Menulog together with its agencies Thinkerbell and UM, is the 2022 winner of State of Originality, taking home $1 million worth of inventory across Nine.
Determined by an all-star judging panel, Nine’s State of Originality challenged brands and agencies to take the State of Origin platform to create ads that would capture the attention of the viewers watching each round of the series.
Menulog’s winning ad, Wendell Sailor Brushing His Teeth, was a response ad aired during Game Two that put the brand in amongst viewer conversation surrounding Menulog’s Katy Perry ad in Game One. Ads were created using Wendell Sailor doing nothing more exciting or elaborate than engaging in his daily routine; brushing his teeth, reading, and having a nap as an antidote to the costume-filled, big musical score of their Game One ad.
“My sincere congratulations go to Menulog and their agencies, Thinkerbell and UM,” said Michael Stephenson, Nine’s chief sales officer. “They took up both the challenge and opportunity in State of Originality, and reacted quickly to a real-world event during Game 1, owning the narrative and executing fresh creative to win over fans in Game Two.”
“I also want to thank our world class judges who have helped us to establish the State of Originality, which as the name suggests, is a call to arms for brands and agencies who want to be recognised for original, well-crafted work.”
Simon Cheng, chief marketing officer of Menulog, said: “We’re thrilled to have won Nine’s State of Originality. Menulog is all about delivering joy to Aussies and this ad was about listening to our audience in real time and putting a smile on footy fans’ faces with a playful response. Big thank you to our partners, Thinkerbell, UM and Nine for working with us in such a creative and agile manner.”
In total, eight brands entered the competition: KFC, Sportsbet, Kia, Ampol, McDonald’s, Stan, The Arnott’s Group, and Menulog.
The competition was judged by a panel of leaders in advertising: CEO of MakeLoveNotPorn, Cindy Gallop; co-founders of Brand+Story, Josh Whiteman and Paul Chappell, the creators of last year’s campaign for Qantas, Fly Away; Tara Ford, CCO of The Monkeys; Gruen panellist and 3AW Breakfast co-host Russel Howcroft; and Nine’s CMO Liana Dubois.
Individual comments from the State of Originality jury supported the simple creativity and agility shown by the winning Menulog campaign, with the judges commenting that the work was highly responsive to consumer sentiment during the series and complimenting Menulog at the speed of how they responded.