DoorDash recruits Australia’s favourite commentators to prove footy’s better with a feed in new NRL campaign via Howatson+Company
DoorDash has kicked off the 2023 NRL season with fresh creative featuring fan favourites Peter ‘Sterlo’ Sterling and Paul ‘Fatty’ Vautin’ to launch its new campaign platform, ‘Footy’s better with a feed’, developed by Howatson+Company.
DoorDash has tapped into Australia’s nostalgic love of footy, luring two icons of the game out of retirement to reunite over a love of all things food.
After 30 years of talking during every game, ‘Sterlo’ just recently retired. So DoorDash came to the rescue – giving him the chance to finally enjoy a glorious footy feed.
In the second tv spot, they even reunite ‘Sterlo’ with his old co-worker ‘Fatty’.
With stoic Sterlo finally enjoying a game in peace and quiet, and ever-talkative Fatty proving old habits die hard (even in the commentary world), fans are reminded of how much better their favourite game is when accompanied by a feed (or a snack, or a beer…the list goes on!).
These almost completely silent ads stand out amongst a sea of other NRL spots featuring yelling fans and aggressive players.
The two 30 second master spots will run the length of the season, alternating in rotation with a bevy of 15 second retail spots, designed to do the heavy lifting in telling the broad category and selection story of what’s available on DoorDash.
Says Natasha Aaron, head of ANZ marketing at DoorDash: “We’ve been delivering for NRL fans for the past two seasons and what we’ve learned is this: footy fans love their game, they love their food, and they love Fatty & Sterlo. We’re thrilled to launch a campaign that we know will delight this audience by tapping into that nostalgic Footy Show culture throughout the season, as we deliver the best of Australia’s neighbourhoods to the front door of fans nationwide.
“The breadth of the DoorDash offering is enormous and constantly expanding, with merchants on the platform spanning restaurant, grocery, alcohol, convenience, retail and pharmacy verticals. We’re also proud to be a market leader across metrics like value for money, wait time and customer satisfaction; the product is strong, the selection is excellent and when it comes to game time – we have everything NRL fans are looking for.”
Says Scott Zuliani and Jared Wicker, creative directors at Howatson+Company: “To prove footy’s better with a feed, we worked with a man who hasn’t been able to eat during a game for over thirty years. He chose to break his drought with a delicious laksa.”
Says Shivani Maharaj, chief content and partnerships officer at Wavemaker: “DoorDash have built incredible equity within the NRL ecosystem after just three years in market and two seasons as Official Delivery Partner of the NRL. This campaign is a clever next step in their journey to Australia’s most-loved delivery brand and the destination for hungry NRL fans, on game day or otherwise.
“Wavemaker has secured partnerships with the NRL, Nine, Foxtel and Kayo giving this fun & cheeky creative a platform to connect with passionate NRL fans across Australia, ensuring footy fans know DoorDash as the on-demand delivery platform of choice.”
The campaign is running across TV, BVOD and social for the duration of the NRL season.
Client: DoorDash Australia
Senior Partner Marketing Manager: Madison Westall
Senior Manager: Janna Ferraro
Manager, Brand: Sarah Hamilton Schwab
Agency: Howatson+Company
CEO/Founder: Chris Howatson
Executive Creative Director: Gavin Chimes
Creative Directors: Jared Wicker + Scott Zuliani
Senior Art Director: Dan Smith
Senior Copywriter: Ernie Ciaschetti
Planning Director: Georgia Pritchard
Junior Designer: Eleanor Donley
Producer: Caitlin Perz
Production Assistant: Charlotte Breene
Managing Partner: Kristie Thistlethwaite
Business Director: Georgia Price
Senior Business Manager: Dede Stewart
Production: The Sweetshop
Director: Max Barden
Senior Producer: Jane Smith
EP: Greg Fyson
Post Production: The Editors
Audio: Rumble Studios
Media Agency: Wavemaker
Client Lead: Fiona Williams
Account Director: Gill Banks
Media Analyst: Anna Pellegrino
Chief Content & Partnerships Officer: Shivani Maharaj
Director Content & Partnerships: Emily Lopilato
Manager Content & Partnerships: Jayden Harris
Executive Content & Partnerships: Shehara Bastianpillai
26 Comments
This is good. I like this.
Thank you, mis attribution is a thing
So I am commenting to say I like the ads.
Simple. Nice. Fun.
Great ideas. Crappy stills.
Great stuff as always from Max
This is way better than the recent Uber work with imported,tired and somewhat trashy talent.
Agree they could have done a little more with the name though.
Funny, subtle, unexpected, I dig.
Let the boy be weird
Wow, that was incredibly boring.
Feels way too forced.
It’s a guy watching TV. Pretending to slurp Laksa from a filthy spoon.
This shouldn’t even be a first draft.
The performances are not great but that’s to be expected from the casting….
There’s nothing of interest here.
Why is every ad some guy in a beige display home watching TV?
Generic to the delivery category. Why should I choose Doordash over Uber Eats etc. when you’re not the dominant brand you have to do something special to be memorable or entertaining or offer a point of difference: cheaper, faster, SOMETHING. This is piss weak on both strategic and executional grounds. Apart from that, I agree wholeheartedly with the fanboys who have praised this work. You can’t see the wood for the trees.
Was a better campaign
Agree 100%, this is as boring as it gets. And way too much astro turf laid down in the above comments.
I saw this during the footy a few weeks ago. The pace of it cut through the betting ads and other stuff. Something I cared enough about to watch through as a footy fan. I trust that Sterlo is right. Footy IS better with a Feed!
Good strategy…… thats about it.
It’s hard to make non-actors present cinematically, particularly a couple of rough-heads like sterlo and fatty. But for me, these ads do that. The supers are interesting too. Thoughtful use of the talent. I think these are good.
I actually saw this the other night when I watching the sporting ball game while drinking my alcohol beer tired after a big day working a job with my hands.
I actually think this is better than Citizen Kane. Better than Vertigo. Cate Blanchett could learn a thing or two from these blokes. This thing is a masterpiece.
As I was waiting for my Tuesday night Thai Uber Eats order (family of 8), I saw this commercial come on and I immediately downloaded the DoorDash App and re-ordered a similar meal. Both orders arrived and I subsequently threw away the Uber Eats order in favour of the Door Dash one. Yes we are in a cost of living crisis but i could rationalise the additional $145 out of my weekly budget. That’s how good this ad is.
There was once legend of an ancient Egyptian sceptre forged of glass and bejewelled in rubies. Lost among the subterranean crypts of Giza, it was said to make the most flaccid hard. Last year I discovered the mystic artefact and brought it back to its rightful home – Marrickville. When I saw this ad my jaw dropped and so to the legendary sceptre, smashing into shards along with all my hopes and poles.
It’s that good
That can’t be topped.
Time to move on.
Saw this for the first time “in the wild” (watching an NRL game) and it made me laugh. Simple but bang on. Nice stuff.
This belongs on r/TVTooHigh
Sterlo add is a shocker. Slurping his food with stuff hanging out of his mouth. Gross.
I will never use Doordash and canceled Kayo because of these dumb annoying adds.