Ocean Blue has extended its ‘From the coldest waters of Norway’ brand platform with a new national campaign introducing Norwegian fisherman Hans and his well-meaning but hapless offsider, Lars.
Developed in partnership with Melbourne independent agency SICKDOGWOLFMAN, the campaign builds on the brand’s Norwegian provenance positioning first established in 2023, using dry humour and understated storytelling to reinforce the role of icy waters in shaping the taste of Ocean Blue’s smoked salmon.
Building on Norwegian provenance
The new work continues Ocean Blue’s focus on origin as a marker of quality, bringing the cold, pristine fjords of Norway to the centre of the brand story.
A series of comedic films sees Hans and Lars explain, in their own understated way, why the coldest waters produce the tastiest salmon.
Shot on location in Norway with Swedish production company Giants & Toys and director Gustav Egerstedt, the production attracted attention in the small town of Frafjord, where the local newspaper even covered it.
The campaign leans into dry Norwegian wit, with Lars cast as the fjord’s unofficial “temperature inspector”, tasting icy water as if it were a fine wine and knitting a beanie to keep the salmon warm.
The contrast between the harsh environment and the characters’ meticulous care underpins the creative idea.
Jess Wheeler, creative director at SICKDOGWOLFMAN, said: “The reason that Ocean Blue’s salmon is some of the best in the world is fairly simple. It’s from the beautifully pristine surroundings and icy cold waters of Norway. The playful contrast is the magic of the campaign, with stunning fjords, icy waters, glorious scenery, and two fishermen who agree on only one thing: how good the salmon tastes. And if you’re wondering whether Lars did really make salmon mittens… he absolutely did. We just couldn’t fit them in the edit.”
Connecting flavour to origin
Ocean Blue says the campaign is designed to remind Australians why the brand’s salmon tastes the way it does, while keeping the storytelling light and memorable.
Emily Ross, senior brand manager at Ocean Blue, said: “Australians already love Ocean Blue for its flavour, and this campaign shines a spotlight on why our salmon tastes the way it does. The cold, clear waters of Norway really are something special, and Hans and Lars bring that story to life in a way only they can. It’s a fun, memorable platform that continues to reinforce the quality at the heart of our brand.”
The campaign is launching nationally across out-of-home, digital and social channels, supported by multiple cut-downs alongside the hero films.
Credits:
Client: Ocean Blue
CEO, MaxFoods: Daniel Thompson
Marketing Manager, MaxFoods: Claudia Boniburini
Senior Brand Manager, Ocean Blue: Emily Ross
Agency: SICKDOGWOLFMAN
Creative Director: Jess Wheeler
Creative Director: James Orr
Design Director: Jake Turnbull
Business Director: Jarrick Lay
Account Director: Victoria Concha
Senior Account Manager: Hannah Clements
Producer: Ally Curtis
Designer: Dan D’Angelo
Production: Giants & Toys
Director: Gustav Egerstedt
Executive Producer: Christian Rehnfors
Producer: Niklas Jakobsson
DOP: Viktor Skogqvist
Offline Editor: Joakim Pietras
Casting: Folk & Film Casting Oslo
Producer: Espen Rudi
First Assistant Director: Valentyna Sevostianova
P.A: Frida Feline
P.A: Malin
First Assistant Camera: Jonathan Bevan
Second Assistant Camera / DIT: Rudi Dickstein
Gaffer: Nicholas Messel
Best Boy: Stig Tvenge
Sparks: Tine Simi Brun
Sound: Kristoffer Gjøsund
Props Master: Bjørn Christian Granberg
Food Stylist: Monica Eidem
Styling / HMU: Silje Time
Post Production: Manimal
Colourist: Denzil Heeger
Online: Ryan Brett
Post Producer – Hannah Byrnand
Sound Production: Production Alley
Sound Design: Ben Lowe