MLA’s Australia Day campaign moves away from Kekovich rant to a Richie Benaud BBQ
Meat and Livestock Australia are moving away from the Sam Kekovich rant style Australia Day campaigns with cricket legend Richie Benaud fronting this year’s campaign.
The change in tactics comes after the appointment of The Monkeys to the lamb account last year, with a brief to create a brand platform to transcend the year.
In the new ad released today Benaud recruits a number of national icons, past and present, to attend an Australia Day lamb barbecue.
Sam Kekovich still warrants a place on Beanud’s invite list, along with the likes of Captain Cook, or ‘Cooky’, explorers Burke and Wills, bushranger Ned Kelly, cricketer Don Bradman and media icon Ita Buttrose. However when Billy Birmingham – best known for impersonating Benaud as the 12th Man – calls looking for an invite he’s bluntly shut down by the cricket legend.
Yeah, that’s a bit good that is. And particularly so in the way it still uses Sam to aid in the transition. Nice work, Monkeys.
Hilarious! I love it. Cookie is a legend
Genius. Love that Sam still plays a part and the Billy integration is genius… well done to all involved.
Not sure if Burke and Wills will make it. But Kingy will make it for sure.
Thanks guys for such an entertaining film, it really made me laugh. It’s become an annual tradition and this is a major step up from the old idea which was great in its own time. Excellent work Tom Noakes, the performances are spot on
Given the size of the production behind that spot, I now understand why cutlets are so darn expensive.
Gee not many women Australian icons to choose from? Feel offended for Ita at the tokenism. Women eat lamb too and do are generally the ones buying the stuff
Richie Benaud? Could someone tell them it is 2015, not 1985.
@Lisa “Women …are generally the ones buying the stuff”
Wow, are they also the ones doing the ironing and not being able to reverse park? As Magus said, it’s 2015.
I am loving it, nice work to all! Obviously the politics of representation & Australia Day are messy so this kind of thing is always going to divide. And it would have been good to have an indigenous character in there too but hey,i guess that’s invasion day…
This is so good for so many reasons.
I reckon they would have tried to find Indigenous personalities but the options would have turned it down. Not great for their cred to be in an Aus Day ad.
I think Michael Clarke would have been a better choice……plus more longevity in the campaign.
That is awesome. Well done Monkeys.
I love cutletsss…
@Sage Observer: One is an Australian Legend, one…isn’t quite.
I always look forward to the next instalment and this one has gone to the next level. Great work Monkeys! The only thing that irks me is there seems to be a disparate correlation between the quality of the ads and rising lamb prices. That’s coming for a bloke that does most of the grocery shopping in my household
Very tasty and never a dull moment – congrats Scott, Tom and all you clever Monkeys. I’m crossing my cutlets that Richie makes it to the 26th.
@Henry
If the higher price of lamb means that farmers are getting extra money for raising excellent quality lamb for us to fling on the BBQ, then I am happy to wear it.
Cooky! Genius, love it.
Lambaque with Ritchie? Brilliant
Love the ad. But why no British accent with Captain Cook? All the other characters remain true to their accents/characters.
Who missed this? Why??? Cook was British, not Australian.
Ita in the same breath at Captain Cook, Ned Kelly, Bourke and Wills, Don Bradman, etc.
Oh my …
Definitely agree it should have featured some indigenous Australians
Oh how did bmf let that slip through their fingers…
Nice one Scottie – well done mate.
Not sure about the slogan, but wh cares? Really really like this ad. Really.
Looking forward to the sequel! Bob Hawke on the beers? an Urwin or two?
Bingle running late; where the bloody hell are you?
That has got to be the worst Irish accent I’ve ever heard.
Good fun – nice one!
The use of Captain Cook in the ad in historically inaccurate as his landing at Botany Bay in 1770 predated the first Australia Day by 18 years. Captain Phillip led the First Fleet into Sydney on 26 January 1788 -the first Australia Day- so the ad should feature him instead of Captain Cook.
The real Captain Cook didn’t have a mobile phone either. So many inaccuracies.
Love the commercial. Well done Tom.
@OJR…… 99% of the Australian population wouldnt know that.
While Mumbrella readers would collectively like to thank you for the history lesson, I assure you Captain Cook was the smarter choice.
PS – I love lamb.
They didnt use captain Philip as his mobile was on vodaphone network and they could never get hold of him
Never mind mobile phones.
The ringtone is all wrong. It is JS Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. Not published until 1833.
Didn’t recognise Ritchie Benaud-this old man means nothing to me. Had never heard of Billy Birmingham either and this part of the ad didn’t even make sense until I googled it. Husband says he had no idea either who the Billy man is.
Ad is awful -load of rubbish-fails on many fronts and as for historical stuff-pfft what a muddle
Bring back Sam on his own!!!!
Didn’t recognise Ritchie, hadn’t heard of Billy. I guess this campaign is not aimed at 12 year olds, Liz.
Yes i guessed it is aimed at 25yo + who have heard of Ritchie, Billy, Captain Cook, Ned Kelly, Burke & Wills, Sir Donald ,Ita and have a sense of humor lol
Oh and i would think the makers of this great advertisement were aiming to be hysterically funny not historically accurate 🙂
Whilst the rednecks and bogans here may be aplauding this ad, the real test , as with any advertising campaign, is how sucessful it will be with the wider Australian Community. X amount of positive responses on Mumbrella is meaningless. And if it’s such a great ad, how is it that the ad agency or MLA hasn’t been able to get it broadcast on any other TV network, other than the 9 network, or in theatres. Fact is the 9 network’s audience base isn’t the the biggest and the demographic that the 9 network attracks is certainly not one noted for being big or regular meat buyers.
The real question is what meat producing farmers think of this ad. After all its THEIR money which MLA is using to pay for the ad. Hint: have a look at the various online farmers forums. You might actually get a shock at how many farmers have voiced their criticism and dissatisfaction with the ad. Indeed, the general concensus is that the ad is aimed at the wrong demographic. Those who buy meat these days are generally the younger generation and has-beens like Bernard, Keckovich, Butterose and historical figures like Cook, Kelly etc have absolutely no meaning or relevance whatsoever to that demographic
its a great ad, no doubt. i didn;t get all the characters but you know enough to make it work.
big production, big risk, big result.
well done to all involved
Do we know yet how much lamb was moved? Do we know if the message will be retained so that people buy lamb soon? When we do (know), we’ll also know if this very appealing TVC has worked.