MLA calls for Trans-Tasman unity in latest Summer Lamb campaign via The Monkeys
The long awaited summer campaign for Australian Lamb has launched – calling for Australia and New Zealand to come together over a lamb meal.
Building on the brand platform ‘Share the Lamb’, the integrated campaign via The Monkeys sets out to extend the ‘rosemary sprig’ to our neighbouring nation and bridge the divide over something everyone can agree on – lamb.
The campaign launches with the new long-form spot directed by Tim Bullock, which takes us back to 1900 when Australia’s first Prime Minister, Edmund Barton, is finalising the Constitution Act and makes New Zealand part of The Commonwealth. This actual historical moment then inspires two modern day Aussie politicians to connect both countries again.
The stage is then set for both nations to come together over a lamb barbecue, amongst a huge floating party in the middle of the Tasman Sea. The comical spot celebrates the best of both nations and joins us together in New Australia-land.
Says Graeme Yardy, Domestic Market Manager at MLA: “The good-humoured rivalry between Australia and New Zealand is something that underpins both countries cultures. As a brand, Australian Lamb is famous for settling differences and promoting unity, so we thought it was the perfect opportunity to bring both nations together over some tasty Aussie lamb.”
Adds Executive Creative Director at The Monkeys, Vince Lagana: “Lamb has always been about uniting Australians around what makes our country the greatest, but in recent times we seem to have lost our way. Whereas our Kiwi neighbours, under the leadership of Jacinda, are progressing nicely.
“True to tradition we always claim the best of New Zealand – but this time, with the help of a little lamb chop, we want to go one step further and claim the entire nation to form ‘New Australia-land’. Edmund Barton almost made it happen in 1900. In 2019 we want to make it a reality. In this fun natured, tongue-in-cheek campaign everyone wins…except maybe the All Blacks.”
The spot will air on TV and will be pushed out across digital, social and radio from today, while PR will celebrate the coming together of both nations in earned media. Media partners, Nova Network and Junkee will support the campaign across multiple channels, encouraging both nations to unite as New Australia-land.
Nova Network’s Fitzy & Wippa will help bring the campaign to life through a series of activations, culminating in an event to celebrate New Australia-land and bring both nations together over a summer lamb lunch. Digital partners Junkee will integrate the campaign onto their site by capturing video and editorial content of Aussies and New Zealanders coming together over lamb.
In-store, product-focused point-of-sale will deliver meal inspiration, focusing on the variety of different lamb cuts and cuisines. While, Trans-Tasman recipes developed by Daniel Wilson, will underpin the campaign and inspire Aussies to cook and share a lamb meal together.
Creative Agency – The Monkeys
Co-founder & Group Chief Creative Officer – Scott Nowell
Executive Creative Director – Vince Lagana
Creative Director – Scott Dettrick
Senior Art Director – Scott Zuliani
Senior Copywriter – Tim Pashen
Copywriter – Pierce Thomson
Head of Planning – Michael Hogg
Connections Strategist – David Toussaint
Head of Production – Thea Carone
Senior Producer – Kaija Wall
Producer – Sally Lankshear
Group Content Director – Ciaran Miller-Stubbs
Content Director – Anna Willis
Senior Content Manager – Victoria Zourkas
Content Manager – Will Davies
Production Company – Scoundrel
Director – Tim Bullock
Executive Producer – Adrian Shapiro
Producer – Kate Gooden
DoP – Daniel Ardilley
Post Production
Editor – Adam Wills
Post Productions/VFX – Blockhead
Audio Production – Song Zu
Colourist – BE Colour
Media Agency – UM
Senior Client Director – Tim Rogers
Senior Partnerships Manager – Jenny Lam
Partnerships Manager – Anna Cox
Connections Strategist – Charlotte Berry
Connections Designer Director – Jonny Day
Senior Connections Designer – Alice Davidson
Partnerships Trader – Yasmin Sherif
PR Agency – One Green Bean
MLA – Chief Marketing Officer – Lisa Sharp
MLA – Domestic Market Manager – Graeme Yardy
MLA – Brand Manager – Anna Sharp
68 Comments
No, sadly does not at all come close to other years and do we really have an issue with NZ. Huge miss as Clearly the monkeys have now been accentured.
about 2mins 6seconds too long.
I have so much love for this!
Well done Monkeys. Again.
Could they not have of got Rhys Darby in as a consultant? And a simple question – why would NZers eat Australian lamb chops when they have the best lamb chops in the world? Convoluted rubbish.
Solving a problem that doesn’t exist. Yeah, nah.
This is crack up
“New Zealand is doing Australia better than Australia”.
Classic! Very well written and nicely crafted. Awesome.
Floundering
This is seriously not funny and a waste of money. What happened to The Monkeys?
Good to see Monkeys commenting on their own work. Its obvious when the work is crap. Berlei ad shits on this
Another funny controversial Lamb ad!
Very clever. Well done to all involved.
The Kiwis can keep Russell though.
I am a big fan of The Monkeys but I couldn’t even finish watching this. Nicely shot is as good as it gets.
It’s really funny
Saw it on a segment during Sunrise. Came here to watch the entire film.
I bloody love it. Don’t understand the negativity but that should be expected here I guess. Well done MLA and Monkeys.
It made me laugh
great to see some nice work on here.
Yes! Please, please make Jacinta our PM! This is brilliant.
I quite like being Australian.
But now I feel a little bit depressed.
For convoluted’s sake…
Agree, Jacinta for PM! And can we take the All Blacks too? We certainly need it. And maybe Lorde.
So much fun. I dig this heaps.
Like it
Well done Monkeys
I actually like this. Made me laugh…
Oh no bro this is a shocker eh. Unfunny as. Stink one.
Filled with gags. Love it.
Couple of decent one-liners but the rest is pup. Really weak concept compared to previous years efforts.
As a kiwi living here I liked this one. But yeah, our lamb tops yours….
This is outrageous. Complete nonsense.
We don’t need Jacinta! We need Uno Nation.
Forget this ad, watch this greatness.
https://youtu.be/aSaP7e9qXPM
but I am not sure how – from the over rehearsed gags to bad post, a veritable cornucopia of half assed work.
This is brilliantly funny.
Monkey post.
A mix of Yes Minister and Hollowmen – without the humour
I’m green with envy over this ad. You know it is working when social media is already talking about it too. Nicely done.
… the 15sec spot. This long form content drags on more than a Kiwi retelling All Black highlights from the past 10yrs.
Uts prutty gud eh. Like the lilos.
Meanwhile meat sales continue to plummet in Australia.
Ouch.
I thought this was a pretty good piss-take on Australia at the moment. Laughed a heck of a lot more than the last few ads they’ve done.
Definitely way better than their buddha / jesus shit.
I’d love to see the amazing work all the naysayers on here have been making considering the blog’s been barren for months now.
5 rickshaws at the Australian Open maybe?
I found it amusing and well put together.
Unite? Build a wall in the Tasman I say.
You got me thinking so I thought I would check the numbers
“Australia’s lamb consumption has remained steady at around 9kg per capita, despite increasing retail prices, remaining one of the largest per capita consumers of sheepmeat in the world (ABS, DAWR, OECD-FAO).”
“Sheepmeat
In 2017, lamb slaughter totalled 22.4 million head, down 2% year-on-year (ABS).
Sheep slaughter totalled 7.5 million head, an increase of 8% (ABS).
Hardly a “plummet”. You might wanna check your facts.
https://www.mla.com.au/prices-markets/market-news/know-the-numbers-state-of-the-industry-report-2018/
I’d say most of the folk out at Naracoote would find this ad pretty funny.
I like this – and im not biased
This is great! After a few clanger lamb ads this is funny, surprising and heartfelt.
I LOL’d at “we better ask Jacinda”
What a great idea.
Let’s all become Kwaussie’s.
Brilliant work!
That’s what this is.
An Australian Ad taking the piss out of Australia to celebrate Australia Day?
Must’ve been written by a Pom.
No wonder it’s hard to swallow for the Australians on here – you’re only good at taking the piss out of everybody else, not yourselves.
Cross dissolve? Surely there was a smarter way of joining those two scenes.
Clunky from the first cut.
An average script saved by Tim Bullock – and in the end it’s pretty good.
Oh, and not all off us reckon Jacinda is amazing either y’know… your personal politics are showing which, frankly, is a dangerous place to be. Could have managed that one a bit better. But the lighthearted tone lets you get away with it. Overall, nice job.
When the highlight of the year in the ad world is waiting for this dross .
Again, the same jokes- the same tone. Boring direction. Move on.
Love it. As per usual.
Not another one.Fuck can we all move on from this annual embarrassment.
Reinforcing a negative stereotype that us fulla’s can’t speak English! Think we all sound like dat fulla off Pizza? You guys are eggs! Oh, and your ad is patu bro!
Perhaps @Naracoorte should check this fact.
While lamb sales were slipping by what he considers an acceptable 2% ,pork sales were up by 6%.
Just might have something to do with marketing that showed me how easy it is to cook.How good it tastes.And how much healthier it is.
Good clever advertising was also famously created by the Palace over many years with long running ads for Short Cuts among others.It can be done.
This work is just irrelevant to most people beyond the world of CB.
Love the dig at changing the date. Well, Lamb Board, why don’t your lamb where your big fucking mouth is and boycott your advertising for Australia Day. Just another hypocritical brand, cashing in on politics.
Happy Australia Day for ’26TH JAN!!!!!’
Well the time is over when you look forward to the MLA Aus Day Ad. What a missed opportunity to do something great, instead a bland and over cooked execution resulting in the over done and not so classic re-enactment of the marketing team thinking up the idea becoming the ad execution. I’m sure Howie would of pulled this in a second. 100% no bravery.
Why
Oh poor @ Mr Piggy,
If you think “This work is irrelevant to most people beyond the world of CB” then you really are naive and as clueless as you sound. This ad has been shared with me from more people outside the industry than any other campaign before. I saw it spoken about on Sunrise, 7 National News and the Project! Heard about it on the radio. It’s all over my social feeds, celebrities are sharing it (priceless) and it is one of the top trending stories in the country. Yes, I’m jealous of this work. I think it’s brilliant. I understand it’s not everyones cup of tea but It has set out and done what we all strive to do.
Here is a national brand that has woven itself into Aussie culture again and not in a forced Gillette way.
You clearly know alot about the sales of Pork so I’m guessing you work on the brand. Sorry, but product demos won’t make national headlines.
Lamb sales will continue to increase after this and you know it.
Well done MLA and Monkeys.
Just good clean fun. It’s got a couple of gags in it for everyone. Well done!
https://twitter.com/russellcrowe/status/1087221221232705538
Great ad we both laughed – well done the monkeys
Like it.
Jacinda likes it
Nothing like the Prime Minister of a foreign nation commenting on the ad to put the bed the comments of small minded haters…
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/world/absolute-outrage-pms-lighthearted-comments-new-australia-day-lamb-ad-suggesting-australias-better
Whoever wrote and CD’d this should feel mighty proud of themselves. ‘Tis good.
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scraping up just 17 comments between them all.
Congrats Monkeys and MLA for creating yet another top
Spot that has everybody talking. Prime ministers, Oscar
winning actors included. I wish this was on my reel.
Wow, the negativity has instantly gone silent. I wonder why?
Yep everbody’s talkin but is anybody buyin?
Boring, embarrassing and not to mention.. kind of racist. Let’s face it, the Monkey’s are white bread. Nothing inspiring about this agency.