Saatchi’s set to tap into ‘The Beer Economy’ for Tooheys New – campaign launches Sunday Feb 7
EXCLUSIVE – Lion Nathan’s Tooheys NEW will unveil its latest campaign on Sunday night developed by Saatchi & Saatchi Australia which celebrates the nations’s unsung Beer Economy.
The fully integrated campaign explores the truth that in Australia, beer is constantly used as currency. Whether it’s helping a mate move house or helping install a dishwasher, you can always get things done with a case of beer. The Beer Economy rolls out on Sunday 7 February with the first four ofnine television spots – exploring topics ranging from what to chargeyour grandma for helping out with chores, to the laws of mateship andthe logistics of milking a thoroughbred stallion for the purpose ofbreeding.
“The Beer Economy creative works so well because this simple insightrings true in the real world, and is a concept most people can relateto,” said Margaret Zabel, Lion Nathan Marketing Director. “Tooheys NEWand Tooheys NEW White Stage are iconic Australian beer brands, andideal owners of this creative.”
Steve Back, executive creative director of Saatchi & SaatchiAustralia, said the campaign is about having fun with real experiences,and helping to perpetuate this endearing quirk of Aussie culture: “Theidea of a Beer Economy is nothing new – Aussies have been gettingthings done with beer for generations. Everyone has a hilarious storyabout something they’ve exchanged beer for.”
The campaign is set to include some community involvement. Businesses and individuals have already shown interest in the idea of accepting beer as payment. It will be interesting to see what can get done with Australia’s other currency.
“Because we had such a great truth, with literally hundreds of funnyscenarios, it seemed like a shame to spend our entire budget on oneall-encompassing, grandiose spot,” said Dave Bowman, creative directorof Saatchi & Saatchi.
The Beer Economy will be further leveraged via a strong digital campaign, centered on the website– which will launch Sunday replacing the old site here. The site will offer beer lovers advice and guidelines on the beer values ofvarious tasks and declaring Tooheys NEW and Tooheys NEW White Stage theOfficial Currency of the Beer Economy.
A handy online Beer Exchange Calculator application will then allowusers to answer a few basic multiple choice questions to work out howmany beers they’re owed, or how many they need to hand over.
The website is based around a simple Youtube channel that will housethe campaign’s content and link Beer Economy participants to resourcesthat can be personalised, including high-res and downloadable branded’Beer Invoices’ and a ‘For the Love of Beer I Will …….’ PDFtemplate – encouraging consumers to get creative and stimulate the BeerEconomy on their own terms.
Naturally, all the cast and crew were ‘incentivised’ with official currency – cases of Tooheys New. The campaign will be further supported by a strong in-store activationcampaign. Bottleshops and pubs will be equipped with ‘Beer IOU’coasters, ‘Tooheys NEW Accepted Here’ stickers for tradesmen, and ‘BeerIOU’ cheque-books.
Client: Lion Nathan – Tooheys New
Lion Nathan Marketing Director – Margaret Zabel.
Agency: Saatchi and Saatchi Australia
Executive Creative Director: Steve Back
Creative Director: Dave Bowman
Writer: John McKelvey, James Ross-Edwards (Southpaw)
Art Director: Peter Galmes (Southpaw)
Agency Producer: Jules Jackson
Production Company:Cherub Pictures
Director: Justin Kurzel
DOP: Adam Arkapaw
Producer: Michelle Bennett
Planning: Neil Fairfield
Group Account Director: Alex Carr
Senior Business Director: Chris Yong
Account Manager: James Tracy- Inglis
Holler – Digital
Momentum Worldwide – Below the Line
74 Comments
Without having seen the work yet, this sounds fucking hilarious.
So they have given up then on finding something ownable to say about Toohey’s New? Yes it’s a category job – no matter how you rationalise it – it is.
Further, the beer economy currency is a slab of VB (even in NSW), not New.
But I bet it will be funny. Why do people care so much if it’s funny or not?!?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO4yh476HMA
it’s been done, tony in NZ beat me to it. it’s also just beer generic.
Oh dear Saatchis Australia, it seems that your CD forgot, during his tour of duty in New Zealand, that exactly the same idea was done by Saatchis NZ for Montieths Beer there . Not similar, or kind of the same which is what people normally bang on about on this blog, but identical.
“The idea of a Beer Economy is nothing new”
You said it Steve.
haven’t seen the work, but it’s a fresh idea. Hope it’s good work – New has been the worst advertised of the mainstream beer brands for years.
Beer 7.04, it’s pretty hard in the mainstream beer category not to talk about a category truth and try to own it.
Carlton, VB and New are pretty much indistinguishable (with the exception of brand history and provenance which is boring) so you have to tap into a beer insight and try to own it while building brand personality.
hahahahahaha….
Congrats to the Saatchi guys that did the original idea.
I wonder how many slabs will it cost to make this other Saatchi ad go away?
Wow guys. A bit sad pulling up that turd from NZ. I really like the sound of this idea, whether it’s sort of been done as a crappy TVC or not. Sounds to me as if there is going to be a massive integrated campaign about how the beer economy functions etc…hilarity will probably ensue if I know Bowman at all, and I do.
As far as whether it is ownable by Tooheys or not, this is a good question. Any good beer could probably do this campaign but with beer I don’t think that matters as much. What matters is whether people love the brand and feel cool with the bottle in their hand, plain and simple.
I don’t work at Saatchi.
Sprite –
no sugar, no bull%&*!
Ouch! Not even as funny the original. How embarassing for Saatchis Sydney.
Like the idea, but the execution lets it down, they’re pretty lame/awkward and not that funny, which is a pity as these could have been great.
If a Tooheys New could talk, I reckon it would sound exactly like the voice over guy.
Nice insight that the brand can now own. Monteiths stuff is quite similar but without the integrated content just a TVC.
Like it….
Sexy’s Back.
Shared creative ideas – Isn’t this why agencies have international arms?
I’m not saying it’s right, but the only people who will know it’s the same idea are kiwi’s who bludge in Australia and people on this blog.
Terry the Toohey’s drinker won’t know or care. He’ll just like the ad and drink more beer.
The idea is good… whoever created it.
Doesn’t matter if it’s shit, brilliant, or shit wrapped in brilliance. It’s Saatchi’s and it will win something.
Well I think it’s funny.
Great work Southpaw!
Surely they knew this was done before. They can say they didn’t know all they like, but we know the truth. How sad, the industry is just churning out the same ideas, again and again.
Love the insight and I think the punters will appreciate it too.
11.29 …….Of course international agencies should share creative ideas, but for the same client you idiot, not totally different brands!
Great stuff from Saatchis.
‘Observed’ footage of target, ‘dead pan’ comedy voice over explaining the idea throughout…Hahn Super Toohey’s Dry New.
Don’t know if NZ did it first or not but whatever, I really like these ads.
A non beer drinking woman said:
great insight
Nice to see the boys in the Rocks posting a few comments. Doesn’t alter the fact you’ve been rumbled.
It’s exactly the same structure as Mastercard “priceless” commercials.
Is that intentional?
Oops. I take back my earlier compliment now that I saw the execution. Not half as funny as I thought it would be
A non beer drinking woman said:
great insight
Planning fail.
mastercard
Heaps better than the kiwi ad.
Heaps bigger. Heaps more thought went into it.
The kiwis are just pissed off they didn’t realise how big their idea was in the first place and now Saatchis will do all the walkn.
That’s the business we’re in.
Go Dave. You fucking rock you old pirate.
Just brilliant.
About as good as every other Toohey’s new ad campaign.
Sounded good at the time.
2.34,
Since Saatchi’s did them both, they can’t lose.
A deeply, deeply embarrassing oversight. It doesn’t matter how many times you try and cover it up with complementary posts – your OWN AGENCY did in NZ, for ANOTHER BEER, and did it with genuine warmth and humour. This one’s just a bit crap. I’d love to see how Lion Nathan react to this. Especially after the glowing PR release. Steve’s comment is particularly apt: “..”The idea of a Beer Economy is nothing new…” No. It’s not.
wow . . . it’s . . . ummmmm…..
lame
This is not an advertising idea being re-hashed as some of the bitter ‘crowded house’ loving Kiwis would suggest, this is funny commentary on a common Australian practice where people do actually exchange beers for favours.
It doesn’t matter if the idea has been looked at before, it’s how well these executions represent it.
Personally I think they are great, and I bet the average Australian beer drinker (which I am guessing is their target market) will love them.
Great execution very funny, looks like Southpaw /Bowman connection is firing on all cylinders.
look forward to the case study video
2:34 I bet even S&Si folks would think your post was pathetic. No one can really condone doing what others have ‘just better’ without sounding a git.
I’m sure they’d say they didn’t know the other work, which does happen.
They’ve nailed a big, true idea and the work feels real and funny. Bet a lot people love these ads.
Kind of funny, but don’t think “New” wears the idea anywhere near as good as a brand like VB could. Who the hell drinks Toohey’s New anyway…55+ Hills area and Northern beaches folk?
Finally a good Tooheys ad!
Really friggin good.
Saatchi Sydney proudly present ‘the wheel’
oh, it’s been done
love it – grass is my fave so far.
sorry kiwi’s but this is significantly better executed than the Monteiths ad IMO.
DARE Coffee was a great piece of work. This is a let down. Perhaps it will get something for integrated.
These are not really like the NZ ads… The NZ ones are good!!
Who’s Southpaw?
Looks like Southpaw /Bowman PR machine is firing on all cylinders.
I reckon the average punter will watch this ad and relate to it. Then they’ll give their mate a slab of Coopers, VB, Tooheys New, Carlton Draught, Toohey Extra Dry etc as a thanks like they would anyway. There’s nothing motivating here to change your preference to New.
Doesn’t matter if they are better executed. The idea is the same.
When I read the press release yesterday I thought it was a great idea and looked forward to seeing the executions.
After seeing them, it’s clear they were beaten to the punch by the NZ Monteiths ad. It’s the same idea no matter how you look at it. And for muppets to say if you execute it better then that makes it ok is just ludicrous.
Putting that all aside, I still don’t feel like the executions are doing justice to the idea. The leak one’s kinda funny, but it’s such a great thought that I was kinda hoping for more.
Cool. But why not do it for real and film it. Like say, get a pack of tradies to build a pub and pay them using beer. It could be the ‘new’ pub.
Haven’t seen that done before.
Exactly the same idea as Monteiths and to be honest pretty average executions, they should have been a lot funnier/insightful seeing as they obviously had the green light from client to go down that route. If it was my campaign i’d be ever so quietly disappointed.
Maybe Southpaw should try writing with the other hand?
Dying is easy. Comedy is hard, which is why so few can do it well.
Boring, blokey cliches, and yes it’s a beer campaign, but still . . .
How about, ‘When you want a beer really bad, we’ve got a really bad beer’? At least everyone will know the brand you’re talking about.
I could almost forgive the lack of original insight here if the ads were really funny. But they’re really not.
V v good. I think we are staring at campaign of the year here folks.
I can’t believe some of the negativity on this thread. Pull your heads out of your ass and ask yourself whether this work will succeed in the real world. I have no ties to anyone involved but the answer is a resounding yes
Maybe a better idea for “Old” the “New”
A few points to note: The idea has been done before… and done better. And, to claim generic property, you have to be the market leader, which Thooheys isn’t.
Also, what’s with the in-joke of Southpaw? You just sound really stupid. Sorry, I couldn’t think of a more appropriate word. Please, remember people, we make ads, we aren’t the ads. Enough!
“V v good. I think we are staring at campaign of the year here folks. ”
Really? Are we?
That’s just lovely.
Why don’t you go and have a sit down.
Your programme’s on in a minute.
You know.
That one you like.
Saatchi,
I’ll give you real currency to stop it. Just stop it.
Hey Mick , how much?
Spoke with a few mates about it.
They changed the subject, but overall their impression was “Pretty good. Bloody true”
I like it, and that’s all that matters for me.
Scratchies – don’t respond to the baiters on here, it makes you look insecure. I mean that in the nicest way possible.
Peace.
Have to agree with the majority here.
The ideas are solid, but the execution has really let all of them down. The grass one is the only one that comes close, but there’s certainly nothing to write home about.
I smell some jealously on this thread… If you guys were doing good work yourselves you would be too busy to write negative things about other peoples great campaigns.
It’s not a great campaign though.
People are pretty harsh on here, yes. But this isn’t that funny and it’s another agency’s idea. Sort of makes it ‘not great.’
Forget the NZ example, it’s even more like this Bud one from the States: http://adage.com/brightcove/single.php?title=65118345001
I have not even seen the ad yet but australians are the best in inovation we have invented so many things like the shearing plant which New Zealand borrowed and improved slightly at least they are having a go and besides new zealanders have totally different uses for agricultural products than we do???? so give them break at least it was an Aussie firm not made in china
Oh dear.
Thanks Chucky.
That makes two.
budweiser super bowl ad
http://www.campaignbrief.com/2009/06/saatchis-wins-best-of-show-at-1.html
It will probably pick up, this approach has worked for them in the past. So why not do it again.
Does anyone else see the similarity with the skin cancer ads on sydney buses at the moment, with the picture of a stitched scar? BBQ at Dave’s.. Day out at the park.. Surgery couldn’t get all the cancer
The main ad for this sounds like an alcohol awareness campaign highlighting how easy it is to drink too much and making it sound like tongue, throat or liver cancer is the natural conclusion for the profligate pissheads in the ad. Not a good look to be pushing if you’re trying to sell beer.