MEAT and Livestock Australia has launched its new Summer Lamb campaign with a theme of uniting Australia after a period that featured friction with China, the abandoned French submarine deal and COVID-inspired border closures.

The highly-anticipated Summer Lamb campaign was launched on 10 January, showing Australia reuniting with the world almost two years of isolation from other nations, with a last-minute dig at Western Australia’s hard COVID border closure.

MLA said its Summer Lamb campaigns have built a strong legacy of highly topical advertising and thought provoking creative, generating widespread conversation and publicity for Australian lamb.

The campaign aims to encapsulate Summer as a key time for Australians to get together with friends and family over a meal or barbeque. MLA said the six-week campaign would build on the ‘Share the Lamb’ brand platform by reflecting upon how Australia has become isolated from the rest of the world due to strict international border closures during the COVID pandemic.

The long-form advert follows a world explorer and their student apprentice protégé, as they rediscover that there is a whole world outside of ‘fortress Australia’. Inspired by the tantalising sight of Australian lamb, the ultimate unifier, the duo cultivates a plan to get Australia back on the international map with the help of Lambassador, Sam Kekovich.

The campaign’s television commercial highlights how Australians are stronger and better when we come together. To ensure lamb’s relevancy to consumers, the campaign also demonstrates the ease and versatility through various cuts, cooking methods and meal inspiration, MLA said.

The campaign was launched with a live broadcast BBQ on Sunrise with Lambassador, Sam Kekovich. The advert will appear on national TV with placements during the Australian Open and the campaign will feature across path to purchase out-of-home (OOH), online video and social platforms.

To keep lamb top of mind and drive the purchase in store, the campaign will also connect with consumers with a presence in major retail environments including Coles, Woolworth’s, IGA, Costco, Drakes, ALDI and butcher stores. Product-focused digital screens, catalogue, magazines, digital assets and point of sale activity will deliver meal inspiration and drive purchase in store.

Food service partnerships with Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group, Australian Venue Co. and Pegasus Leisure Group will showcase a delicious range of lamb dishes on menus to further drive sales. Additionally, an event was hosted on January 6 at the Head Restaurant (Seagrass Group) highlighting the best of Australian lamb to key influencers and their networks to drive awareness. The January issue of Rare Medium Magazine and Rare Medium Academy will also feature Australian lamb as a key focus.

Source: MLA.