The Great Grain Fed Beef Makeover

Flavour, quality, consistency and inspiration. That was our brief for the recently launched Australian Grain Fed Beef Campaign for Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) and the Australian Lot Feeders Association (ALFA).

When we were asked to creatively embed Australian grain fed beef firmly into the hearts and minds of chefs, we donned our thinking caps, rolled up our sleeves and got to work getting into their heads. What pushes their buttons, what drives their decisions, and what challenges do they face everyday that grain fed beef could potentially assist with?

We also needed to take into account that this campaign was purely product, not brand driven. Having no brand to work with meant we needed to take a blanket approach. It needed to generate a greater understanding and awareness of grain fed beef that existing brands could leverage off for their own communications strategies. And as grain fed beef ranges in quality, breed and marbling score, our creative needed to speak to all levels of establishments, from pubs and clubs to three hatted restaurants. 

STEP ONE:
We set about creating two specific executions – an advertisement and a brochure campaign.

Conceptually, it was clear we needed something strong and something that tapped into the mindset of personal pride amongst our targets. So the overarching message of confidence was born. The flavour, quality and consistency of grain fed beef, meant that chefs could confidently put it on the menu and know, without a doubt, it would perform. 

STEP TWO:
The next step was to find the stars of our campaign. But we wanted real chefs. Not the flashy celebrity types, but the ones that live, breathe, sweat and hustle in kitchens around the country every day. The ones that have done and continue to do the hard yards and know their way around a hot grill. With the help of MLA, Shaun Nielsen (Executive Chef/ Partner, Steer Bar & Grill) and Markus Werner (Executive Chef, Melbourne Olympic Park) became our pin up chefs.

They were shot with a relaxed, warm and authentic tone in mind, coupled with texture and a raw, dark moodiness for a very contemporary feel. The set was styled with neutral tones, wood (lots of wood) and a restrained table design to ensure the chef maintained hero status. Even the grain fed beef took a bit of a back seat in this visual story. It’s there, it’s looking fabulous, but it’s like a good wingman… It’s the support crew that performs and paints the chef in the best possible light. 

STEP THREE:
The design elements we integrated included  full page images balanced with white space and pops of vibrant yellow to offset the earthy, textural tones. We created copy to differentiate Australian grain fed beef and personalised with testimonials and ‘get to know’ boxes to further create a sense of connection and authenticity. Job done!