PERFORMANCE BREAD OUT FOR A DUCK
BMF Sydney has kicked off its first campaign for Goodman Fielder with the launch of new Wonder Performance bread – a product that’s designed especially for teenagers, but can have some unusual effects on ducks!
To capture the elusive teenage market, BMF created a series of unbranded virals showing ducks performing with enhanced capabilities in a very ‘un-duck-like’ manner. The virals include a surfing duck, ducks skylarking on an escalator, and ducks performing acrobatic flying feats. They have been seeded over the last month and so far there have been over 2.7 million views in Australia and around the world, including postings on The New York Times, SKY News, and the UK’s Daily Telegraph websites.
This activity has been followed up with a TV launch COMMERCIAL, where a Wonder Performance spokesperson explains that the strange phenomenon is actually the result of ducks eating new Wonder Performance – a bread full of complex carbs, protein and iron, giving the ducks energy and strength to perform. This reveal was coupled with simultaneous eDM and blog announcements, allowing consumers to join the dots online – an aspect that’s obviously important to the teenage market.
The campaign has also seen the creation of the Duck Situation Division, whereby people can report unusual duck behaviour on a website or 1800 number. Other items include street posters, print, online advertising, duck watching blogs, and even a duck repellant ring tone. The ‘Not for Ducks’ logo even appears as a warning on the packaging.
While the campaign has many facets, it’s a very simple idea that uses the universally understood link between ducks and their love of bread. Says BMF ECD Warren Brown: “BMF know how difficult it is to reach teenagers, which is why we took this non-traditional approach incorporating viral elements that have generated millions of views. Following up with a TVC completes the picture and explains the crazy duck behaviour. Hopefully this will see a lot of Wonder Performance bread.”
This is BMF’s first campaign for Goodman Fielder since being appointed in October 2007. To experience the campaign, visit the site: DON’T FEED THE DUCKS
Executive Creative Director: Warren Brown
Creative Director: Simon Langley
Art Director: Paul Bruce
Copywriters: Richard Morgan / Cleve Cameron
Group Account Director: Vicky Norton
Account Director: Patrick Cahill
Strategic Planner: Gerry Cyron
Director: Joe Leonie
Production Company: Flying Fish
Post Production: Perceptual Engineering
Media Planning and Buying: Ikon Communications
Client: Goodman Fielder Baking
31 Comments
More rubbish PR blurbs from BMF:
BMF know how difficult it is to reach teenagers, which is why they took this non-traditional approach incorporating viral elements that have generated millions of views.
I went to Youtube and my maths tells me that 34,756 views does not a million make.
The campaign is good, stop writing these pathetic blurbs whoever it is. It will stand up on it’s own merits and if not, no PR spin will help it.
Wouldn’t call this campaign good. For a start, how many teenagers by bread?
Saw the ad and just thought “when did Goodby pick up Wonder bread?”
Given their track record, I would always be careful about bagging BMF creative. A tremendous agency, enviable work etc. But when I checked out the work, I saw 601 views.
Ducks and teenagers? I’ll assume it’s my fault for not making the connection.
hey 5.26, have you ever sat through a bunch of integrated/titanium entries at Cannes? It’s amazing how nearly everything entered generated ‘massive’ buzz and ‘enormous’ media interest.
This idea could have been pretty good. Why the presenter chick???
BMF is the best PR agency in the country. They can make any old shite sound good.
Yep agree there 10:56. I mean that’s not to say they are all hype. Some integrated campaigns do genuinely generate a lot of media interest and ‘buzz’. I can think of at least a few Aussie entries that have genuinely done that more recently. I am not entirely sure this falls in the same category. Not every brief can lead to something massive.
The release makes it sound like the entire world is talking about these ducks. I don’t know if I buy it either.
It scores a duck…….c’mon,its not very good …….also walking back to the pavillion with a big fat zero…..the BMF spin doctor.
Sorry my dear friends, this campaign is out without scoring. Geddit?
shite. just plain shite.
you guys (5.23 and 9.08) obviously don’t do much outside of TV. Youtube isn’t the only place you can see a video these days. I thought it was quite a fresh way to sell the benefits of the new bread, but that would be making a positive comment on this blog. Shame on me.
Sorry, I think it sounds just as lame in the PR release as it does in real life. Ducks eat bread. Look what happens when they eat our bread.
Is this real? Is it a hoax? Are ducks really performing these amazing tricks? Geez, I dunno but it sure does make me want that bread. Does anyone really believe the consumer is going through this thought process?
I hate ducks.
I kind of agree with the PR comments, but every agency does it so move on. At least it’s original. I actually think it will do well at award shows. Way better than the usual crap where a boy gets extra strength after eating it. If another agency had done it we’d be saying how great it is. Congrats BMF. If people weren’t giving you a hard time you’d know you weren’t doing well.
In the future, can we please refer to BMF as ‘part of the Photon Group, BMF’. That sums up who they are these days.
IMHO it’s an interesting idea that’s been executed really badly.
“Hmmm…bread…bread..bread..I know! Ducks like bread! Where’s that brief, what’s the bread called again? Here it is, Performance!”
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking B1?”
“I think I am B2!”
“But how can we sell it to the client?”
“Easy, virals, website, fake institute…um a blog. Did I miss anything?”
“Some sort of mobile thing.”
“Ringtones.”
“Done and done. Jeez, this job is easy!”
Could’ve been great.
Tried too hard.
Failed.
Seriously, this has about the same entertainment factor as an infomercial.
great strategy, great idea, shame about the exucution.
Agree that the execution was amiss and casting is way off, the presenter is wrong and makes me want to change the channel every time. If should have been tongue in cheek, it didnt need to be a fake news event. would have been much funnier if they kept the concept very simple, ducks doing crazy teenage things, slap a slogan on the end – for teens not for ducks – or the like and it would have grabbed more viewer attention, especially the teens.
why does everything have to spelt out to the consumer. aggh.
IF WAS JUST FOOTAGE OF DUCKS DOING AMAZING THINGS WITH PACK SHOT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN GREAT. But it was shit.
I know the client got in the way but that’s the way it is.
Sorry. It had massive potential.
10.06
I showed respect for the agency, gave the strategy a minor questioning, and you cry over spilled milk. Change your nappy and cheer up.
9.08
Huh? Why is this meant to be good? I don’t get it.
Interesting idea let down by a lame duck of an execution.
If you want to see real birds do amazing things, checkout the carrier pigeon billboard done in NZ. It’s on bestads.com
AIt also shows the media interest etc. Fuckin brilliant, and no i didn’t have anything to do with it.
i think we are all missing the point – surely it’s the ducks that are point of the commercial. The use of bread is only a clever ploy by the wiley Mr Brown to sell ducks. Duck sales suck, as any duck farmer will tell you but what this clever and rather tactically challenging campaign has done, is breath life into the Aussie dinner menu. Mmmmm i certainly cant wait to eat my yummy ‘enhanced’ duck dinner tonight.
Bugger me, if you’re right Nick, that means a potential account conflict with Lamb.
I’m sure every kid is gonna tear themselves away from watching The Mighty Boosh on their pod, or from trying to pin Lane Tallis-Miller at the bus stop- or flick gum at muzzas, to watch some ducks in a shite bread commercial. Why bother!
Fuck a duck this ad is woeful.
When I first saw this on TV I thought it must have been done by some little trash-for-cash agency, not the mightier-than-thou BMF.
But is it *true*?