SICKDOGWOLFMAN revives Barney Banana for Maxibon launch

Barney Banana returns after a long absence, with SICKDOGWOLFMAN creating an integrated campaign for the launch of Maxibon Barney Banana. The product combines the Barney Banana ice cream bar with Maxibon’s dual-ended sandwich format.

SICKDOGWOLFMAN worked with production company Haven’t You Done Well on the campaign.

The creative follows Barney’s long-time talent manager, Glen, as he works to get an out-of-touch Barney back in the zone. The last time Barney was in the spotlight, petrol was leaded, Kylie Minogue was Charlene and TikTok was a biscuit with a clock on it.

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James Orr, creative director, SICKDOGWOLFMAN, said: “As far as new flavours go, it doesn’t get much bigger than this. 

"It’s not often you get to bring back a local legend, so we definitely felt some pressure to do Barney justice. The Haven’t You Done Well crew were the perfect partners to reignite the career of Australia’s most talented and delicious monkey.”

Director Jemma Cotter and animator Alyssa Smedley updated the character. All executions were shot on location, with Barney developed from hand-drawn sketches into the final 2D animation.

The campaign runs across TV, out-of-home, digital and social, with bespoke edits for Meta and TikTok.

Andrea Hamori, chief marketing officer, Peters, said: “Barney Banana is one of those products Aussies have an incredible amount of nostalgia for.

"We knew if we were going to bring him back, we had to do it in a way they wouldn’t expect. Longtime Barney fans are going to go bananas for it, and it might even turn the heads of a few banana deniers along the way.”

Credits:

Client: Peters Ice Cream
Head of Marketing: Andrea Hamori
Marketing Manager: Rachel Veltman
Brand Manager: Isabelle Quayle
Creative Lead: Damian Kelly

Agency: SICKDOGWOLFMAN

Business Director: Jarrick Lay
Creative Director: James Orr
Creative Director: Jess Wheeler
Design Director: Jake Turnbull

Account Director: Victoria Concha
Senior Copywriter: Siobhan Joffe
Art Director: Leonie Duff
Senior Account Manager: Harshini Sivaraj
Agency Producer: Ally Curtis

Production Company: Haven’t You Done Well
Director: Jemma Cotter
EP: Tom Rickard
Producer: Brendan Lee
DOP: Tavis Pinnington
Production Designer: Elena Lyons-Dawson
Wardrobe Stylist / HMU: Denia Henricus
Food Stylist: Carmel Gohar
Casting: Northside Casting
Animator: Alyssa Smedley
Offline: Ellie-May Everest
Colourist: Daniel Witt - Mood Lab
Online: David Hakkennes

Sound Design: David Williams and Production Alley