Meat and Livestock lamb ad misses Australia Day

Meat and Livestock Australia has defended its decision to release its Sam Kekovich summer lamb ad the day after Australia Day, saying it wasn’t deliberate.

PRODUCER body Meat and Livestock Australia has come under fire for releasing its annual Sam Kekovich summer lamb ad after Australia Day.

The levy-payer funded body uploaded “Lamb. The Original Social Feed” onto its Twitter page at 6.30pm on Monday — the day after Australia Day and on a national public holiday. It also aired on free-to-air TV and Foxtel.

The popular ad is usually launched in the lead up to Australia Day in an effort to increase lamb consumption.

MLA domestic market manager Graham Yardy said the ad’s release was not timed to avoid Australia Day.

“There has never been a set day when our summer campaign launches,” Mr Yardy said.

This year’s ad is promoted as bringing “a tech-addicted nation together” with lamb.

Kekovich plays a minor role in the ad as a character that appears to break into an online game.

Speculation the campaign had been scrapped intensified last week with no signs of any promotion of it ahead of Australia Day.

In recent years the campaigns have been launched up to a fortnight ahead of Australia Day.

On Friday a MLA spokesman told The Weekly Timesthe campaign would be launched over the weekend and would again feature former AFL star and lambassador Kekovich.

The Kekovich Australia Day lamb advertisements have featured every year since 2004 and Victorian Farmers Federation president David Jochinke said they had become an “institution”.

“They are an icon for not only the general public around Australia Day but for also for farmers to be recognised for the great product they produce,” Mr Jochinke said.