Exclusive: Don Smallgoods resurrects iconic Don character in new campaign via DDB Melbourne
February 25 2012, 8:14 am | | 19 Comments
CB Exclusive – Don Smallgoods, together with DDB Group Melbourne, have resurrected the iconic Don character loved by generations and made famous by Tommy Dysart in the 1990s, this time with veteran comedic actor Costantinos ‘Costas’ Kilias.
In the new campaign, Don has a typically European immigrant take on the world of smallgoods and the world in general with his ‘Don’s Do’s and Don’ts’. However this time around, it’s all about the ‘Ladies’.
Says DDB Melbourne executive creative director Grant Rutherford: “There will always be the inevitable comparisons with Tommy Dysart and our new Don. Tommy is irreplaceable, but I like to think our new Don butcher man as his nephew on his long-suffering wife’s side.”
19 Comments
Love this— it’s a great example of the way companies can add association and meaning to their products.
Surely it’s not that hard. Just do a nice ad showing nice European salami being made. Why does everything have to be (an attempt at being) funny ?
Just like Solo have resurrected the Solo Man
Just like Oral B have resurrected Rob the Dentist
Just like British Paints have resurrected Rolf Harris
Just like Tip Top have resurrected Good Onya Mum
Just like Woolies have resurrected the orignal Fresh Food People campaign
Just like Lifesavers have resurrected A Whole Lot More Outta Life
Just like Cussons resurrected ‘Simon: Tahiti’
Just like Golden Gaytime resurrected that geeky looking guy in the hot air balloon.
that is awesome. really funny
1] Well done for bringing back Don Is Good
2] Like the Do’s Dont’s addition
3] Like the talent
4] Like the way intro set-up that frames context of message
5] But why the nudge nudge wink wink pottery sex inference. Its gratuitous and lazy.
If you’re smart enough to get points 1 – 4 right, you should be smart enough to write something funny that comes out of the product.
Great stuff guys. I knew the guy who created this and he is now sadly deceased. Larry Naverson. I know He’d
looking up and saying Is DDB Is good.
A flavourless attempt to emulate the original Mattingly campaign which would have been better not done.
It’s called ‘brand property’, 11:44. It’s Marketing 101 to develop a ‘brand property’ and reinforce that property by a consistent message. You might also recognise this phenomenon by another name, a ‘campaign’.
Nothing wrong with the idea of reinventing the invented if you have no better idea for the brand. Trouble is, this spot just seems to go nowhere. Tries so hard to be funny but really descends into silly visual slapstick. Talent is great and shot well. Really just needed a well written script.
Is Don is Good is iconic. No problem there.
But who approved the casting? Ham-fisted performance at best and the direction does little to capture the charm of the previous incarnations. I wouldn’t describe this as a momentous fail, but equally it is a missed opportunity
Tough crowd.
Personally, I like this re-imagining. Stupid in a good way. Look forward to seeing how it rolls out. For all you kids out there, here is the original. Not as funny as I remember.
http://youtu.be/Af8ikPu02KQ
@ a note to the class dunce : the problem with marketing 101 is it turns previously sensible people into superscious twats who use theory to justify lack of effort and creativity. Marketing is like learning to walk, if you stop there you you never get anywhere, and we get these sorts of pale imitations of proper creativity in the name of ‘campaigns’
@ Pointed – I thought the pottery thing was actually the only funny bit.
The pottery bit is hilarious. Rdiculous. Great work getting that through.
Do you really think Larry would think this is good, maybe he’d like that they’re trying to do a Larry but think it falls way short of the original freshness in its time.
OTT pottery top & tail.
Bizarro.
Is Don Amir Kassaei in disguise????
nice work. I like,
What about all the poor people that got shafted when. Altona closed its doors??? Really your trying to portray a company with family values please