Sync Watch October 6, 2020

Sync Watch: Coles calls on Missy Higgins and Yirrŋa Yunupiŋu for new brand platform

Editorial Operations Manager

Supermarket giant Coles has a new brand platform, which attempts to champion the brand as one that is at the heart of the nation.

To do this, the ‘Value the Australian Way’ advert is backed by a reimagining of Missy Higgins’ 2009 track ‘Feel Like Going Back Home’.

The track was written back in 2009 by Stephen Pigram and featured in the film Bran Nue Dae with vocals from Higgins and Ernie Dingo.

The new version – recorded especially for the Coles campaign – is a collaboration between Higgins, Dingo Spender and the current lead singer of Yothu Yindi, Yirrŋa Yunupiŋu.

Higgins said it was the first time she has been part of an ad campaign, noting this one stood out because it was supporting Indigenous artists.

“It’s been a tough year for a lot of Aussies, so I love the optimistic feel of this new campaign,” she said. “It’s great to see how diverse and inclusive it is. It’s also great to see Coles backing great Indigenous Australian talents like Stephen Pigram, who wrote this tune, and Yirrŋa Yunupiŋu, with whom I dueted on the track.”

The campaign is multi-channel and will span TV, social, radio, earned media, website and in-store.

Coles’ chief marketing officer Lisa Ronson said the supermarket is at the heart of Australian society.

“Our new campaign tells the story of Coles’ legacy while also contemporising its role in society, serving customers and the wider community each day. We’re incredibly proud of the work and thank DDB Australia, Big Red, OMD and Mango for helping us achieve our ambitions,” Ronson said.

The campaign was created by creative agency DDB Sydney. Chief creative officer Ben Welsh noted the role the music played in bringing the ad to life.

“We are incredibly excited to be a part of the next chapter for Coles. Despite facing many hurdles this year, Australians are an optimistic, down-to-earth, authentic bunch, which is why we decided to feature real families enjoying small moments of human connection centred around food. The music, paying homage to Australia’s rich cultural history, makes this campaign even more special,” he said.

Campaign credits

Client: Coles
Lisa Ronson – Chief Marketing Officer
Michael Laxton – GM, Brand, Digital & Design
Kate Bailey – GM, Media, Sponsorships & Events
Bianca Mundy – Head of Brand & Content
Patrick Breen – Senior Marketing Manager
Sally Mann – Media Manager
Geoff Turner – Head of Group Marketing Research and Insights
Martine Alpins – Senior Communications Manager

Creative Agency: DDB Australia
Andrew Little – Chief Executive Officer
Priya Patel – Managing Director
Leif Stromnes – MD, Strategy & Innovation
Dom Hickey – Head of Planning
Ben Welsh – Chief Creative Officer
Noah Regan – Head of Art
Tim Woolford – Creative Partner
Tommy Cehak – Creative Partner
Topher Jones – Managing Partner
Katie Franklin – Business Director
Sarah Cox – Senior Business Manager
Renata Barbosa – Head of Integrated Content
Tash Johnson – Lead Senior Broadcast Producer
Cushla Morton – Senior Print Producer

Media Agency: OMD

PR Agency: Mango Communications

Research and Corporate Strategy: Thinkerbell

TV Production
Production Company: Revolver/Will O’Rourke
Director – Justin Kurzel
Managing Director/Co-Owner – Michael Ritchie
Executive Producer/Partner – Pip Smart
Producer – Serena Paull
Director of Photography – Lachlan Milne
Editor: Alexandre de Franceschi @ The Editors
Post Production: Heckler
Colourist – Olivier Fontenay
Online – Jonathan Hairman
Music: Feel Like Going Back Home
Recording: Missy Higgins, Yirrŋa Yunupiŋu, Dingo Spender
Songwriter: Steven Pigram (Universal Music Publishing)
Music Supervision: Level Two Music (Karl Richter, Marcus Brooke-Smith, Hugh Owens)
Audio Post: Sonar Music
Engineer: Timothy Bridge
Casting: Natalie Jane Harvey @ Citizen Jane