Menulog Wins Prize For How It Handled Backlash About Katy Perry Ad

Menulog’s television campaign which addressed backlash to its musical Katy Perry ad has won a creativity competition, gifting the brand $1 million worth of advertising inventory across Nine’s properties.

The Perry ad saw the international superstar put her own spin on the catchy Menulog jungle. The accompanying visuals were directed by iconic music video veteran Dave Meyers, who previously created videos for Perry’s hits “Swish Swish” and “Firework”.

Perry’s ad, running for 60 seconds, screened during Game One of State of Origin. It was met with some viewer backlash, which dubbed the high-value campaign “annoying”, with some commentary going so far as to say it “ruined” the viewer experience of the match.

The brand then admitted it “overcooked” it by screening the campaign during the match, so for Game Two, it offered up 16 seconds of NRL legend Wendell Sailor cleaning his teeth as a form of apology.

State of Originality challenged brands and their creative and media agencies to use the platform provided by State of Origin to create unmissable ads.

Nine said the Perry execution propelled the brand into viewer conversations in Game One, but it was the second ad, featuring Sailor, which took home the prize.

Nine said it was a “humorous rapid-fire response”.

Michael Stephenson, Nine’s chief sales officer, added: “My sincere congratulations go to Menulog and their agencies, Thinkerbell and UM.”

“They took up both the challenge and opportunity in State of Originality, and reacted quickly to a real-world event during Game One, owning the narrative and executing fresh creative to win over fans in Game Two.

“I also want to thank our world-class judges who have helped us to establish the State of Originality, which as the name suggests, is a call to arms for brands and agencies who want to be recognised for original, well-crafted work.”

Simon Cheng, chief marketing officer at Menulog, said the brand is thrilled to have won Nine’s State of Originality.

“Menulog is all about delivering joy to Aussies and this ad was about listening to our audience in real time and putting a smile on footy fans’ faces with a playful response. Big thank you to our partners, Thinkerbell, UM and Nine for working with us in such a creative and agile manner.”

In total, eight brands entered the competition – KFC, Sportsbet, Kia, Ampol, McDonald’s, Stan, The Arnott’s Group and Menulog – and it was judged by a panel of leaders in advertising.