all our wonderful Aussie manufacturers and growers in this country.”
Lazzaro feels local product is a bipartisan issue. “It’s unlikely that you’ll see either side come to blows over this particular part of Australia’s industry,” he says. “We’re here to champion the manufacturers and not get involved in the politics.”
More than the widespread recognition of the logo, Lazzaro says its the 93% trust in the brand that is most important in the marketing.
“This organisation goes to great lengths to ensure that products carrying the brand are authentic and genuinely Australian,” he explains.
“We have a compliance process to ensure that. And so those metrics about consumer perceptions — whether those consumers are businesses or you and I — is to make sure that when they buy a product with the Australian made logo, they can buy with confidence.”
Despite the logo’s ubiquity, rumours of a rebrand have haunted Australia Made for decades. It may be widely recognised, but it is also an iconic symbol of 1980s Australia, alongside Ken Done artwork, fluro zinc cream, and Crocodile Dundee.
Although the logo was given a slight “aesthetic polish” — as Lazzaro puts it — in 2007, it remains the same signal of local production that has adorned goods made in Australia for four decades.
“Its reputation, its strength, its market capital is because it is consistent,” Lazzaro argues. “It doesn’t change. We don’t spend huge amounts of money reinventing the wheel. All the research tells us it works.
“It makes the Australian connection instantly and clearly. It’s got the iconic kangaroo in there. And of course, the green and gold colours of Australia.”
Multiple false reports by various media outlets over the years about a brand refresh have given the Australian Made campaign numerous chances to market test any potential change.
“The outrage when there’s a misunderstanding the brand is going to change is one of the great compliments to the brand,” Lazzaro says.
“People are so connected with it, and really have an affinity with the brand. Their reaction is quite wild when they think it’s going to be changed, removed, replaced, whatever it might be.
“So its strength is its consistency. And we’re proud of that.”
Lazzaro says, at its core, Australian Made Week is as simple as it sounds: “A time for us to reassess our purchasing habits and focus our shopping habits on choosing that Australian made product.”
He says that if each household allocates just $10 a week on Australian products, it will generate close to $5 billion in the economy and create nearly 10,000 jobs.
“So it’s a really meaningful way for everyone to make a difference. And in light of what’s happening globally, I think consumers will be a lot more attuned to receiving these messages.”
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Nathan Jolly is the Features Editor at Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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