Coles And DDB Launch “Value the Australian Way” Campaign

Coles is launching a new campaign “Value the Australian Way” celebrating the role it plays in sustainably feeding all Australians and helping them lead healthier and happier lives. The new brand positioning champions Coles as an organisation that lives at the heart of the nation and proudly supports team members, community partners, suppliers and millions of everyday Aussie shoppers.

You can watch the TVC here.

As part of its new positioning, Coles has undertaken an Australian Kitchen Census to uncover what Australians value most when it comes to cooking and sharing a meal. Coles surveyed almost 5,500 customers around the country to understand Australia’s modern food values and how they shape our approach to shopping, cooking and eating in 2020 and beyond.

These key insights are reflected through the multi-channel campaign launching nationally today to support the Value the Australian Way positioning.

Created by DDB Australia and directed by Justin Kurzel, the campaign proudly champions Australia and encourages people to appreciate what we have while shining a light on our true values. It captures the very essence of what makes modern Australia unique and features real Australian friends and families, not actors.

At the centre of the campaign is a 60-second TVC set to a reimagining of Missy Higgins’ 2009 hit ‘Feel Like Going Back Home’ recorded especially for this campaign as a collaboration between Missy Higgins, Dingo Spender and the current lead singer of Yothu Yindi, Yirrŋa Yunupiŋu. The original track was written by Stephen Pigram and featured in the beloved film musical Bran Nue Dae.

Coles CMO Lisa Ronson said “As one of the first supermarket brands in the country, Coles has been at the heart of Australian society since 1914. Our purpose is to sustainably feed all Australians, so we understand the integral role food plays in our lives – and when it comes to how we shop, cook and eat, our new campaign Value the Australian Way celebrates our past and future.”

“We know providing value through our trusted Down Down and everyday low prices is more important today than it’s ever been, and so is listening to what Australians value in their lives. Our research shows Australians cherish sharing a meal with friends and family and they want to support Aussie farmers, food producers and their local community. At Coles we’re committed to helping our farmers and fishermen produce ethical and sustainable food for all Australians so we can continue be a part of Australians lives for many more centuries to come.”

“Our new campaign tells the story of Coles’ legacy while also contemporising its role in society, serving customers and the wider community each day. We’re incredibly proud of the work and thank DDB Australia, Big Red, OMD and Mango for helping us achieve our ambitions,” Ronson said.

DDB Australia Chief Creative Officer Ben Welsh said, “We are incredibly excited to be a part of the next chapter for Coles. Despite facing many hurdles this year, Australians are an optimistic, down-to-earth, authentic bunch, which is why we decided to feature real families enjoying small moments of human connection centred around food. The music, paying homage to Australia’s rich cultural history, makes this campaign even more special.”

Coles is proud to be Australia’s largest private sector employer of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Nine- time Aria Award winner Missy Higgins said this was the first time she has been part of an ad campaign because it was supporting Indigenous artists.

“It’s been a tough year for lots of Aussies, so I love the optimistic feel of this new campaign. It’s great to see how diverse and inclusive it is. It’s also great to see Coles backing great Indigenous Australian talents like Stephen Pigram, who wrote this tune and Yirrŋa Yunupiŋu with whom I dueted on the track,” said Missy Higgins.

As part of the fully integrated launch, spanning TVC, social, radio, earned media, website and instore, a simple new logo will be applied to all Coles Supermarkets touchpoints moving forward.

Client: Coles

Lisa Ronson – Chief Marketing Officer Michael Laxton – GM, Brand, Digital & Design Kate Bailey – GM, Media, Sponsorships & Events Bianca Mundy – Head of Brand & Content Patrick Breen – Senior Marketing Manager Sally Mann – Media Manager Geoff Turner – Head of Group Marketing Research and Insights Martine Alpins – Senior Communications Manager

Creative Agency: DDB Australia

Andrew Little – Chief Executive Officer Priya Patel – Managing Director Leif Stromnes – MD, Strategy & Innovation Dom Hickey – Head of Planning

Ben Welsh – Chief Creative Officer Noah Regan – Head of Art Tim Woolford – Creative Partner Tommy Cehak – Creative Partner Topher Jones – Managing Partner Katie Franklin – Business Director Sarah Cox – Senior Business Manager Renata Barbosa – Head of Integrated Content Tash Johnson – Lead Senior Broadcast Producer Cushla Morton – Senior Print Producer

Media Agency: OMD PR Agency: Mango Communications Research and Corporate Strategy: Thinkerbell

TV Production

Production Company: Revolver/Will O’Rourke Director – Justin Kurzel Managing Director/Co-Owner – Michael Ritchie Executive Producer/Partner – Pip Smart Producer – Serena Paull

Director of Photography – Lachlan Milne Editor: Alexandre de Franceschi @ The Editors Post Production: Heckler Colourist – Olivier Fontenay Online – Jonathan Hairman Music: Feel Like Going Back Home Recording: Missy Higgins, Yirrŋa Yunupiŋu, Dingo Spender Songwriter: Steven Pigram (Universal Music Publishing) Music Supervision: Level Two Music (Karl Richter, Marcus Brooke-Smith, Hugh Owens) Audio Post: Sonar Music Engineer: Timothy Bridge Casting: Natalie Jane Harvey @ Citizen Jane

Stills Production

Photographer: Ben Baker Producer: Chris Hemmings @ Still Rep