There’s nothing like rubbing salt in the wound of an old rival, so with no sympathy VB jumped into action to stir up more fuss following a controversial Ashes Test.

The brand is showcasing a special edition of its classic Aussie beer – ‘England Bitter’. 

The cheeky alcoholic beverage comes after a controversial dismissal on the final day of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s this week. With the game in the balance after Australia squandered a dominant position, England batsman Jonny Bairstow was stumped at the end of an over after leaving his crease.

Australia went on to win the Test. The action was well within the rules, however to some it violated the “spirit of cricket”, and has caused an uproar. 

No time to lose for VB

“We know the English cricket team are bitter about the Lord’s Test, but when they’re feeling less bitter we’ve got a beer to shout them… our fresh new England Bitter,” says VB marketing manager Marc Lord.

Considering the short gap between the conclusion of the controversial match and the third Ashes Test, VB has done well to prepare this campaign in time.

“England Bitter has got their name on it and we’re sending a few slabs to the English Cricket Team to enjoy once they’ve cooled off. We raise our glass to the whole Australian team for securing a famous win in the second test, and wish them the best of luck in winning the series,” says Lord.

The company is also handing out free ‘England Bitter’ t-shirts to Australian fans at the third test at Headingley.

Official disapproval with Ashes outcome

Amongst the chorus of whingeing England fans one voice drew attention at a political level, when a spokesperson for Rishi Sunak said the UK Prime Minister disapproved of the outcome. 

His Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese was quick to fire back, saying that Sunak should “stay in his crease”.

Evocative lighting and sensual poses seem typical for any brand selling sex, and overall the marketing of condoms seems to really involve building a mood.

So why has a recent series of Durex ads featured bright graphics and rubber ducks? Well if you know you know, the company says on each Instagram post. The new campaign is a reactive partnership between Durex and marketing agency MRM that comes hot on the heels of a minor update to Apple’s autocorrect software. 

After more than a decade of either annoying or amusing its user base, Apple has finally announced the removal of a particular autocorrection that surely has been its most prevalent. The f-word will no longer be changed to duck.

It’s a busy time for Apple, with this update merely an afterthought in a schedule of announcements. The showstopper is its Vision Pro augmented reality headset, and for those willing to pay a premium it holds innovative potential. 

The end of an autocorrect cultural phenomenon

“In those moments where you just want to type a ducking word, well, the keyboard will learn it, too,” Apple software boss Craig Federighi announced at its recent developer’s conference. 

And so this notorious correction is no more.

Durex is making the most of its last opportunity with this pun, pushing the joke to its limit by posting a series of rubber-duck themed content across its social pages.

 

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From “down to duck” to “duck buddies”, this sexualisation of a bath toy may be a new and surprising context for many consumers, but the rubber connection and impeccable haste in following the announcement gives the campaign a hefty punch.

There is a discount on offer of 15 percent for the social media users whose eyes were caught by the campaign, with the code “DOWNTODUCK”.

Tourism Fiji’s latest campaign, the ‘Shot of Happiness Project’ via Red Havas, wants to reclaim ‘happiness’ in a world dominated by social media. 

For 24 hours, starting 20 March at 12:00 FJT, Fijian locals have been tasked to capture 24 unfiltered shots using classic, disposable cameras of the archipelago of 333 islands with ‘zero’ chances at retakes.

Social media has changed the way we live our lives. Despite social media platforms being so entrenched in our lives, a 2021 survey conducted by UNICEF-Gallup showed that both young and older people are least likely to trust these platforms. Although the hashtag #happy has over 688 million posts on Instagram, there’s evidence that almost one third of people around the world do not feel happy because social media widely propagates an utopian lifestyle.

As a constructive mechanism to help people, not just in Fiji but across the world, to celebrate those little unedited joys in life and live life as it comes, Tourism Fiji’s newest Shot of Happiness Project campaign is telling a compelling story of the Fijian land and its people through a series of unfiltered visuals. 

What’s more is that this campaign is also “flipping the narrative” as Tourism Fiji chief marketing officer, Emma Campbell puts it, and “shares the story from a visitor’s perspective”.

“We know consumers are looking for meaningful travel experiences and in a world where Instagram versus reality is a culturally relevant phenomenon, the Shot of Happiness Project aims to debunk the world’s perception of what happiness looks like on social media and give the world a taste of what they can see and experience in Fiji,” says Campbell.

Saying goodbye to an ‘edited’ life

Following the successful launch of Tourism Fiji’s global brand platform, ‘Where happiness comes naturally’, the latest campaign aims to encourage the world to rework their muscle memory to cut back on the time spent on social media and instead spark more moments of authentic happiness.

An expert in Positive Psychology, specialising in happiness, Dr Lea Waters talks about the negative impacts using social media has on our daily lives since. She says there is a desperate need to constantly draw comparison between personal experiences and the fake depictions of happiness online.

“Exposure to sunlight, connection to nature and being within a community that focuses on sharing can help us feel more stable and valuing these things over material possessions is something we can learn from Fijians, as this is what makes them so happy. With this in mind, there’s no better nation suited to take the lead on changing perceptions of happiness around the world,” she says. 

So far, @tourismfiji has posted some of the most genuine photos. These aim to take audiences back to a bygone era of film photography and give the world a taste of the atmosphere in Fiji. 

Executive creative director of Host/Havas, Jon Austin says, “We’re thrilled to be working with the wider Havas Village to build on the ‘Where happiness comes naturally’ brand platform and narrative.”

“We reckon the world can learn a lot from Fiji, and we’re proud to be the ones who get the opportunity to shine a light on the incredible island nation and a way of life that requires no filters, effects, or multiple takes to show true happiness,” he adds.

Celebrating life in its purest form

For more unconventional tourism campaigns on social media, see how ‘unfluencers’ traveled to Esperance last week.

Heineken’s new integrated gaming initiative ‘Player 0.0’ is touring Australia to mark the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix, offering fans across the country a chance to win a trip to the event. 

Players in Sydney, Perth and Melbourne will test their skills in the simulated racing event, with the person who achieves the fastest virtual lap at each location invited to compete in a final race held trackside during the race weekend beginning Thursday, March 30.

An early leaderboard is available on the Heineken website.

Responsibility behind the wheel

“The launch of Heineken Player 0.0 enables us to entertain and unite F1’s passionate and growing fanbase in new ways, as we spread the message of ‘Enjoy Heineken Responsibly’ even further,” says Heineken country manager Australia Dino Bizzone.

Featuring current world champion and responsible consumption ambassador Max Verstappen, the initiative is part of Heineken’s global ‘When You Drive, Never Drink’ campaign, a long-standing partnership with Formula 1.Heartbreak High actor Josh Hueston and gaming influencer Stephanie ‘Hex’ Bendixsen are supporting the Player 0.0 activations, alongside other local influencers.

Player 0.0 is taking place at the following locations:

• In Sydney at Westfield Parramatta from March 10 – March 12.
• In Perth at Brass Monkey Northbridge from March 17 – March 19.
• In Melbourne at Chadstone Shopping Centre from March 24 – March 26.

Drawing a crowd 

After a two year hiatus, the Australian Grand Prix returned in 2022 to record attendance. The estimated 420,000 fans to visit Albert Park across the weekend became the most ever to attend Formula 1 in Melbourne. 

Heineken Saturday, a free second event run by the brewing company, will feature during the Grand Prix after qualifying with DJ Hayden James, Kinder and Crooked Colours all performing.

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Food delivery service Menulog has appointed Thinkerbell its creative partner after an agency review. This follows a successful partnership in 2022 which saw the agency develop a series of local ads to complement the global ‘Did Somebody Say’ campaign.

Thinkerbell will assist with strategy, creative, earned and owned content going forward.

Menulog marketing director Simon Cheng says, “we’re looking forward to working with Thinkerbell to really drive value for our local restaurant/business partners and customers, as well as developing ideas that exemplify the Menulog difference.”

An award-winning response

Menulog was founded in Australia in 2006, but after its $855 million acquisition by then UK-owned company Just Eat in 2015, joined a global network of food delivery services. 

In 2020 the memorable ‘Did Somebody Say’ musical campaign featuring Snoop Dogg launched across Just Eat Takeaway’s brands, created by UK-based agency McCann London. Last year, an evolution of the jingle starring Katy Perry debuted for Menulog during the opening State of Origin match, with the “annoying” ad provoking the ire of many viewers. 

Thinkerbell were enlisted to come up with a response by the second game two weeks later: a contrasting series of ads featuring retired rugby player Wendell Sailor completing mundane activities like reading a book and sleeping.

Menulog took out Nine’s State of Originality award, given to the brand making best creative use of the event each year, for ‘Wendell Sailor Brushing His Teeth’.

“We’ve loved helping Menulog deliver the unexpected and common attention in 2022,” says Thinkerbell’s chief thinker Adam Ferrier. 

“We look forward to further unleashing the Menulog brand in Australia.”

Slim pickings for food delivery companies

In the post-pandemic world of revitalised in-person dining, high inflation and elevated interest rates, food delivery services have struggled. In late 2022 Menulog rival Deliveroo withdrew from the Australian market and grocery delivery startup Voly collapsed.

Menulog itself announced a downsizing at its Sydney head office in November, after a “skew towards the number of management and support roles.”

In a written statement at the time, a Menulog spokeswoman said, “to ensure we are operating as efficiently as possible, we have taken the difficult decision to reduce the number of those management and support roles.”

For 2023, Cheng says the company’s focus is on “consistently expanding” its range and quality of service, aiming to achieve growth.

Two popular influencers from Western Australia have become ‘unfluencers’ while travelling in Esperance on the state’s south coast. They’re deliberately not posting about the region’s attractions as part of an unusual tourism campaign developed by 303 MullenLowe and Mediahub Perth for regional tourism organisation Australia’s Golden Outback (AGO). 

The integrated campaign showcases Esperance as the perfect antidote to always-on city life, framing its distance from major cities – and patchy internet – as a means for true disconnection. Using the tagline ‘So Far, So Good’, it aims to promote travel to the region in the quieter autumn and spring seasons.

Influencers become ‘unfluencers’

To kick the campaign off, local WA influencers Rahnee Bransby and Zak Hasleby toured Esperance. But in a campaign twist, they pledged not to post or use social media, giving them the chance to ‘truly disconnect’, and instead connect with the location and people they are with.

They did, however, post about their holidays after the fact, sharing images supplied by AGO to their socials.

The campaign hits the airwaves

As part of a campaign partnership with the radio station Nova 937, the influencers checked in with Breakfast host and Esperance local Nat Locke before and after their trips. Nova is also encouraging all of Perth to ‘Pledge to Not Post’ to go into a draw to win an all-expenses-paid trip to Esperance.  Both the campaign and competition will be promoted through the partnership (and ironically on social media).

“Talking about the impact the social media ‘break’ had on our unfluencers has also generated strong conversation among people that might otherwise only see the classic ‘beach shots’ that Esperance is so famous for,” says Mediahub Perth’s general manager Kylie Macey.

“Taking away the ability to post while visiting Esperance also meant we found other ways to reach our audiences, with radio, owned and earned media and fast-to-market content becoming more of a focus. We’re excited to see how far and wide the reach of our unfluencers will be.”  

Promoting different facets of WA

303 MullenLowe and Mediahub Perth previously worked with representatives of AGO as part of the ‘Queens on the Edge’ campaign to promote the South West Edge.  

AGO CEO Marcus Falconer says it’s sometimes hard to differentiate between regions to visit in WA. Esperance is already known across the globe for its beaches, so it became important to promote a broader picture of what the town has to offer.  

“What makes Esperance particularly special is its distance,” explains Falconer. 

“Yes, it’s a long way from Perth. Yes, its internet is sometimes patchy. But it’s also a place where people can go to breathe, and enjoy both an incredible region while connecting with loved ones and nature. And that’s what this campaign communicates so effectively, that it’s so far – it’s good. We can’t wait for people to put their phones away, and see for themselves.” 

Read about Marketing‘s favourite tourism campaigns of 2022.

IKEA UAE has released a sweet and simple campaign that features its BLÅVINGAD soft toy collection narrating unexpected family histories.

Three short videos in the ‘Where Do They Come From’ campaign via Ogilvy introduce the range of soft toys made from ocean-bound plastic on a very personal level. Each slowly zooms in on a still life of a different sea creature from the soft toy collection placed inside an IKEA-furnished room. 

In accents from around the world, the toys’ human voiceovers tell dramatic stories of their oceanic origins.

“It took me a while to ask my parents about their story,” says the dolphin toy with the Cockney accent.

“I was told they were sailing the big blue aboard a lavish yacht.”

After a while, the tale takes a twist as we find out the romantic meeting was between a plastic straw and a party cup.

“I’m a party cup, I’m a straw. I’m a party animal – more specifically a dolphin soft toy made from ocean plastic.”

IKEA’s childlike take on a serious environmental issue will continue across radio spots, social films, print and OOH.

Read more about the best IKEA campaigns.

Melbourne’s trams have had a striking makeover, thanks to a partnership with a local community organisation supporting migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women to find employment.

SisterWorks’ ‘Hire Her: Migrant and Refugee Women’ campaign launched on 31 January as part of the 2023 Yarra trams Community Partnerships Program. This annual program provides in-kind advertising, in the form of a tram wrap, to social enterprises. As a result, these enterprises get their names on the world’s largest tram network.

The theme for the 2023 program is ‘Building a Resilient and Sustainable Melbourne’. 

According to Yarra Trams, the selected partners – which also include Oz Harvest and Asylum Seeker’s Resource Centre – focus on important issues that are “meaningful to Melburnians”, from climate and economic resilience to equitable opportunity.

A moving campaign

SisterWorks provides training and coaching, on-the-job experience, and professional support to assist vulnerable women to become gainfully employed. To that end, SistersWorks campaign artwork was licensed from one of its ‘Entrepreneur Sisters’, Camila Paz, and features products made by five other Sisters in its Entrepreneurship and Business Mentor Program.

Running for four months, the Hire Her public campaign seeks to broaden awareness of SisterWorks as a not-for-profit social enterprise and highlight its mission.

“We seek partners and pathways to employ our Sisters and support our training programs and are excited that our Yarra Trams campaign can help advocate for and help remove barriers in hiring migrants and refugees,” says SisterWorks CEO Ifrin Fittock.

The Cancer Council and the Australian Government have created a campaign with a mission to get more men slip, slop, slapping (and seeking and sliding). 

The reason? It’s estimated that men are almost twice as likely as women to die from melanoma, according to new Cancer Council research. The data also revealed only 45 percent of Australian men agree sun protection is part of their daily routine, and were half as likely as women to apply daily SPF in summer.

To tackle this problem, the Government and Cancer Council have teamed up with sports stars Michael Klim and Brad Hodge. The Olympic swimmer and former cricketer are not just recognisable sportsmen, but sportsmen who spent most of their careers outdoors. 

The two have come together in a quirky ‘in-sun’ safety video. The spot is designed to ensure Australian men are thinking about sun safety every time they step outside – just as they think about in-flight safety every time they board a plane.

As Klim steps into his car on the way to “Stevo’s barbecue”, he is perplexed to see a cheerful flight attendant appear. Instead of showing him the exit doors, the attendant points to the shady areas and encourages Klim to wear a sun protective shirt.

It’s a light-hearted approach that applies a layer of protection from the morbidity of the topic.

“We are asking all Australians, in particular men aged over 40, to think of sun safety every time they head outdoors,” says the federal minister for health and aged care, Mark Butler.

“This video is a fun way to encourage that group to think twice and be SunSmart, whether that’s while playing a round of backyard cricket or on the tools at work.”

A selective approach for skin cancer messaging

Although melanoma is considered our ‘national cancer’, it’s not unusual for advocacy groups in Australia to take targeted approaches for problem audiences. In December 2022, the Melanoma Institute Australia partnered with TikTok Australia to inspire Gen Zs to lose the tan following alarming #tanning #sunburn challenges trending on the app.

Some influencers have taken on the advocacy work themselves. One such influencer was Natalie Fornasier, who died in January at age 28 after a melanoma diagnosis had become terminal. She used her diagnosis to raise awareness around the importance of sun protection and getting skin checks across her own social accounts and publications generally aimed at women.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with cancer and needs support, help is available. You can contact Cancer Council’s free and confidential support line on 13 11 20 – for practical, emotional and financial support.