Gods, Goddesses and Prophets of different faiths and beliefs come together at a modern-day BBQ in new Spring Lamb campaign via The Monkeys
This September, Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) launches its new Spring Lamb campaign via The Monkeys, Sydney, positioning Lamb as the meat more people can eat.
Building on the long established We Love Our Lamb brand position, the integrated campaign continues to build on Lamb’s strategic promise of bringing everyone together. In this instance, no matter their background, religious beliefs or dietary requirements.
The content created by The Monkeys and shot by director Steve Rogers, for the first time in history sees the Gods, Goddesses and Prophets of different faiths and beliefs coming together over Lamb at a modern day spring BBQ.
Says Andrew Howie, Group Marketing Manager at MLA: “Since the late 1980’s Lamb has proved itself as the meat that brings people together. More recently under the banner of ‘You Never Lamb Alone’ we have continued to push the creative boundaries. In this latest campaign we are showing no matter your beliefs, background or persuasion, the one thing we can all come together and unite over, is Lamb.”
Adds Scott Nowell, Chief Creative Officer at The Monkeys: “This is modern Australia – people of all backgrounds, faiths and dietary requirements can get around a lamb meal and get along. That’s a great thing.”
This message will be delivered to Australians via a long form film and 30″ TVC, an integrated media strategy, social amplification, Out of Home, a bespoke digital media partnership and PR.
Creative connections agency UM will introduce and drive awareness of the content to Australians through a broadcast strategy across TV, online video and social. To help communicate Lamb as the most inclusive of meats, this activity will be followed by product focused messaging across small format transit Out of Home and a locational-based mobile campaign.
To further drive engagement amongst younger audiences and to reinforce the above-the-line activity, MLA will partner with Pedestrian Group to connect and inspire young Aussies to cook with Lamb. The tailored partnership will include content, simple recipe inspiration and a competition, all centred on shared Lamb dishes and coming together with friends.
PR will spread Lamb’s message of unity and inclusivity through earned media activity, including research exploring the modern-day Australian dinner party, an intimate media event hosted by chef Thi Le at Anchovy, Melbourne, and new recipes to inspire the nation to cook with Lamb.
Lamb lovers can view the content on the We Love Our Lamb Facebook and on the YouTube page here.
MLA Group Marketing Manager: Andrew Howie
MLA Brand Manager – Lamb: Matthew Dwyer
Advertising Agency: The Monkeys
Media Agency: UM
PR Agency: One Green Bean
The Monkeys
Chief Creative Officer/ Co-founder: Scott Nowell
Creative Director: Scott Dettrick
Creative team: Tim Pashen and Scott Zuliani
Head of planning: Michael Hogg
Planner: Charlotte Marshall
Head of production: Thea Carone
Senior Producer: Jade Rodriguez
Managing Director: Matt Michael
Group Content Director: Humphrey Taylor
Senior Content Director: Katie Wong-Hee
Content Manager: Victoria Zourkas
UM
Client Group Director: Mike Worden
Senior Client Director: Ed Passerotti
Client Manager: Jacqui Ollevou
Strategy Director: David Toussaint
Senior Connections Designer: Ashleigh Vogel
Partnerships Director: Simon Turner
Partnerships Manager: Jessica Ngu
Partnership Trader: Emily Ng
Production Company: Revolver
Director: Steve Rogers
DoP: Peter James
EP: Pip Smart
Edit House, Arc
Editor: Pete Sciberras
Post VFX: Fin
VFX Supervisors: Justin Bromley & Richard Betts
Sound: Song Zu
Engineer: Simon Kane
PR – One Green Bean
46 Comments
What was that? That is a horrible and painful ad to watch
So awkward, and not funny. Some of the worst performances I’ve seen in ages.
That was really underwhelming. Just a dud in so many ways.
This spells out with a hammer what the spring campaign with different ethnicities did so cleverly before. Yes, we get it – every religion can eat lamb. Except Buddhism, Jainism and a myriad of hugely popular religions.
This is marketing by trolls, deliberately trying to stir outrage and it doesn’t deserve the airtime.
Joke-after-joke-after-joke-after-joke good comedy make not. Might as well have had each character wink at the camera after delivering their lines.
We get it. Everyone likes lamb, the touchy feely, sensitive new age, PC meat. Group hug, Monkeys?
Over done.
‘I gave up dinner with Tom Cruise for this’ I’m not dead yet. Cheers guys.
Made me laugh, well done again
That was really underwhelming. Just a dud in so many ways.
MONKEY’S MAKES ANOTHER AD FOR AD MATES
So much potential, so little delivery.
Just no.
Possible (NSFW) inspo? http://www.theonion.com/article/no-one-murdered-because-of-this-image-29553
Anyone know what else a copywriter could do for a career?
Already over advertising after five years.
Thank you.
This feels like an ad made by planners, designed to provoke controversy for its sake. And the fact that I’m writing this, I guess, means it’s working to an extent. But I feel like the chatter they were hoping for won’t be the kind it generates. From an ad point of view, t’s not funny and is dragged out for much longer than it needed to be. And from a consumer point of view, it is out of touch at best, and offensive at worst. Most Hindus are vegetarian. And a great deal of buddhists are also:
“In Buddhism, the views on vegetarianism vary between different schools of thought. According to Theravada, the Buddha allowed his monks to eat pork, chicken and fish if the monk was aware that the animal was not killed on their behalf. The Mahayana schools generally recommend a vegetarian diet, as some believe that the Buddha insisted that his followers should not eat the flesh of any sentient being.[1] Monks of the Mahayana traditions that follow the Brahma Net Sutra are forbidden by their vows from eating flesh of any kind.” (source:wikipedia)
So the premise that lamb brings people together is fine. Worked brilliantly with Ritchie’s BBQ. But it doesn’t work here. The truth of it doesn’t ring true, and it’s poorly written. The only thing I liked was Ganesh’s nose.
Sorry Monkeys. Big fan, but not of this one.
Where was one when you needed one.
That was really, really bad. And the monkeys have been on a roll and then this stinker. Can’t win them all I guess. Lets move on and not mention this again. Ouch.
First Berlei and now this.
What’s happening at the Monkeys?
Blokes wrote this one. Maybe they should have worked on the Berlei work and the ladies should have worked on MLA. Mix it up a little. Stop stereotyping the people who need to work on certain clients.
That was weird. And no mention of The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster? Boring.
What’s up with the cinematography on this?
God damn.
And God turned the lamb into lame
Sorry, I was in the can, are we ready to start cutting now?
Well that was something, I get the intention but it dragged on too long and the jokes grew even more tiresome. The 30 second cut however, solid work.
…shit. I notice there isn’t colourist in the credits. Might have been a worthy investment.
When will they cut to the chase, quit with this whole creativity malarkey and just give us a 30s spot of Mike Hogg in his speedos?
Time to update leaderboards. Monkeys on fire. Like or love lamp talk about being on a hot streak. Monkeys pumping out quality piece after quality piece that clients and consumers are eating up!!!!!!!! Easily leading agency and ECD of 2017.
What have they got for us next week ????
[Bring back Sam K]
Dear “Controversy for its sake?”…
…that hurt.
Comic timing is way off….what a shame.
You and your agencies decision to exclude the Muslim faith show how little and tiny your white private schoolboy balls are. What happened? Got a little frightened did you?
very different comments here:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/sep/04/lamb-advertising-campaigns-success-lies-in-the-laps-of-the-gods
The gods took 3 minutes of my life I won’t be getting back.
Sorry Scott – but it looks like your idea of modern Australia [to use your words] is to characterise/visualise/make fun of every faith but Islam?
This is a nice idea – I like it. Some of the lines are awesome, but it’s too long for essentially one joke – i’m sure the 30 is a more entertaining. Me thinks investing in quality experienced comedy actors would have paid off and given some of those jokes a landing they deserved. It is however nice to see an idea in advertising.
Actually, the comments look very similar to me.
Most Guardian readers seem to think it’s shit too. Whoops.
Is it just me or does the dialogue not flow at all? I can’t put my finger on what is missing…
Let’s face it, the art of persuasion is dead.
People are more attached to their phones than their significant others.
Advertising is supposed to get people’s attention, and there are two ways you can do that. Persuade them with sophisticated communication, or punch them in the fanny.
“We are showing no matter your beliefs, background or persuasion, the one thing we can all come together and unite over is lamb”
No you’re not. You’re punching me in the fanny. Yes, you’ve got my attention and true, a very small minority enjoy being punched there. I personally don’t.
But there’s one thing TrollvertisingTM does faster than any other form of advertising – guarantee short term attention at the cost of your long term brand.
The real question the board needs to ask itself: ‘Is it worth it?’
The flash young marketer will be venerated for success, but leave the organisation in shambles as he swings to his next gig – and the agency will cop the blame in the long run.
Nobody wins with TrollvertisingTM. Audience, agency or brand, everybody loses.
Actually, I think those Guardian comments are much more brutal.
It’s the top trending video on youtube aus. job done
Love this. Each time MLA manage to push people’s buttons and get everyone talking about lamb again. No matter whether you love or hate it, you can’t argue they move the work on each time and are brave enough to make something that will actually get talked about.
https://twitter.com/rickygervais/status/686990496175099908?lang=en
I’d be nervous if I was Accenture. Having just bought the agency that made this.
“To Lamb ..the meat we can all eat.” (Unintentionally the funniest bit of the TVC.)
@Job done: If mutilating the brand was the job, consider that done too.
…are we talking about this ad?
No one is talking about lamb you cleft.
No one is taking sides on a social/religious issue either.
The only conversation this ad is generating is how it got to be so poorly crafted.
It’s an abomination and everyone at the monkeys should be ashamed.
No one is talking about lamb you cleft.
No one is taking sides on a social/religious issue either.
The only conversation this ad generated is how it got to be so poorly crafted.
It’s an abomination and everyone at the monkeys should be ashamed.
Monkeys, MLA, open up the YouTube comments and let the public have their say. Putting something out there with disabled comments on YouTube says it all. If you believe in this crap, why would you disable the comments? Come on. Let’s have a real conversation.
Take one of Australia’s best agencies, add one of Australia’s most brave clients with ordinarily high creative standards, give them one of Australia’s greatest TVC directors. Result: one of the most boring, clumsy, awkward and amateurish things I’ve seen in years.
Finally someone reacting with a sense of humour. Lift your game Australia!
https://www.facebook.com/thefeedsbsviceland/videos/505592296441148/
Can someone tell me the real name of the actress playing Aphrodite in this ad?