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Undersold selling

By Ian Nance - posted Wednesday, 18 January 2017


I could not believe the whingeing I saw reported in the recent weekend press about what has to be one of the most refreshing, beautifully scripted, delightfully-acted advertisements ever.

It was for an equally adventurous organisation, Meat & Livestock Australia.

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The tale is about a group of aboriginal inhabitants gathering for a beach barbie in 'present' times, and readying for some kind of celebration.

As they set up and comment on the beauty of the beach and its freedom from crowds, a shot of an approaching square rigger causes a party organiser to warn jokingly "Oh – here we go", then they all react to the arrival of hundreds of explorers from various ships, both sail and later on, steam.

These disgorge arrivals from France, Great Britain, shiploads of beer swillers, the ice-gatherers for the drinks from the Antarctic expedition, a junk full of Chinese, shiploads of Italians, Greeks, and Serbians, African cricket players, and what are identified as 'boat people' cheerfully represented by cooking expert Poh Ling Yeow who asks…"Aren't we all boat people?

Then they go about setting up their national foods performing dances, and enjoying themselves and their beach party thoroughly.

It celebrates light-heartedly parts of Australia's multi- culture with very individualistic cameo lines delivered by Aussies such as Sam Kekovich, Olympian Cathy Freeman, former Rugby star Wendell Sailor,cricket legend Adam Gilchrist and comedian Rhys Nicholson, in short, a classic group of role models.

It's screen-played as a brief summary on the history of our nation, all in celebration of Australia Day, although that event is never actually mentioned.

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In typical Aussie style they take the piss out of just about everyone and every social custom, yet blend it within a culture of unity and acceptance.

The celebrations continue with dancing, fireworks displays, then the message ends in a delightful example of the power of underselling with a zoom back to a wide downwards aerial shot of the beach, and the one, sole branding of the entire two and a half minute commercial.

This textbook use of the power of filmic story telling creates an extremely strong sales message without even hinting at product, apart from cutaway shots of meat on the barbeque, until it is revealed ever so subtly and memorably at the very ending: 'YOU'LL NEVER LAMB ALONE' with a second line in lower case: 'We Love Our Lamb'.

Yet the same clever story telling was criticised in an article in the SMH under the heading "One clever meat ad is a lot of people's poison".

That article featured criticisms by Luke Pearson of NITV who stated the ad perhaps was a fitting theme for Australia Day but that it forgot about or misrepresented completely Australian history, and focussed on selling stuff.

Aboriginal writer and actor, Nakkiah Lui, said "I wonder how people would respond to the ad if it started with a more accurate portrayal of the arrival of the Tall Ships", while the creator of the ABC drama "Cleverman", Ryan Griffen, felt that the ad was in poor taste despite the importance for Australians to celebrate multiculturalism.

My response is to ask whether people want a boring factual history lesson, or else one written in a catching, comically subtle style which tells our story in an interesting, emotionally connected way.

I guess that there would be people who would criticise the artistry of Alfred Hitchcock by complaining that his shower stabbing sequence in Psycho had the wrong style of shower curtain, and that the shower place was not large enough for true comfort.

This clever visual presentation is not a news report, a documentary, but a thoroughly entertaining piece of advertising.

I'd like to know who was the writer, director, and art director of one of the most superb pieces of screen advertising ever, which probably won't get much airing on free-to-air TV because of the massive costs of running a two and a half minute spot at the desired reach and frequency but it will probably go viral wildly.

It carries a strongly inducing message which even bonds with a diehard vegetarian such as me!

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About the Author

Ian Nance's media career began in radio drama production and news. He took up TV direction of news/current affairs, thence freelance television and film producing, directing and writing. He operated a program and commercial production company, later moving into advertising and marketing.

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