Do you wanna go to the Royal Easter Show?

This Sunday 21 March, the Royal Agricultural Society (RAS) of NSW will launch its new campaign for one of Australia’s most iconic brands and the biggest event in the southern hemisphere, the Sydney Royal Easter Show. The simplified “I Wanna Go” campaign, conceptualised by agency DDI, Sydney, puts emphasis back on kids and fun, with enhanced visual and dynamic appeal via production house Hackett Films.

“We created a single theme and personality which drives what the showstands for,” says John Speers, general manager DDI. “We’ve also shiftedstrategic emphasis this year with a campaign that’s specificallydesigned to maximise the pester power of kids.”

DDI studiedsome of the great animated cartoons, including Nemo, Ice Age, Toy Storyand Shrek, to understand what makes these films works so well, withkids predominantly but with adults also. They then took their findingsto Sydney production house Hackett Films, who are renowned for creatingunique character-driven stories and for their work in children’s TVseries production.

“Armed with the benchmarks in animated film,we chose to bring our story alive with the production house that is thebenchmark in this style – Hackett Films,” says Speers.

Theplayful and energetic campaign shows a humorous and richly texturedanimated world, inhabited by singing and dancing farmyard animals,Bluey the cattle dog, Smokey the pig and Milky the cow.

Anddance they do, as the farmyard friends pull some serious moves on theback of a Ute as they hurtle from countryside into town for the show.Smokey busts out moves like the ‘running man’, all while the monstrousshadow of Robosaurus – this year’s Show main event – looms over them.

“Doinga second round of commercials for the Royal Easter Show a year afterthe first gave us the opportunity to refine and develop the charactersand script, as well as build on our 3D and photomontage techniques. Wecreated commercials that are striking and unique with fleshy, toonrendered characters that will resonate with kids and adults alike,” saysJames Hackett, Hackett Films.

Abe Forsyth, 2010 Tropfestwinner, was enlisted as voiceover talent, adding yet another layer oflife and energy to the animation and sound track.

The campaign will be launching across TV and radio, with rich streaming digital work, social media, print, and outdoor.

This is the second consecutive year Hackett Films has worked on the Royal Easter Show campaign.

Thecampaign marks the first work from creative agency DDI, since winningthe account for strategic brand development and creative across all RASbrands – The Easter Show, Sydney Showground, Sydney Royal Wine, Dairyand Fine Food Shows, RAS Foundation and the Australasian AnimalRegistry.

The agency also worked closely with News Ltd,Australia Post and City Rail and ensured an integrated campaign isachieved allowing the convergence of media and messaging acrossdifferent platforms and technology.

Client: Royal Agricultural Society of NSW

John Preston, Jess Oakes and Alana Saphin