Earlier, we shot down the idea of having some controversial figure pitching for your brand. With this whole Tiger Woods nonsense, it seemed a good idea to mention the poor logic in having a former Vice honcho pitching the latest in lesbian footwear fashion (Teva YouTube). But apparently, we need to amend that statement. This approach seems to have created a media sensation right now, in the middle of nowhere – aka Australia.

We are of the opinion that advertising and selling things through media indoctrination, only really works on the simple-minded. Which maybe explains why suddenly everyone in Australia is eating turkey over the holiday season. It’s sort of a perplexing food choice when you consider the bird isn’t native and therefore costs well-over $150 bucks, as an exotic item.

As you can’t “throw one on the barbie,” we wonder what these Aussies find so appealing about turkeys. And then it occurred to us. After feeding them years of American sitcom reruns – we’ve implanted in their minds the idea of eating turkey over the holidays. This culinary celebration of pilgrims is preferable to their own founding history, of course -  which involves convicts being sent en masse and the term “mate” precipitating from no women being in Australia until the later shipments of prostitutes. So maybe it’s not such a bad thing to rewrite the holiday cookbook.

Even the term “Turkey” isn’t that popular in Australia. Both because of prevailing racism stemming from a “White’s only” immigration policy that was on the books until the seventies (!!!) and the fact their veterans day (ANZAC day) commemorates how they tried a D-Day style assault on Asia Minor in WWI and got wiped out. They basically attacked the wrong beach in Turkey. Mel Gibson then went and made a movie trying to glorify not being able to read a map.

To combat the spread of this new food uprooting lamb sales, the same government entity that earlier brought us pre-fame Naomi Watts TV ads (YouTube), has started a new campaign. Only this time, it’s virals featuring a straight talking Aussie telling you it’s “anti-Australianism” to not barbecue lamb over the holidays. Just like the Sam Elliott TV commercials of  yore, proclaiming “Beef… it’s what’s for dinner.” Only this caught our attention because instead of being a stoic cowboy, these satirical ads feature a brash character ironicly making crude comments. Yet, non-ironically appealing to the Australian viewer. Go figure. This barage of insentive remarks has blown up so huge online, that we spotted their star Sam Kekovich in NYC last week, as part of some roving reporter thing for the Aussie news. Staying in character, of course.

In this viral, after declaring that New Zealand’s female Prime Minster looks like a man, Sam sells you on a holiday lamb BBQ. Adding, “…pot-smoking, hippie vegitarians might disagree with me. But they can get stuffed. They know the way to the airport.”

As an antidote to watching the above clip, we suggest the Michel Gondry directed episode from Flight of The Conchords. In it, one of the guys is ostracized for dating an Australian (S02E05 for all your torrent needs). Keep an eye on the Australian girl’s kitchen, which has two interesting background props. One is a jar filled with dollar bills, that has “Swear” written on it. The second is an equally full jar labeled… “Being Racist.”

Tags: Michel Gondry, Viral
Posted in: General