Vegemite requests a letter from the Queen ahead of 100th B’day in new campaign via Thinkerbell
Vegemite, Australia’s most iconic spread, turns 100 next year. Proudly returned to Australian hands in 2017 by Bega Cheese Limited, the Australian brand is preparing for a celebration fit for a queen. To kick things off in style, in what’s set to be a MITEY year for Vegemite, the brand has humbly requested a royal nod from Her Majesty The Queen – a 100th birthday letter to mark its special day in a campaign via Thinkerbell.
Says Jacqui Roth, marketing manager, Vegemite: “On the Queen’s Birthday long weekend Vegemite has officially sent off communication to London, as what better way is there for Vegemite to hit 100 than with a letter from Her Majesty? It’ll top off a whole century of breakfasts, lunches and high teas.”
To increase the chances of Her Majesty seeing Vegemite’s request, the brand also deployed a fleet of mobile digital billboards to drive around London to coincide with the Queen’s Birthday weekend in the majority of Australian states and territories.
Says Ben Couzens, executive creative director at Thinkerbell: “Vegemite is a national icon Down Under, and we think it deserves nothing less than the royal treatment when it hits the big 100 next year. Fingers crossed Her Majesty comes through with the goods.”
The brand’s cheeky request made waves on the weekend, being reported and discussed across TV, Radio and news sites with a total of over 600 mentions.
Vegemite
Matt Gray – Head of Marketing
Jacqui Roth – Marketing Manager
Magda Kozera – Senior Brand Manager
Holly Shotton – Assistant Brand Manager
Hannah Saliba – Brand Communications and PR Lead
James Coleman – Marketing Manager, Digital & Communications
Ally Heywood – Social Media & Content Coordinator
Thinkerbell
Adam Ferrier – Chief Thinker
Ben Couzens – Executive Creative Tinker
Romy Stubbings – Thinker
Elsa Caruso – Tinker
Ellen Woods – Tinker
Megan Latter – Tinker
Oliver Eyre – Editor
Suzi Williamson – Head Thinker
Nikia Shepherd – Free Thinker
Jamie Lane – Design Tinker
Jesse Theodosiou – Design Tinker
Content capture
Bizzy Thompson – Videographer, London
Starcom
Georgina O’Hare – Account Manager
Nicole Manton – Account Executive
7 Comments
Vegemite was a brand I was proud of as an Aussie. But the last few years it just feels cheap. The other day I saw they’d released a range of dog collars.
Despite Marmite already having a Royal Warrant, this is as un-Australian as you can get. Appealing to our former colonial overlords, who were responsible for the destruction of native peoples and habitat, as well as killing two entire generation of their own ‘subjects’ during two world wars, who just happen to hold a figure-head relationship with our nation and are smearing the top-left corner of our flag. Tastes like feudalism, not Australia to my mouth.
How many times are we going to see billboards on trucks parked outside places? So so so so tired. Do better.
The petrol to run those two vans probably cost more than the ads themselves.
Swing and a miss
Given there is a real cloud of doubt around Her Majesty’s failing health and whether or not she’ll make it to her own 100th birthday party, this is in extremely poor taste.
Haters gonna hate