Projects.
Gruen – Convince Australians to eat Koala
The project
SBM returns to feature on ABC’s Gruen… with our diciest, most controversial pitch yet.
The puzzle
For the third year in a row, SBM was invited to create a marketing campaign video for the pitch segment of ABC’s Gruen.
The pitch? ‘Convince Australians to eat koala’.
No pressure.
With only a 30-second video to work with, this was going to be our greatest pitch challenge yet, especially with koalas recently being recognised as an endangered species. It was up to our creative team to brainstorm an idea that would convince Australians to fire up the barbecue, break out the marinade and tuck into a feast made from our cuddliest national icon.
The solution
Our creative team met the challenge head on, eventually settling on the concept of normalising koala meat with a good old-fashioned TV ad. The core of the video would showcase koala meat as part of Aussie culture, all the while juxtaposing a wholesome family dinner with a heavy dose of (slightly dark) humour.
Humour was chosen for its power to break down dark or taboo subjects, helping the audience engage with a key message that may be outside of their comfort zone. Also crucial to the piece was the jingle, evoking famously catchy marketing campaigns such as ‘Chicken Tonight’. This also helped to soften the subject matter, play up the humour and make the ad truly memorable via the power of a catchy tune.
SBM’s creative team recognised the importance of interweaving authentic marketing elements to this ad– such as emphasising nutrition in both packaging and narration– while simultaneously being aware of entertainment value, something highly prized in past Gruen pitches.
The result
The final product was a comedic, catchy and impactful TV-style ad, encouraging viewers to grab a jar of Koala Masala from “all underrated supermarkets – only while livestocks last”.
After screening both ads, the judges awarded the win to SBM in a decisive 3-1 vote. They noted the catchy jingle, the clever use of normalisation and the interwoven elements of subtle humour as being responsible for the pitch’s success, with host Wil Anderson noting on social media before and after the show that Koala Masala was his “personal favourite pitch ever.”
The ad also made waves on social media, winning the people’s choice award with over 400 reactions and almost 200 shares.
