Well, you saw it here first. MG’s new ads will air on TV from tonight but they’re already up on its Devondale website.
I can’t help but wonder if this ad is a direct consequence of the much-despised Dev and Dale commercials that presented the co-op’s own farmer-shareholders as bogans. The deeply unpopular ads set MG directors’ phones alight and were pulled early in response.
Watching it reminds me of Dairy Australia’s own embryonic Legendairy campaign and even the Dodge “God Made a Farmer” Super Bowl ad that unashamedly pandered to a despairing target audience in desperate need of some moral support.
What do you think? Will this ad sell more Devondale cheese, milk and butter? Is it just too cynical of me to suggest that perhaps I and my fellow dairy farmers are the real targets? Or maybe it’s not me they have in mind but the NSW suppliers MG needs to woo in order to meet its Sydney Coles contract.
While you’re having a think about it, check out another new Devondale product ad!
The Milk Maid Marian 
Yes not sure who the target audience is either. If was going to do an add like this I would do it on a farm like Graeme Nicol’s You know what makes me cringe the most Marian is all the UHT placement Is this a sign of things to come?
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A lot of our milk goes into UHT, Lynne, so it’s only natural that the ad would reflect that. I suspect you’ll start seeing an emphasis on fresh milk when the Coles contract begins.
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As a consumer, not a producer, I don’t really understand the politics of it all … but I really like the first add. Not so much the second. Put a human face to the industry.
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That’s great, Pete! I hope it resonates with lots of Australians.
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Thanks Pete. Its great to hear feedback from consumers. We really need it! I loved the ad (1st one)…looked quite like reality to me. We are in mud up to our armpits right now:) Some farms would have days or weeks of fire, flood or snow, Besides those things being occasional or seasonal issues I thought it was on the money. Guess all farms are different and that may not be all farmers experience. I was a city girl and discovered just how hard dairy farmers work and the returns. Education of consumers about what really goes into their product is a worthy focus for promoting the industry. Not just the machinery processes but the human effort (read unbelievably long hours in all conditions). Not whining-we chose it. Dairy farmers are a shrinking minority with less and less voting influence. We need the general public to really care about us and other food producers enough to assist us politically. If this is the start of that sort of campaign-I’m all for it. We produce top quality food in abundance in this country, and need government policies that support us to continue to do so (don’t mean hand-outs). We are so lucky-I know I used to take it for granted…not anymore.
It would be really interesting to hear comments from other non-farmers.
S
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The first ad is much better than their previous effort. Sure it is still cliched but all ads are cliches I guess. I think it is aimed at both consumers and farmers.
But what is with all the wet weather? And why is some bloke carry a bale of hay through a creek? And why are they clear-felling and burning one of the paddocks? It looks more like New Zealand than Australia to me.
The second ad is nothing special and I’m surprised they are even advertising spreadable butter, as consumers expect it to be spreadable already (this ad would be effective 20 years ago).
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Ha, ha, Ian! And I thought I was getting to be a cranky, cynical old cow!
I think the clear felling and burning represents a bush-fire but I must admit I was surprised by it. The man dragging the calf milk trailer through the snow is even more, um, remarkable.
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I really don’t think you guys are seeing it from the eyes of the general public. I didn’t notice any of this stuff. Just the overall view that a lot of hard work – and genuine people – behind a glass of milk. Human depth!
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Yes, you’re right, Pete. I asked Zoe what she thought of it and she just said, “It’s very beautiful,” which is the impression I reckon most people will get.
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Oh, it’s a milk trailer! Thanks Marian.
The fire just irks me. Right next to the waterway. Sheesh!
But Big Pete is right. It’s meant to press emotional buttons and it will do that for quite a few consumers.
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I think it’s so much better than Dev ‘n’ Dale! Carring the hay bale through what I assumed was a “flooded” creek was a bit of a worry through! I am assuming that if it ran like that every day then he would have built a bridge, but maybe he couldn’t get it approved……
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Oh, and we got the “classroom” Legendairy ad yesterday. It made me think of your Zoe 🙂
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That’s so nice to hear, Julie. Our farm is a real family effort.
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‘Hard butter what a mess it makes’ ad is really bad. All it says to me is that it is acceptable to put Steve down to her daughter in front of him. Makes me wonder what sort of society we are becoming as there are now a few ads being shown with this sort of message. Are we supposed to think they’re funny? We are all worried about a bullying society but some ads that are being made these days promote bullying and the belittling of people. I would suggest a new ad agency for Devondale. (I am also a shareholder and not proud of this ad at all.)
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Hi Lynzo,
It hadn’t occurred to me that the ad suggested this was okay – rather, I thought it meant this was a horrible situation best avoided with spreadable butter.
It’s interesting to see how the same ads are interpreted so differently by each of us.
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Hello back – thank you for replying. Yes, I suppose it is interesting in that respect. This isn’t the only ad I have seen like this – there was another one today for another product and I felt exactly the same way. My husband agrees – it’s just wrong. The thing is – no decent person would speak about another person like that in front of them – so I can’t see the reason for even trying to make it ok even if the situation is best avoided with spreadable butter – the situation should never arise. All I can see is younger people seeing this ad and thinking that it’s ok to put people down like that. The other ad today was a car ad that suggests it’s ok to be rude to people. I can imagine young people using the slogan just to be smart. This sort of advertising is unnecessary – surely there are nicer ways to promote products. I also come out of the advertising industry – I’m not a prude by any means and enjoy watching clever, funny and catchy ads but these ads (in my opinion) are none of the above.
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It would be nice to live in a gentler society of thoughtful people, Lynzo. Despite all this stuff, it is amazing how many people show their truly human side when it really counts.
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Marian
OT but do you think these guys are serious or is it Queensland humour that doesn’t translate well?
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/barnaby-joyce-puts-spotlight-on-dairy-workers-plight-20130811-2rpx7.html
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