To commemorate Nutri-Grain’s long-standing support of surf lifesaving and the toughest of all sporting disciplines, Ironman and Ironwoman, two of Australia’s greatest ever Ironmen will pass the baton on to their extraordinary children, who will be immortalised on Nutri Grain packs where they will share their ‘Unstoppable Stories’.
Darren Mercer and Trevor Hendy have raised their children – Jordan Mercer and TJ Hendy, to be just as determined, courageous and strong. In 2020, Jordan and TJ have been hot contenders for the Australian IronMan and IronWoman titles that first attracted Nutri-Grain’s iconic involvement to the sport, 40 years ago.
Initially featuring Grant Kenny, after he famously won both the open and junior Australian IronMan titles in 1980, the Nutri-Grain brand went on to celebrate the achievements of a host of IronMen on its packaging and TV commercials.
“It was the early 80’s, the first Coolangatta Gold had been run and Nutri-Grain was all about Ironman” said Mercer. “These guys were unstoppable. When my brother Dean and I were kids we both grew up wanting to live the healthy lifestyle, determined to train hard and eat right.”
Nutri-Grain’s adoption of IronMen in its advertising in those early years was so revolutionary, the brand quickly entered Australia’s lexicon as parents championed their children to be equally successful in life. Enrolments in Surf Life Saving Australia’s Nipper program saw a 28 per cent increase over the first five years* of Nutri Grain’s involvement with the association and sport.
Darren first appeared in a Nutri-Grain ad in 1987 as a promising surf cadet. The voiceover proclaimed: “Watch the boy become a man – an IronMan…Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain with wheat, oats and corn, for ironman energy…”.
“There is no higher accolade for an Ironman or woman than a win at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships (The Aussies),” said Trevor Hendy. “Darren and I are fortunate to have taken out the title many times before, and now it’s exciting to see what our kids can achieve. Both TJ and Jordan are at the top of their game and have overcome career obstacles that embody the Nutri Grain philosophy – with courage, strength and determination, anyone can become unstoppable.”
“I was born into the Nutri-Grain culture. Years of watching my dad and uncle from the sidelines inspired my own IronWoman dreams. Seeing a cereal box featuring my heroes Dad and Dean, kick started my love for Nutri-Grain. It’s been my favourite for as long as I can remember,” said Jordan Mercer.
“Seeing these legends every day at breakfast time served as a massive inspiration for us kids. I’m pinching myself that I’ll now become one of them and inspire the next generation of kids,” added TJ Hendy.
Nutri-Grain packs featuring TJ Hendy and Jordan Mercer’s Unstoppable Stories will debut on Australian supermarket shelves from late April.
