Karl Stefanovic calls the new lamb ad the ‘worst’ ever
The new lamb ad has finally been released, and Karl Stefanovic didn’t hold back after watching it, dubbing it the “worst ad ever”.
National
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Meat and Livestock Australia’s iconic summer lamb ad has finally landed – and there’s one meat lover who’s decidedly unimpressed with this year’s campaign.
“No one in this country loves lamb more than I do,” Today show host Karl Stefanovic said on Tuesday morning after viewing the ad, which runs for nearly two minutes.
“It did run a very long time,” he said, before adding, “That is the worst lamb ad I have ever seen.”
This year’s campaign calls on tech-obsessed Australians to look up from their screens and reconnect with one another over delicious lamb.
“They’re normally really clever,” said Stefanovic’s co-host Allison Langdon, adding that she “wasn’t sure” about the ad.
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This year’s advertisement – promoted as bringing a “tech-addicted nation together with lamb” – was uploaded on MLA’s Twitter page at 6.30pm on January 27. In recent years, the popular campaign has been launched up to two weeks ahead of Australia Day in an effort to increase lamb consumption.
“They are great, normally,” responded Stefanovic. “They normally drop on Australia Day too. They completely missed that. They spent too long filming it. Went too long.”
“We still love lamb,” he said.
“But we just hate the ad,” Langdon added.
The ad features an elite team of researchers at “Lambalytica” HQ on a mission to connect a tech-obsessed nation, distracted by their phones, screens and social media, over the delicious protein.
From a couple who spend more time looking at their phones than each other to a teenage gamer glued to the TV, “Lambalytica” taps into the phones of unsuspecting Aussies and unites them over an epic lamb barbie off screen.
“As a brand, Australian Lamb is famous for unity,” said MLA domestic market manager Graeme Yardy said.
“In this digital age, we wanted to use the power of lamb to disrupt social media, peel people away from their screens and get them together over a tasty lamb meal.”
Victorian Farmers Federation president David Jochinke said the campaign had become an “institution” in Australia.
“They are an icon for not only the general public around Australia Day but also for farmers to be recognised for the great product they produce,” Mr Jochinke said.
The Australia Day lamb advertisements have featured every year since 2004 and annually star former AFL star and “lambassador” Sam Kekovich.
Kekovich only plays a minor role in this year’s ad as a character who appears to break into an online game.
Originally published as Karl Stefanovic calls the new lamb ad the ‘worst’ ever