Wunderman Thompson and Australian cultured meat start-up Vow lead project to create world’s first meatball made from extinct animal DNA

The world’s first meatball made from mammoth DNA has been revealed at the Nemo Science Museum in the Netherlands – a scientific experiment and creative collaboration between Wunderman Thompson Benelux, Australian cultured meat start-up Vow, Wefilm and a group of international experts to demonstrate the potential of cultured meat to revolutionise the food industry.

The Mammoth Meatball concept is more than a cutting-edge innovation –  it’s a striking statement which aims to challenge the public and the meat industry to think differently about how we produce and consume food, highlighting cultured meat as a viable alternative to traditional animal agriculture. The idea was initiated by creative disruptor Bas Korsten, chief creative officer at global creative agency Wunderman Thompson, best known for The Next Rembrandt, a 3D-printed painting that was the result of AI learning from the complete works of Rembrandt.

Image credit: Aico Lind www.studioaico.nl

Using new and innovative technology, the mammoth meatball was created from the DNA of the extinct woolly mammoth and completed with fragments of African elephant DNA (a close relative to the mammoth).

Cultured meat is genuine animal meat, grown from the cells of animals – instead of the animals themselves – using innovative molecular technology. Cultured meat can be designed to be preferable in both taste and nutritional value, and has the potential to significantly reduce the environmental impacts normally associated with traditional meat production.

The Mammoth Meatball is a unique experiment – but one that also has a very serious ambition which is to start a conversation around the future of food for a rapidly growing population – and to introduce the idea of cultured meat to a wider audience.

Image credit: Rob Harrison

Says Bas Korsten, initiator of the project and global chief creative officer, Wunderman Thompson: “In much the same way that The Next Rembrandt in 2016 harnessed cutting edge technology to produce something unexpected and groundbreaking, the Mammoth Meatball shows the world that when cutting edge technology meets creativity it can change our future. Our aim is to start a conversation about how we eat, and what the future alternatives can look and taste like. Cultured meat is meat, but not as we know it. It’s the future.”

Amsterdam-based creative film agency Wefilm joined WT as creative partner in the project, and produced a short documentary in which the cutting-edge process is documented. Juliette Stevens directed the documentary on Wefilm’s behalf.

Says Stevens: “When people from different fields come together, remarkable solutions can be developed for major problems. As a part of this Mammoth Meatball team I couldn’t be more thrilled, because I love it when creativity meets science to make the impossible possible.  I hope with this short documentary people – but also governments – will be inspired and start to think differently about how we make and eat food today. Let’s embrace animal and earth friendly technologies like cultured meat that will radically improve our food system, sooner rather than later.”

As Australia’s first cultured meat company, Vow is committed to creating food that is not only more sustainable but also more delicious and nutritious. Unlike most other cultivated meat startups, Vow is using this technology to create new products that go beyond replicating existing pieces of meat. By working with a team of scientists, chefs, and creators, Vow is exploring new flavours, textures, and nutritional benefits that have never been seen before. In November 2022, the Sydney-based company announced a $49.2M Series A funding to continue its mission, bringing forth the next generation of food products fit for a rising population. This significant new funding marks the world record for a Series A raise in the cultured meat industry.

Having launched less than four years ago, Vow is already leading the way with their world changing innovation, and they’re just getting started. The company will be launching their first brand, Forged by Vow, in Singapore later this year, creating dining experiences unlike anything we’ve seen before.

Says James Ryall, chief scientific officer, Vow: “What’s truly exciting about this project is the ability to create a protein that hasn’t existed in thousands of years. Cultivated meat allows us to push the boundaries of culinary innovation and create entirely new food experiences. Rather than simply replicating existing products, this technology offers us the opportunity to create something truly unique and better. It’s a missed opportunity not to take advantage of the potential of cultivated meat to revolutionise the way we think about food. Cultured meat is going to need the support of political systems to generate enough momentum and money to support this brand new technology.”

Says Tim Noakesmith, founder, Vow: “With our first brand, Forged by Vow, we are aiming to pioneer a new school of thought: that food as we know it doesn’t need to be the way we know it. We are on a mission to break the status quo of food using unexpected, delicious flavours and unforgettable experiences. The future of food favours the brave.”

https://www.mammothmeatball.com/

Client: Vow
Co-founder and Director: Tim Noakesmith
Chief Scientific Officer: James Ryall
Product manager: Sarah Ellice-Flint
Marketing Specialist: Sarah Separovich
BizOps Associate: Jasper van Veen
Food Inventor: Adem Kurcan

Academic Researchers
Senior Group Leader Stem Cell Engineering: Professor Ernst Wolvetang
Senior European Leukodystrophies Association (ELA): Giovanni Pietrogrande, Ph.D.

Biodiversity advisors: Naturalis Biodiversty Centre Netherlands
Director Public Engagement: Corine van Impelen
Science Communication Officer: Bart Braun

Agency: Wunderman Thompson Benelux
Global Chief Creative Officer: Bas Korsten
Benelux Chief Creative Officer: Sandra Bold
Creative concept: Jasper Korpershoek, Bas Korsten, Marius Gottlieb
Copywriter: Jasper Korpershoek, Bas Korsten
Art director: Tunchan Kalkan
Group Account lead: Dorien van Antwerpen
Account manager: Sarah Savoir

Production company: WeFilm
Co-founder / CEO: Bas Welling
Director: Juliette Stevens
Editor: Nik Roosenberg
Creative: Marius Gottlieb
1st AD: Fabian van der Hulst  
Executive Producer: Beau van Assem  
Producer: Ellis Thomas  
DOP: Zeeger Verschuren  
Focus Puller: Chris van Dijk
2nd AC: Keith Tedesco
Gaffer: Thomas Jeninga
Best Boy: Sander Idema  
Setdresser: Rivka Koops
Production assistent: Tijn Lodder
Cameraman event: Luc Roes

Wunderman Thompson Sydney – production
National Head of Production: Alistair Pratten
Senior Producer: Siobhan Crowley
2nd Unit Director: John McGovarin
DOP: Courtney Jones
Cam Assist: Macs Finaly
Sound recordist: Oliver Dibley
Chief Creative Officer: Joao Braga

Food Creative: Robbie Postma

Music production & Sound design: Amp.Amsterdam // The Sonic Branding Company
Audio director and composer: Bertus Pelser
Sound engineer: Martin Snel
Project manager: Frederique Vroom

VFX and postproduction: Ambassadors
Executive Creative Director: Justin Blyth
Head of production: Michelle Kruger
Producer: Sophie van Kooten
Animator: Stefano Paron, Ilaria Di Sevo
Colourist: Amy Besate
3D Supervisor: Ralph Meijer, Nick Groenveld
3D Artists: Sjoerd de Greef, Chris Klinkhamer, Puck van Vliet
3D Animation: Oscar Guagnelli
VFX artists: Sil Bulterman, Jeroen Baars

Photography
Food photographer: Aico Lind
Event Photographer: Robert Harrison

PR
Global PR lead: Jessica Hartley
Global PR agency: For the Right Reasons

PR agency USA: BCW NY
Global CCO: Fede Garcia
EVP BCW Global: Heidi Donato

Website: Monwest
Website Design: Joop Akerboom & Matthias Leuhof
Website Development: Stan van Oers & Amber van Os

Other:
Culinary advisor: Phillip Davenport, Sydney
Bioengineer advisor: Arend Vos
Professor of Molecular Biology: Merlin Crossley