Ducks
Goodman Fielder Baking
Issue 8 | September 2008
Agency
BMF
Creative Team
Warren Brown - Executive Creative Director;Simon Langley - Creative Director;Paul Bruce - Art Director;Cleve Cameron - Copywriter;Richard Morgan - Copywriter;Craig Bailey - Digital Art Director;Aaron Michie - Digital Planning Director;Chris James - Creative Director, Interactive;Whitney Hawthorn - Agency Producer
Production Team
Flying Fish - Production Company; Joe Leonie - Director
Other Credits
Gerry Cyron - Strategic Planner;Vicky Norton - GAD;Patrick Cahill - Account Director;Esther Knox - Account Manager
Date
February 2008
Background
The brief was to launch a new performance enhancing bread across Australia. The product - new Wonder Performance - is a unique combination of complex carbs and iron for energy, as well as protein and amino acids for strength that gives teenagers the fuel to perform. The agency’s objective was to appeal to the diverse audience of mums and teenage boys within a short period of time.
Idea
BMF’s idea stemmed from the fact that Wonder had had a 'proven' track record of transformational powers. Seeded on the internet were three different unbranded films of ducks that had unique powers: duck surfing, formation flying and escalator ducks. A website and phone number were set up to report on these 'duck phenomena'.
A TVC then broke the news that the ducks were performing this way because they shouldn't be fed new Wonder Performance bread: it was good for teenagers but not for ducks. This news was posted on the website at www.dontfeedtheducks.com.au and in DM to those who had registered. Public announcement notices appeared in national print and in street posters and ‘not for ducks’ warnings were placed by ponds and on the bread’s packaging itself.
Results
The launch of the three films went viral in the true sense of the word. To date there have been more than 2.7 million views on YouTube and more than half a million listings for 'surfing duck' on Google. The phenomenon was featured on the New York Times, Sky News and Daily Telegraph websites, to name a few. Over 10,000 people have registered for a duck repellent ring tone or filed a duck report. In the first week of launch New Wonder Performance sold over AUS$1,000,000 worth of bread.
Target audience
Mums and teenage boys
Our Thoughts
Like many Lions winners, this isn’t strictly speaking a direct marketing idea. It’s a brand campaign that uses direct techniques to engage and involve. But how chuffed the team must have been when the New York Times and The Daily Telegraph all reported the story of a surfing duck before the weird behaviour of the Ozzie quacker was explained.