John West hunts for the ‘Ultimate Power Ballad’ in new Tuna & Rice campaign via BWM, Melbourne

John West has kicked off 2014 with the launch of its new Tuna & Rice range and a $1 million marketing campaign that asks consumers to create a power ballad for what they suggest to be the ‘ultimate power lunch’ via BWM, Melbourne.

Amplifying the ‘convenience’ and ‘health’ benefits of the new range, the creative direction positions Tuna & Rice as the ideal lunch for people on the go.

Says Murray White, executive creative director of BWM: “We loved the idea of Tuna & Rice as a sort of personal lunchtime support people can call upon whenever they need it. So we created Ultimate Power Ballads from the Ultimate Power Lunch, in which the product professes its devotion to listeners. The commercials are enviably funny, relatable and disruptive.”

LISTEN TO THE SPOT – JWE0119-R2-45.mp3

John West will release a series of radio advertisements performed as power ballads highlighting three very relatable and funny lunchtime situations; Brenda from finance stealing your sandwich, accidently clicking send-all instead of reply for a private email and meeting a deadline at 2pm when you are yet to start the task.

To compliment the national radio ad campaign, an exclusive partnership with the Today Network’s Hamish & Andy’s Happy Hour Show will launch with a consumer competition to find the ‘Ultimate Power Ballad’ for John West’s ‘Ultimate Power Lunch’, Tuna & Rice.

Listeners will be asked to submit their own rendition of a power ballad themed around their favourite Tuna & Rice flavour for their chance to win $10,000.

Says Stuart Sterling, group marketing manager at Simplot: “The competition is a fantastic way of engaging consumers while highlighting the campaigns key messages. Hamish and Andy offer the perfect platform to promote and excite consumers on the new range, and we expect some very eccentric and entertaining submissions.”

Submissions for the ‘Ultimate Power Ballad’ can be made via the John West Facebook page. Entrants have the option of submitting their own rendition of their favourite ballad themed around Tuna & Rice or perform one of the provided scripts.

Entrants’ submissions will be used as part of a radio advertisement for the new Tuna & Rice range and the winner will be announced at the end of February 2014.

In addition, John West will launch the new offering with P2P located outside of Woolworths, Coles and independent supermarkets. Promotions across 230 office tower displays, consumer sampling of over 50,000 units, in-store off location activity and catalogue inclusions will complete the campaign.

The campaign will commence on the Monday, 27th January 2014.

Creative – BWM, Melbourne

Digital: Hard Hat Digital