The similar product to Weetabix in Australia (called Weet-Bix) is a common breakfast cereal and typically its advertising has targeted active kids, offering them the required fuel for daily achievement. The Weetabix product found here in the U.K. also offers early-morning fuel and links this as key to getting through the rest of your day. Essentially the same product, similar messages, but the target audience and creative execution varies. So which is more effective?
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Weet-Bix (Australia) took an aspirational approach to last year's campaign, utilising iconic members of Australian sports as the brand's spokespeople. The TVC featured below opens with one of our most recognisable cricketers, Brett Lee. The emphasis here in the first frame is on his career achievement of 190 One Day Internationals (just in case you didn't know the exact figure). A cricket commentary track sets the scene in a numbers-style creative which highlights Brett's main career stats. The important number to remember here though is seven, that's the number of Weet-Bix he's eating in the final frame. And yes, that does seem like a lot. The final spoken line "How many do you do?", while the ad closes out with the last few tones of the 'Weet-Bix kids' jingle. This ad is linked to Weet-Bix's long advertising history in Australia (tracing this jingle back to the '80s) and reminding us to reminisce that "Aussie kids are Weet-Bix kids."
vs. 
Weet-Bix (Australia) took an aspirational approach to last year's campaign, utilising iconic members of Australian sports as the brand's spokespeople. The TVC featured below opens with one of our most recognisable cricketers, Brett Lee. The emphasis here in the first frame is on his career achievement of 190 One Day Internationals (just in case you didn't know the exact figure). A cricket commentary track sets the scene in a numbers-style creative which highlights Brett's main career stats. The important number to remember here though is seven, that's the number of Weet-Bix he's eating in the final frame. And yes, that does seem like a lot. The final spoken line "How many do you do?", while the ad closes out with the last few tones of the 'Weet-Bix kids' jingle. This ad is linked to Weet-Bix's long advertising history in Australia (tracing this jingle back to the '80s) and reminding us to reminisce that "Aussie kids are Weet-Bix kids."
Weetabix advertising here in the U.K. has in previous campaigns targeted the nuclear family, rather than zoning in on active children. Last Summer's campaign, 'Fuel For Big Days' put members of a family up against each other in the debate over who has the most stressful day. Predictable but wonderfully and simply captured all the same, baby wins in that argument. Humorous, charming and quirky; a fun and entertaining execution that is very human and relatable to its audience.
In Weetabix's most recent advertisement, we take a spin on our usual expectation that children, with their growth and busy activity, most importantly require fuel for their day. In this case it is dad who needs the extra fuel as he is left to look after his young boy for the day. "Have fun!" says mum as she heads out for the day, as the young boy pours milk into his Weetabix bowl. He pushes the bowl towards his dad, "You're gonna need it." Again, a funny and charming execution. Human, relatable and based in the everyday. My outtake, Weetabix provides long-lasting energy, which can sometimes be crucial.
Conclusion
As a very sports-oriented nation, the use of sportspeople as brand advocates/representatives has typically been quite a successful approach in Australian advertising. Of course there is a risk that comes with tying your brand identity to a particular personality and so this choice must be made carefully. It must be said, however, that this is also typically quite a common approach to marketing of Australian products, using the status and exposure of celebrities and jumping the product on the back of their success. Too much of the same thing will also leave us sceptical and without anything particularly engaging or entertaining in the execution, adverts need to be careful not to fall into this same-same category. In my opinion, this Brett Lee execution has fallen short. I mean come on, we all know it has been paid for and scripted. I feel like I am being told what to do, when what I really want you to do is to intrigue me enough that I want to actively find out more about you.
By contrast, I find the U.K. Weetabix advertisements highly appealing and entertaining. Much more human and grounded in the everyday. They don't talk to aspirational qualities and elite sportspeople with whom I don't identify, but to real people with real, everyday, challenges.
I know who's won me over, it's Weetabix for me. There is much more discussion to be had, however, around the differences in markets that have potentially contributed to these varied creative executions.
Please feel free to add any comments below, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
In Weetabix's most recent advertisement, we take a spin on our usual expectation that children, with their growth and busy activity, most importantly require fuel for their day. In this case it is dad who needs the extra fuel as he is left to look after his young boy for the day. "Have fun!" says mum as she heads out for the day, as the young boy pours milk into his Weetabix bowl. He pushes the bowl towards his dad, "You're gonna need it." Again, a funny and charming execution. Human, relatable and based in the everyday. My outtake, Weetabix provides long-lasting energy, which can sometimes be crucial.
Conclusion
As a very sports-oriented nation, the use of sportspeople as brand advocates/representatives has typically been quite a successful approach in Australian advertising. Of course there is a risk that comes with tying your brand identity to a particular personality and so this choice must be made carefully. It must be said, however, that this is also typically quite a common approach to marketing of Australian products, using the status and exposure of celebrities and jumping the product on the back of their success. Too much of the same thing will also leave us sceptical and without anything particularly engaging or entertaining in the execution, adverts need to be careful not to fall into this same-same category. In my opinion, this Brett Lee execution has fallen short. I mean come on, we all know it has been paid for and scripted. I feel like I am being told what to do, when what I really want you to do is to intrigue me enough that I want to actively find out more about you.
By contrast, I find the U.K. Weetabix advertisements highly appealing and entertaining. Much more human and grounded in the everyday. They don't talk to aspirational qualities and elite sportspeople with whom I don't identify, but to real people with real, everyday, challenges.
I know who's won me over, it's Weetabix for me. There is much more discussion to be had, however, around the differences in markets that have potentially contributed to these varied creative executions.
Please feel free to add any comments below, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
