Sara Lee skimps on celebrity endorsement in newly-launched ‘Lookalikes’ campaign via Banjo
Sara Lee has skimped on “celebrity” talent to make the point that some things – especially dessert – shouldn’t be skimped on, in the latest multi-media campaign for the brand’s premium cheesecake range via Banjo.
The six “celebrities” – including an uncanny Obama-lookalike – gather for a dinner party in the 30-second TVC on-air from this Sunday, 2 October in Australia and two weeks later in New Zealand.
“Tom Cruise”, “Posh Spice”, “Barack Obama” and “Ricky Gervais” alongside “Taylor Swift” are served deliciously crunchy Sara Lee by “Bono”.
Says Karen Ramsay, marketing manager, Sara Lee: “We are so excited about this campaign, as it will continue to broaden the brand into a more contemporary and premium space.”
In a “cheesy” 30-second video reminiscent of his namesake’s famous sofa-jumping Oprah appearance, “Tom” resurrects some famous movie lines swapping in the Sara Lee cheesecakes as the focus.
The “Lookalikes” campaign is the first major campaign for Sara Lee since its agency, O’Shea & O’Brien joined forces with Banjo.
Says Ben O’Brien, creative director: “Bringing six of the world’s best celebrity impersonators together was as bizarre and fascinating as you’d imagine. Living with someone else’s face definitely gives them a unique perspective on life.”
All the celebs flew in from London or LA for the three-day shoot – except for the world’s most famous “Taylor” lookalike who is actually from Wollongong!
Last year saw the launch of the Sara Lee “Incredibly” premium sub-brand range, with the campaign from O’Shea & O’Brien encouraging dessert lovers to ‘find a reason’ to upgrade to the new Sara Lee Incredibly Crunchy cheesecakes.
This year’s hero in “Lookalikes” is a new SKU, Sara Lee Incredibly chocolate and orange cheesecake (with a deliciously crunchy choc base). “Lookalikes” continues to modernise the brand, while steering into previously unchartered waters with humour connecting the brand to new audiences.
Says Kath O’Shea, planning director: “This was work we really wanted to make, as we could see how much it resonated with consumers in research testing. The idea about not skimping on the best part of the meal was very clear. The intrigue of the lookalikes and the humour is a great way to continue to position Sara Lee as a contemporary choice, regardless of who your dinner guests are!”
The campaign will run through until January, and comprises of 1 x 30 second TVC, 2 x 15 TVCs, 3 content pieces, social and PR.
Client: McCain
Brand: Sara Lee
Marketing Manager: Karen Ramsay
Agency: Banjo
Creative Director / Writer: Ben O’Brien
Creative Director / Head of Art: Raj Rabindranath
Planning director: Kath O’Shea
Head of Broadcast & Content: George Saada
Senior Producer: Simon Davis
Production company: Goodoil
Executive producer: Sam Long
Director: Matt Kamen
Producer: Andrew Macca McLean
Editor: Tim Parrington
Post-production: The Butchery
Sound Studio: Song Zu
Sound Designer: Abby Sie
Photography Studio: Flint
Photographer: Andreas Smetana
Producer: Natalie Loveridge
28 Comments
Wait, I thought TV ads were supposed to be mantras spoken over mood boards? Bloody well done. This is actually an idea.
Love it!! Such a funny ad. Great concept!
Well done Banjo
Really awesome work!
Hilarious and well executed.
*Palm in face*
Love it. Well done Kath, Sam and team.
Wonder how long before their lawyers pull this off the air?
Hah, I like it! Nice work all involved
Original.
Nailed it, nice work guys – proud moment for Banjo
Great work, Ben O at his best.
Gotta say – unexpected from both that brand and that agency.
Shouldn’t the VO read:
“What we saved on celebrity endorsement we spent on our cheesecake?”
I don’t understand it.
“Skimp on your celebrity endorsements but not on the best part of your meal.”
You know, it’s an okay campaign. Not great, no even good. And that’s the problem with 90% of Aussie ads, just plain old mediocre. As my first ECD always said: “okay is not okay”. Nice try anyway. (And yes, I love using 90% as a statistic)
You know, that last comment was OK. Not clever, not insightful. Just OK. And that’s the problem with 90% of the comments on this blog, just plain old mediocre. Nice try anyway.
In my opinion though, this isn’t just ‘OK’. It’s a great idea, executed with style. Not the ‘easy way’ with some local lookalikes. They actually got the best in the world. Not the obvious jokes. Not the obvious product shots. I’m not saying it’s the best campaign ever made, but watch TV tonight and tell me it’s not a damn sight better than ‘OK’.
Unexpected, 100% the word for this. Hopefully it makes other clients try something new or take a chance with an idea…
Well done to all involved.
Just saw this on TV. Doing something unexpected (and genuinely funny) for a tired old brand is worth a slow clap. Bravo.
It’s good, an idea, what a change.
Well done.
And no, I don’t work at Banjo, though I do own a banjolele – which hasn’t prejudiced my judgement.
Wow, by the previous comments it would seem that the bar for great or even good has been lowered to about a millimetre from the ground. It’s a tenuous link indeed between the ‘idea’ and the proposition. A helpful suggestion from one commenter recommended an improvement via a revision to the voiceover to become “What we saved on celebrity endorsement we spent on our cheesecake”which might just have allowed the idea to make sense. Glowingly positive comments from the cheer squad at the agency are transparently that, and don’t make this any better than it really is. I squirmed uncomfortably in my seat.
Fresh. Funny. Why don’t we make ads like this any more?
Agree with The Curmudgeon.
Don’t agree with The Curmudgeon.
Love to see what the curmudgeon has done recently, cos I have seen very very little that is as good as this on our TV’s in quite a while – which brings with it a judgement about the parlous state of the industry as a whole- but frankly, this ain’t bad and in the current climate, stands out.
The line is idiotic, the rest is ok.
Because Sara Lee are a pale imitation of an actual desert???
I really liked the commercial, but the “Tom Cruise” lookalike looks more like James Franco, in my opinion – that’s who I thought he was supposed to be, even with the Cruise line. Ah, well, it’s still a fun ad.
None of them look remotely like the person they are supposedly impersonating. Almost as pathetic as the NZ Post “dancing girls” ad
Funny Gosford, I thought he was only slightly Cruise like too, however I thought more of a Christian Bale look.