Australia is in crisis. For the first time, the country has fallen out of the Top 10 Happiest Countries List and Lambassador Sam Kekovic is having none of it in Meat & Livestock Australia’s (MLA) annual lamb ad, which launched yesterday (5 January).
“When those happiness auditors come next year, you show them we’re a top 10 happy country… or it’ll be the chop for you,” said Kekovic, the leader of Australia’s Merriment and Bliss.
When the happiness auditors arrive, they are taken on a royal tour of Aussie icons, including hardware stores where sausages outsell tools; venomous egg-laying mammals; the Sydney Opera House; giant monuments to fruit; and sporting equipment that doubles as bins.
“Finland might enjoy unlimited parental leave, but can they pop down to the shops in their togs,” the hosts said. “And Sweden has saunas, but we’ve got Townsville.”
As the campaign spot reveals these everyday Aussie cultural moments aren’t necessarily cutting the mustard for overseas happiness auditors, and that the only way to reclaim Australia’s top 10 ranking is by coming together over a classic summer Australian Lamb BBQ.
“We believe the ‘World Happiness Report’ doesn’t understand the unique cultural nuances that we enjoy about being Australians, so we wanted this campaign to be a playful reminder that we truly are a happy nation – especially when we come together,” said Nathan Low, MLA general manager for marketing and insights. “And nothing brings us together quite like Aussie Lamb.”
The campaign was created by Droga5, part of Accenture Song, and directed by Dave Wood from Good Oil.
“We may not be the happiest country on paper according to the so-called experts, but there are so many things that makes us happy that just aren’t going to fit in a pre-determined form,” Droga5 ANZ chief creative officer Damon Stapleton added. “This year’s campaign is a celebration of Australia’s sense of unity and togetherness, and whether it’s enough to put us back in the top 10 is yet to be seen, but we hope it reminds people of what brings us together.”
The national campaign runs across TV, cinema, BVOD/SVOD and social. UM is handling media planning and buying while one green bean is driving reach across earned media and owned social.
This year’s lamb ad continues a fine tradition that began with the Original Lamb Ad in 2007 (see below). The MLA’s lam ads have become a highly anticipated staple in the annual advertising calendar and rarely disappoint.
Last year’s ad, ‘The Comment Section’ won multiple awards, including Gold for Film at the Cairns Crocodiles and Best CTV & Video Campaign at the B&T Awards.
Campaign Credits
Client: Meat & Livestock Australia
General Manager – Marketing and Insights: Nathan Low Strategic Marketing Operations Manager: Jeffrey Ng
Brand Manager – Lamb: Derek Lau
Creative Agency: Droga5 ANZ, part of Accenture Song
ANZ Marketing Practice Lead, CEO of Droga5 ANZ: Matt Michael
Chief Creative Officer: Damon Stapleton & Barbara Humphries
Chief Client Officer: Belinda Drew
Executive Creative Directors: Hugh Gurney & Joe Sibley
Creative Directors: Thomas Gledhill & Lennie Galloway
Senior Copywriter: Liam Jenkins
National Head of Production: Romanca Mundrea
Head of Production: Penny Brown
Producer: Izzy Robertson
Head of Effectiveness: Kit Lansdell
Business Director: Harrison Stone
Business Manager: Matthew Stafford
Designer: Kamron Lyons
Production Company: Good Oil Director: Dave Wood
Executive Producer/Partner: Sam Long
Producer: Catherine Warner
DOP: Earle Dresner
Production Designer: Jeremy Fuller Casting: Peta Einberg
Post Production: ARC Editor: Harrison Carr
Assistant Editor: Liam James
Grade: Ben Eagleton
Online: Jesse Meha
Producer: Cheryn Frost
Archive: Savage Archive
Audio Production: MassiveMusic
Head of Creative Production APAC: Katrina Aquilia
Sound Design: Simon Kane
Music Composition: Haydn Walker
Media Agency: UM
Senior Strategy & Planning Director: Phil Ely
Client Partner: Sharyn Keller
Senior Creative Connections Director: Ann-Maree Mulders
PR, Social and Influencer Agency: one green bean
Managing Partner: Lauren Bailey
Senior Account Director: Molly Dodwell
Account Director: Amy McCann
Senior Account Manager (PR): Alexandra Moy
Account Manager (Influencer): Caoilfhionn Blaney
Account Manager (Social): Sarah Hutt
