Budgy Smuggler has released a new nostalgic swimwear collection in collaboration with Streets, featuring the summer treats Paddle Pop, Bubble-O-Bill, Splice and Golden Gaytime. 

Launching the collection on Friday 7 October in Budgy Smuggler’s Bondi retail store, the brand extension agency, Asembl, encouraged the collaboration. 

“Nothing comes close to an Australian summer quite like Streets and Budgy Smuggler,” says Asembl managing director Justin Watson. 

“The consummate partnership, this deliciously fun collection, features the iconic imagery of Paddle Pop, Bubble-O-Bill, Splice and Golden Gaytime – which have each lent themselves perfectly playful to the all-Australian Budgy Smuggler swimwear pieces.”

The Budgy Smuggler x Streets collection includes smuggling men’s swimwear, booty shorts, one pieces, tops and bottoms, as well as branded bucket hats.

The range is Australian-made and hand-sewn using environmentally friendly inks and a laser cutting process to minimise fabric wastage. 

“Salt water and sweet treats – the perfect memory makers! Budgie Smuggler and Streets’ partnership is a beautiful Aussie day at the beach if we’re ever seen one,” says Streets’ marketing manager Annie Lucchitti.

“If you think of summer, you think of swimwear, ice creams and the beach, right?!” says Budgy Smuggler GM Brenden Hartmann.

“Streets and Budgy Smuggler coming together is like seeing John Farnham and Daryl Braithwaite on stage at the same time: two iconic Australians joining forces to give the people what they want. We’re stoked with how this range represents both brands and serves as a tip of the hat to both ice cream and swimwear lovers alike.”

Bank of Queensland’s new campaign via internal agency The Inside Job, Never Home Loan Again, showcases a team going undercover and deploying a series of nightmare neighbours to scare off rich buyers, keeping homes affordable for everyday Australians.

BOQ’s ‘above-and-beyond service and support to all customers in their home buying and refinancing journeys’ is showcased in the new campaign, showing favour for new homeowners.

Melody Townsend, general manager, retail marketing for BOQ, says: “Whether you’re currently planning on buying your first home or thinking about your next one, there are many big decisions to be made, which is why it’s important to feel supported from the moment you find a great rate all the way to your settlement date.”

The ad spots feature a stakeout van taking notice when “things are getting red hot” in an auction taking place across the road. They call in unsavoury neighbours: a loud heavy metal drummer in one spot, and a pair of nudists emerge from behind the hedge in another spot. 

Stephen Thompson, creative head at The Inside Job, says: “We instantly knew we wanted to bring Bank of Queensland’s unique proposition to life with a campaign that was exciting, fun and that really stood out in the category, but at the same time, stayed true to the brand’s core values. And we’re thrilled with the result.”

The campaign is set to run across all major channels including OOH, TV, BVOD, radio, socials, and digitals.

After reporting that Netflix will be releasing a less expensive subscription tier to the platform that will include ads by the end of the year. However, marketers aren’t impressed by the cost to run ads and are questioning whether the endeavour will be worth it.

A steep entry price for ad spots have been hinted at through news reports and various media outlets in conversation with The Drum. At US$65 CPM, the cost of running ads is significantly higher than many streaming services, marketers are questioning its worth. 

Another concern arises when marketers consider whether Netflix’s ad model will deliver or fall short, especially given that the price is higher than the significantly sought after Super Bowl.

Netflix’s early sales talk have not been released to the public as of late. A spending limit of US$20 million was initially talked about by Netflix to prevent any one brand cluttering the ad spot. This was later claimed as a miscommunication, or a change of price, indicating that the brand is still developing the platform. 

Secondary brand marketer commented on the minimum spend being restrictive for national advertisers: “It has to be a global deal, for example, there’s no way someone in the UK would pay that on its own.” Another marketer inquires why Netflix would deviate from the most favourable CPMs at a national level for an untested tier. 

What about subscribers?

Subscribers may be expecting the same ad to roll, as experienced in ABC’s iView, but customers would question why bother paying for a tier that rolls ads on the same level that a free subscription service already offers. 

Additionally, Netflix will currently launch the new tier without a measurement partner, as it is yet to announce one. This is a deal breaker for marketers, as they prefer a safety net to demonstrate how the platform will run.

Regardless of these qualms, Netflix is likely to find enthusiastic buyers, with Quibi securing US$100 million in pledges ahead of the launch.

Netflix’s product is currently being taken care of by Xandr, Microsoft’s ad-tech firm. An AV buyer expresses worry over the partnership potentially locking into a long-term walled garden. “You can’t do that, it’s not YouTube. It’s not even Amazon. Netflix says you can only buy one way at a very high CPM with a very limited reach.”

On top of all this, marketers question whether Netflix will reach a large enough audience to make advertisers worth considering. Reports vary between 500,000 and 4.4 million depending on traction.

Especially as Netflix is struggling to keep up with competition, especially with so many platforms offering live sports, a media buyer wonders if the subscription service will continue to be a major contender. “Every other streamer has it, it keeps their audience engaged and they come back monthly. If Netflix doesn’t have a good list of content, subscriptions will disappear and there will be no reach, so it’s a very precarious position.”

As most of the information about the new ad-based subscription is speculation, it will be interesting to see how Netflix will continue forward.

Subway announces the limited-edition SubDog via politics, after the product gains traction after a social media prank.

As many brands subscribe to the April Fool’s prank to draw awareness to their brand in a fun-loving way, Subway introduced a “new product” on the first of April earlier this year. The Subway SubDog was thus introduced as a footlong classic American-style hotdog.

The prank had almost 20,000 people engaging in an online conversation, with what began as a cheeky April Fool’s joke actually ignited genuine demand and interest in the SubDog, and has led to Subway Australia to introduce the product for a limited time. 

David Thompson, a follower from Melbourne, commented that if the SubDog wasn’t real, he would never eat Subway again, and the rest is history. Subway worked with Publicis to plan the official product launch during the Footy Finals season, collaborating with Don Smallgoods to provide the hotdogs for the new Subway SubDog.

The Subway Team surprised David earlier this month, chauffeuring him to a Subway store to try the first real Subway SubDog, welcomed by a fanfare and a dancing hotdog. This same iconography is used in the video advertisements to give customers the same experience David was gifted.

The Subway SubDog campaign is led by Publicis Worldwide, along with Zenith managing media as part of the bespoke agency, Publicis TeamFresh. The campaign includes TV, Digital, Radio, OOH, POS, and social media.

Ben Miles, Subway Australia & New Zealand senior marketing manager, says: “We’d be disappointed to lose even one customer. So, when David called us out, we listened. SubDog is an idea that has ignited the imagination of so many people, in a way that only Subway can do. We’re thrilled at the response from Footlong and hotdog fans all over Australia.”

Ryan Petie, Publicis Worldwide executive creative director, adds: “The best brands are equally good at listening as they are at talking and acting. When we heard David Thompson acting so passionately about the Subway SubDog, there was no way we couldn’t deliver.”

In partnership with Special New Zealand, Kathmandu premiers its new summer campaign full of nostalgia and fun. 

The campaign aptly titled Summer Never Sleeps highlights how the summer holiday season is full of new adventures and surprises. Kathmandu is seen to support all adventures, from having fun with friends toasting marshmallows, to biking along a mountain range. 

The new launch builds on Kathmandu’s ongoing ‘where out there’ platform, acknowledging that in the summer, people get out there for a multitude of reasons: festivals, day trips, swims and everything in between. Summer holidays leave no time for rest, and Kathmandu is there so you have one less thing to worry about, leaving time to focus on adventure. 

Headlining the campaign is a 60-second spot created by Special and Scoundrel, which follows a group of friends on a quirky summer adventure. Set to the soundtrack of Jimmy, Rend-Se by Brazilian composer Tom Zé, the group go on crazy adventures decked out in Kathmandu’s outdoor gear. 

Kathmandu’s chief customer officer, Eva Barrett, says: “As the Number 1 outdoor brand in Australia and New Zealand we play a meaningful role in summer and we’re on a mission to get as many people ‘out there’ in nature as possible. Why? Because we know how the outdoors make us feel. The outdoors is transformative. When we spend time out there our stress goes down, our empathy goes up and we become more creative and feel happier… And that’s at any time, not just when the sun is up.

“We’re thrilled to have continued our work with Special New Zealand who helps us tell our story innovatively, creatively and passionately.”

Special’s executive creative director, Lisa Fedyzyn, adds: “Kathmandu is an adventurous brand and one that stands out, not just in its category, but in everything it does. The Summer Never Sleeps campaign encourages and facilitates everyone to fit in as much as they can over summer because it’s most rewarding when you make the most of being out there and staying out there.”

The campaign concludes the launch of Kathmandu’s new Spring/Summer collection, and was released yesterday across TV, digital, social, out of home and PR in New Zealand and Australia, and is set to run until 19 November.

Furphy, in collaboration with Thinkerbell, has put a twist on the typical football, to commemorate the footy season final.

Every Aussie is gearing up to celebrate the exciting end to the 2022 footy season, with Geelong and Sydney finding themselves versing each other for the very first time in the grand final. The two megastar teams are sure to bring in huge crowds. And what goes hand in hand with a huge crowd? That’s right a can in hand.

Geelong based brewery Furphy was all over this years’ grand final. It is the hometown brew of the challenging Geelong Cats. This is a matter of ensuring the folks of Geelong and beyond have a tasty treat in hand for a day of dangerous footy.

Furphy reflects this exciting end with its message: “Here’s to an Unbelievable footy finals”, featured alongside the visual combination of an AFL football and Furphy’s bottle cap.

The creative initiative is supported across OOH, print, radio and digital OOH across its native state, Victoria, live this week to celebrate the upcoming footy finals.

Special Australia and UberEats are excited for G Flip, Aussie singer and drummer, to lead the latest launch of KFC on the on-demand delivery platform. G Flip even uses some of the secret recipe drumsticks to introduce the fast-food company onto the app.

Continuing the trend of using celebrities to encourage the use of the UberEats app since its debut with the Irwin family and Paris Hilton earlier this year, G Flip joins the crew.

G Flip joins the UberEats campaign

The campaign is spearheaded by a 45-second spot created by Special Australia, with the launch to be intensified by PR and social activations developed in collaboration with Mediacom and Hello Social.

The 45-second spot features G Flip performing an intense and dramatic drumroll on stage in an empty theatre, with the iconic imagery of the UberEats delivery bag being gently set on stage, signalled by a doorbell. G Flip performs this impressive drum solo armed with two delicious, chicken drumsticks.

 

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A post shared by G FLIP (@gflip)

Andy Morley, UberEats, director of marketing ANZ, explains; “We’re pumped to have KFC available on UberEats and we’re thrilled to be partnering with an artist of G Flip’s character and quality. They’re not just a sublime musical talent but also a genuine fan of UberEats. We’ve been hoping to link up with them for some time – this was the perfect way to do it.”

Sarah Parris, creative director, Special Australia, says: “Announcing KFC is finally on UberEats is a simple message that just needed a bold execution to bring the two brand’s personalities together. Playing the drums with KFC Drumsticks seemed to offer the perfect amount of unconventional charm, energy and drama.”

Excitingly, the campaign also includes the opportunity for users to compete in a ‘chicken thumbroll’ where people can win prizes including UberEats codes, signed G Flip merch and limited edition chicken-shaped drumsticks. The film and OOH are brought to fruition by Special, working closely with Ogilvy – KFC’s creative agency.

Sally Spriggs, KFC Australia’s chief marketing officer, spoke about the campaign. “KFC has been a big supporter of Aussie music for some time now, so being able to partner with the amazing G Flip for the next phase of our UberEats launch is something we’re excited for.”

The campaign will roll out across TV, OLV, BVOD, OOH, social, CRM and PR in the next coming days.

Partnering with creative agency FRED & FARID Los Angeles and FRED & FARID Paris, Longchamp has launched the second edition of Très Paris. It features another music video reimagining an iconic French song.

Directed by French director Alice Kong, the music video features French ballerina and actress Marion Barbeau alongside French actress and model Annabelle Belmondo. The pair bring Jacques Dutronc’s song J’aime les filles to life. The eye-catching film features fabulous block colours and dynamic movements. 

With the video having only been released a week ago, a commenter asks about the new song and asks who sang the one showcased in the video. The classic track was reinvented by contemporary French indie pop group, Evergreen and allows for a fun, chic feel for the film.

We follow two heroines as the music video follows the pair live their lives in the way of Jacques Dutronc’s lyrics: with elegance, style, and a playful wink. Dressed in Longchamp’s FW22 Collection, the pair are seen dining, lying in bed on the lawn of the Sacré Cœur, carrying skis throughout the streets, grabbing an ice cream and ending their adventure by posing for a painting. 

The song is the heart of the video.

“J’aime les filles” personifies the Parisienne experience, viewed alongside French landmarks, making everything seem flirty, fun and fresh. The cover by Evergreen marries modernity with the timelessness of French culture. The melding of the two is everything that makes up Longchamp – maintaining a trademark avant-garde creativity with superior craftsmanship in every collection.

The second chapter of the campaign signifies the brand’s inimitable Parisienne spirit, communicating the effervescent energy that exemplifies all that is Longchamp.

Alongside the music video release, there are 12 brand films, two BTS films and a multitude of content suited for socials. This campaign is the fourth global launch from the Fred and Farid offices since the collaboration started in 2020. With hundreds of assets created over the past three years, the agency continues to build the “Très Paris” platforms. 

The new promotional material is exactly what it says it is: chic, fun and witty, and more simply put, “Très Paris”.

A new heart-wrenching campaign for Children’s Cancer Institute has launched. It’s the first with the help of newly appointed independent creative agency, Orphan. 

Titled A Life Should Be Long, the campaign highlights how a child’s hopes and dreams are crushed when cancer cuts lives short. It asks the public to donate to give kids the best chance at their dream of a longer life.

The bright, playful style of the video ad depicts everything a kid could want: kooky hairstyles, finding success at a “big school”, and making mum feel better with cake. However, when we meet the child behind the voiceover, the ad takes a stark turn. It shows the audience the reality of cancer and a need for a cure.

“Sadly, cancer cuts life short for hundreds of children in Australia every year, before they’ve even had a chance to make their mark on the world,” a representative from Orphan explains. 

“We have seen first-hand the devastation of childhood cancer and the huge hole left in the life of a family who lost their child to this cruel disease.”

“Our aim with the campaign is to inspire support and positivity, rather than evoking fear and hopelessness. A Life Should Be Long brings to life the hopes, the dreams and also the potential that survives when a child survives cancer. We hope we have created something that is persuasive. Something that encourages people to dig deep and help fund vital research.”

Children’s Cancer Institute chief of marketing and fundraising officer, Anne Johnston, spoke of the campaign. “Orphan have been an exceptional partner for this campaign. The team have brought our brand proposition to life in such a compelling way. We have no doubt this campaign will attract new supporters and generate significant funds to help us cure all kinds of cancer.”

About Orphan

Founders of Orphan have developed award-winning work for clients of all shapes and sizes, across all industries and mediums, including Droga5, Saatchi & Saatchi, DDB and BBDO. Orphan has almost 40 years of collective experience in some of the region’s most successful agencies. 

“Orphan has been operating for over 12 months now, and we’ve been busier than we could have ever imagined,” Orphan reveals. “After working on a number of exciting brands, we finally found the time to launch our own. Campaigns we have produced over the last year include: ‘Spitting Symphony’ for Single O Coffee, and ‘Style should be for the millions, not just the millionaires’ for furniture store Loungelovers.”

“Having spent years searching for our dream agency, we finally came to the realisation that it didn’t exist. So, we decided to build it. At Orphan, our aim is to create work that is persuasive. Work that twists the consumer’s arm and convinces them to choose a particular brand or product. In short, we write arguments, not ads.”

The Children’s Cancer Institute’s campaign launched at the beginning of September, aptly named Childhood Cancer Awareness month, and will run into 2023 across TV, radio, print, OOH and social media. The ‘A Life Should Be Long’ campaign was created in association with Julian Frost and Unlisted (Animation), Rumble Studios (Music and Sound) and Mint Films (Live Action).