Australia's national foods and eating habits are sacred, according to research by Australian Lamb, via the MLA (Meat and Livestock Australia).
A survey identified some un-Australian activity including a Bunnings with no sausage sizzle (28%), eating a pie with a knife and fork (27%) and toasting fairy bread (24%).
The 2023 lamb commercial, by The Monkeys, part of Accenture Song, challenges the status quo and celebrates what it means to be Australian.
The latest imagines an alternate reality which sees people being called out for being un-Australian before being banished to Un-Australia, an infinite cultural exile.
Graeme Yardy, domestic market manager at MLA: “The use of 'Un-Australian' has got out of control, everything from how you eat your pie to having a wedding on Grand Final day is on the chopping block. Chances are you’ll be viewed as 'Un-Australian' by someone!
"What makes Australia great is that we celebrate our differences. Lamb is famous for bringing Aussies together, so what better way to cut through this division and help us come together over these collective differences than with a good lamb BBQ.”
“As ever, this campaign is topical, tongue in cheek and positions lamb as the meat of choice to unite us.”
Jason Strong, MLA managing director: " ... Summer Lamb campaigns have built a legacy of highly topical advertising and thought-provoking creative, which has generated widespread conversation and publicity for Australian Lamb.
"Summer is a key time for Australians to get together with friends and family over a meal or barbeque. To capture this key sales occasion, the campaign aims to create talkability for the Lamb brand, while encouraging purchase when shoppers are making their key protein choice across retail and food service environments.
"Every summer, we like to choose a relevant yet light-hearted topic that gets everyone talking. This year we’re focusing on the term 'Un-Australian' – something that we believe is being used way too much.
The research conducted by Australian Lamb found that almost half (45%) of Australians have been called out for an “Un-Australian” act.
More than half (52%) have used the term to describe someone or something. It seems it is most popular amongst Millennials, with the majority (60%) having called someone or something “Un-Australian” or been called it themselves (59%).
The rise in living costs over the last 12 months have dominated the list of the most “Un-Australian” things to have happened in 2022.
However, aside from the lettuce hitting the headlines, it’s the $34 watermelon causing the most uproar (55%), above both rising rent / property prices (36%) and rising interest rates (32%).
More than half (53%) of Australians believe that the term 'Un-Australian' has become so overused in 2022. More men than women (61% versus 46%) believe this to be the case.
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