Advertiser: MEAT & LIVESTOCK AUSTRALIA
Agency: BMF
Category: Food and Non-Alcholic Drinks
Advertising campaign: THROW ANOTHER STEAK ON THE BARBIE
Digital Project Manager: Rachel O’Toole (BMF)
Interaction Design Lead: Nev Fordyce (BMF)
Account Executive: Rose Flowers (BMF)
Director: Stephen Carroll (Exit Films)
Managing Partner: Stephen McArdle (BMF)
Producer: Tobias Webster (Exit Films)
Art Director: Trent Hendrick (BMF)
Copywriter: Andie Graham (BMF)
Executive Creative Director: Carlos Alija (BMF)
Planner: Christina Aventi (BMF)
Account Director: Jonny Bucknall (BMF)
Executive Creative Director: Laura Sampedro (BMF)
Client Director: Rebecca Morton (BMF)
Account Manager: Ciaran Miller-Stubbs (BMF)
Agency Producer: Mel Herbert (BMF)
Relevancy
We had a unique opportunity whereby the client’s problem (people barbecuing other meats) was perfectly aligned with a cultural problem (Australians being stereotyped as ‘throwing shrimp on the barbie’).We took advantage, empowering Australians to fight their most hated stereotype. As they did, they became loudspeakers for steak. The campaign hit a cultural nerve and people stickered cars, hung posters, shared photos and more than 50,000 people signed the petition.We gave people what they wanted – the tourism ad remade. They shared it with friends in 124 countries to set the record straight, telling the world, Australians barbecue steak.
Implementation
Ever since an Australian tourism TVC ran overseas in 1984, Australians have been teased and mocked with the line 'Throw another shrimp on the barbie'. Despite the success of the ad, Aussies HATE this line: they call them ‘prawns’ (not shrimp) and they rarely barbecue it.The idea was to rally Australians to sign a petition and get the 1984 tourism ad remade with the more accurate line, ‘Throw another STEAK on the barbie’. We created a social movement that saw consumers turn into advocates, and fight on behalf of our product to change the stereotype they hate so much.
Client Brief Or Objective
Barbecuing steak in summer has long been an Australian tradition, but in recent years, Meat and Livestock Australia, the body for Australian Beef Producers, had seen a decline in steak sales. People were starting to grill chicken and seafood.The brief: increase loyalty and sales over the summer of 2012/13. We had to reignite the Australian love of barbecuing steak to regain its status as ‘king of the grill’.We decided to turn the decline in steak sales into a matter of national pride, getting Aussies to declare their allegiance to steak and fight for it.
Outcome
-53,178 people signed the petition-Facebook fanbase tripled from 27,023 to 83,345 without incentive-Facebook content was liked, commented and shared over 850,000 times-Facebook fans generated 19m impressions via interactions with the page-Aussies shared the campaign with 124 countries to set the record straight-During the campaign period, steak sales in Australia increased 3% (we can’t give a sales figure, but it equates to a lot of steak and dollars!)The campaign caught the imaginations of fans and some started their own movements in support – like getting the ‘Big Prawn’ tourist attraction changed to a ‘Big Steak’.