VB pays homage to legend of the Gallipoli brave in new campaign via Clemenger BBDO Melbourne
Two descendants watched on as their forebear’s involvement in a Gallipoli legend was highlighted in an emotive TV commercial launched as part of the annual Raise A Glass appeal in Melbourne today.
Filmed at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance, the TV commercial was created by CUB and Clemenger BBDO Melbourne to highlight the contribution the 16th Battalion AIF made at Gallipoli.
The 16th Battalion suffered heavy losses during a hellish fire fight at Bloody Angle on the hills at Gallipoli. First-hand accounts talked about the men singing as they went into battle despite the treacherous conditions. Of the 600 in the Battalion, 338 young men were killed during the charge at Bloody Angle. The Raise a Glass campaign has a cast of 338 men – one representing each of those fallen men.
Watching the launch of the Raise A Glass TV commercial, which will play on TVs and in cinemas across the country from this evening, was Bill and Jim Grayden from Western Australia, whose father and grandfather, Len Ives, was injured during that fight at Bloody Angle.
In an interesting link, the campaign was directed by Derin Seale, with his Oscar-winning father John Seale as cinematographer.
John was the camera operator on Mel Gibson’s 1981 movie Gallipoli and Derin spent time as a child on the set. Both Derin and John, as well as lead producer Karen Bryson volunteered their time for the cause. The Mel Gibson character portrayed a dispatch runner at Gallipoli, which is the job Len Ives had at Bloody Angle.
The VB Raise A Glass appeal began in 2009 and by the end of this year’s campaign, will have donated over $7 million to Australian servicemen and women via the RSL and Legacy.
Clemenger BBDO Melbourne executive creative director Ant Keogh says the team went back to the history books when they were creating the campaign.
Says Keogh: “In the Victorian State Library, we came across a thin pink book. It was the sketches and diary of Ellis Silas, Signaller of the 1st IAF 16th Battalion, recording his experiences at Gallipoli.
“In 1915, the 16th Battalion made a charge over particularly challenging terrain. They were immediately met with heavy resistance and the casualties were high. But instead of retreating or hiding they charged on, singing It’s a long way to Tipperary.”
Victoria Bitter general manager Craig Maclean says the Victoria Bitter team is again proud to highlight the work the RSL and Legacy do for veterans’ welfare through the appeal.
Says Maclean: “Bringing a story like the fierce battle at Bloody Angle to life is a big part of this appeal; it reminds people to stop and remember the bravery and sacrifice all our servicemen and women make.”
While raising money for servicemen and women of all conflicts, the 2015 campaign specifically commemorate the centenary of the Gallipoli landings.
Maclean said watching the making of the TVC helped the team understand the enormity of the losses suffered.
Says Maclean: “When all these young, fit, healthy men stood in front of the Shrine of Remembrance at sunset, you really had a sense of the scale of loss sustained on the battlefield 100 years ago. It really drove home why we run this campaign each year.
“Victoria Bitter is one of the largest supporters of veteran welfare in the country. This year, we will make a $1 million corporate donation as well as running a fundraising drive for the public to contribute. It’s our way of honouring all Australian servicemen and women past and present. It’s our way of saying thank you.”
The campaign includes TVCs, digital, on pack, on premise and a social media campaign.
CUB
CUB Marketing Director: Richard Oppy
General Manager, VB: Craig Maclean
Senior Brand Manager, VB: Kirt Daunt
Brand Manager, VB: Vanessa Bush
Assistant Brand Manager: VB Rachael Veltman
Agency: Clemenger BBDO Melbourne
Creative Chairman: James McGrath
Executive Creative Director: Ant Keogh
Senior Art Director: Luke Thompson
Senior Copywriter: Jim Robbins
Account Management: Adam Kennedy, Oliver Wearne and Kate Barnes
Strategic Planner: Michael Derapas
Executive TV Producer: Sonia von Bibra
Senior TV Producer: Lisa Moro
Agency Producer – Print: Craig Bulman
Designer & Typographer: Jake Turnbull
Retoucher: Michael McCall
Digital Producer: Gemma Seeto
Digital Designer: Jessica Ramsey
Social Creative: Matt Maguire
Director: Derin Seale
DOP/Cinematographer: John Seale
Editor: Jack Hutchings
Executive Producer: Karen Bryson
Flame Artist: Eugene Richards
Music Composer/Arranger: Cornel, Tommy, Mark, Pascal, Jojo, Gus & Danny (Producer)
Sound Designer/Engineer: Paul Le Couteur
34 Comments
Nicely done
Powerful and brilliant work.
Nice story, nicely done.
Amazing piece of work.
Goosebumps. Great stuff
A truly moving piece.
What, no bushranger beards?
I like this spot very much; so my ‘but’ is not a criticism, just a genuine comment.
I would like it so much more if there was no VB logo attached to the end.
No matter how worthy the cause and noble the intent that logo at the end leaves me feeling very uncomfortable.
Why not have VB [or Victoria Bitter] in the same font type and size as used throughout the commercial? I’d probably accept that; but as is, the VB seems more important than anything else – and in this instance, tends to unnecessarily commercialise something, which, for most Australians, should be beyond commercialising.
After donating $7 million, I reckon they’re entitled to put the logo on the ad. How much have you given?
@ just a suggestion; As the commercial reached its climax I was instinctively hoping they’d avoid the temptation to have a filthy great VB logo and do as per your suggestion. It would have been jarring. But then there’s always crass commercialism to consider.
Quite a lot 1:49. Over 6 figure sums every year for the last 4 years – but we don’t do it to sell beer, we do it because we can and we do it privately, because we believe we should. But if you’d take the time to re-read my comment I was simply suggesting – that whilst I’d prefer the exercise not to be commercialised, if it is to be, perhaps giving VB no more prominence than the events it chronicles is worth some consideration.
It was a horrible war, so linking it with VB is, in a perverse way, fitting.
Very sobering…. In a good way
Hey ‘Just a suggestion person’, I wholeheartedly agree. I love VB, especially in a tin, but putting on logo on the end of it is just wrong. The ad is beautifully done, top job all round, but it’s just a shame it has to be tied to a brand name. Also, some of the biggest donations to any cause are anonymous. Here’s cheers.
There aren’t many agencies around that can tell a great story. Clemenger Melbourne can. And they do it rather consistently. This spot is damn good.
I agree Groucho, it was a horrible war, though my memory of fighting in it isn’t as sharp as yours.
The ad started and by instincts told me it wouldn’t go well, and I would dislike it.
Very pleasantly surprised and pleased to be be proved wrong, great sentiment beautifully, elegantly and powerfully expressed.
Congrats to all involved.
And don’t really feel the VB logo was too overstated (it is a fairly well established association with raise a glass, so fair enough I say).
Simple, powerful, moving and memorable
Wow. Different times. Imagine singing while your mates are getting shot to pieces while you walk to your deathbed. I doubt most of the nancys here could even look at a man getting shot, let alone their mates.
I couldn’t.
It’s macabre and totally fucked up. I don’t think we should be celebrating this, there’s no sacrifice here. Just complete stupidity. They’re just my thoughts as the descendent of more than one in 5 generations lost in war.
But the ad is great. And it’s told really well.
Hats off Clems.
@trench Foot the view was different from over your shoulder I guess.
I liked this until the end.
TELL ME, what bloody right do VB have to try own the most important day on the Aussie calendar?
Raising money is a great thing but if they really cared they would need to place their bloody logo on the film. A simple ‘raise a glass’ call to action would be enough. Makes my blood boil seeing the VB logo big and centred while the Legacy and RSL logo are smaller on either side of it. At the very minimum you’d hero the other logo’s before your own right?
Our soldiers didn’t die for our country to remembered by a bloody beer brand.
What’s next? VB sponsored army kits? Replace one of the stars on our flag with your logo?
Piss off VB! I’ll be raising a glass but not with your brand.
What’s happening with Clem’s? Not like them.
Out of any brand, vb and maybe camel cigarettes are the only two who actually went to war with the troops.
Look up the old photos.
Listen to you!
“Out of any brand, vb and maybe camel cigarettes are the only two who actually went to war with the troops”.
A ‘BRAND’ that went to war with the troops! Are you for bloody real?! C’mon, really?! VB want to own that?!
Besides all the heroic Aussie deaths, what about those who lost their lives to Aussie soldiers? Are VB supporting that too? They might as well right? After all, it was the brand that went to war with the troops! Nice one VB.
@unaustralian,
The F1 car the legendary Ayrton Senna crashed and passed away in had the Rothmans cigarette logo all over it. You don’t see them capitalising on his passing.
It is a beer brand leveraging the deaths of every australian service person since the great war to drive mental salience within their target segment. Relevancy too. A million bucks…. Cheaper than an AFL team. This is what they have become.
The 16th Battalion had 28 Officers and 898 other ranks on landing on 25th April.
Two days later, 1 officer and 68 other ranks landed.
29 Officers and 966 men effective strength on the 27th April.
17 Officers and 628 soldiers attacked the Ottoman lines at Bloody Angle on May 2nd, 1915. Actual strength at 6pm on 4th May was, 9 Officers and 298 soldiers available for duty.
I have a list of 159 names of 16th Battalion men that are listed as having been killed on the 2nd, May, 1915. I am happy to provide it to people.
My information from,
The Old Sixteenth, by Capt. C. Longmore.
Bloody Angle, Bullecourt and beyond, by Ian Gill, and the AWM and National Archives.
I have written about the 16th Battalion, daily, since the 16th September 2014.
I’m ex-Navy. I don’t care that VB put their logo on the ad. That’s a given these days.
How many of you commenting had heard of the 16th Battalion or Bloody Angle prior to this video? 489,005 Views through social media means almost that many people have now heard about these amazing men in an amazing unit. You should read about what happened to them later at Mouquet Farm and Bullecourt.
I was so prepared to hate on this.
I fully expected to hear the soft crump of explosions a la Sainsburys Christmas ‘truce’ spot. A huge set, machine guns rattling etc.
But instead, I realised what was happening and got a little, well, teary.
Beautifully executed and handled with absolute respect.
And as far as the logo is concerned, absolutely. Thousands of schooners are raised in memory of mates so completely appropriate.
Far more appropriate than sodding Sainsburys anyway.
Top work Ant and crew.
Simple and very moving.
Very well done. it’s really moving
I find it maudling
My grandfather George Bradley was also wounded in the charge at Bloody Angle. We were unaware of the singing. Very moving to see this on the eve of the 100th anniversary. Well done on finding this gem in history. George was also one of the 1170 Australia captured in the first battle at Bullecourt where tanks were used for the first time.
Where the figures of 338 killed in this action over 2/3rd May 1915 came from I don’t know. I found 171 died on those dates and over 300 killed and wounded in total.
Nevertheless, extremely heavy casualties trying to get Baby 700 back, lost on the first day of Landing.
Ian Gill
My grandfather was in the 10th Bn and landed on 25 Apr, my forebears have all served and so have I. VB for all their perceived faults have over the last few years told a great series of tales and directed peoples minds to the harsh reality of what is combat, it is not something to be celebrated, trivialised or as some who have never served believe it gives them the excuse to behave like an idiot. To the advertising people and VB thanks I think you have hit the right note again and I will be raising a quiet glass (sorry not VB I prefer a different brand) on 25 Apr
Incredibly moving. Job well done everyone. Second best true story war film I’ve ever seen.