The Ads That Made Us: Slash, Schmackos, and Snappy fish

ads that made us nov 17

This Week: Nikki Clarkson, Paddy Cain, and Jade Paolone

Whether it’s a childhood jingle that you can still sing word for word, or a campaign that influences the way you work today, everyone has an ad that has really stuck with them.

Mediaweek has been asking the industry to take a trip down memory lane, to find out all about the ads that made us. 

Nikki Clarkson – Chief Marketing Officer, SCA

Relaunch of Triple M with Slash

“This campaign came at a time when we needed to reinvigorate Triple M whilst also celebrating its history. We had a 40 year old radio station but back then, it’d been a decade since we’d re-established its relevancy. And what better way to do this than to get one of the world’s most iconic rock legends to work with Slash to re-record Triple M’s iconic brand track, fondly known as ‘Dr Dan’.

“Fortuitously, Slash (from Guns N’ Roses fame) was coming to Australia and confirmed he’d be happy to work with Triple M. We got the go ahead on this concept and shoot on Good Friday and the rest is history. A week later we were playing the Dr Dan track to Slash in his trailer on the shoot, and 20 minutes later he came out and played his version. The ad and stills were shot in just a few hours at Carriageworks in Sydney.

“Hearing Triple M’s iconic brand track reinvigorated in this way was thrilling. The multichannel campaign went live nationally, coinciding with Slash’s Aussie concert tour and ratings went up and perceptions realigned! It was an out of this world experience that reinvigorated Triple M, drove results whilst also being lucky enough to have an experience that was unforgettable.”

Paddy Cain – Partner, Nature

Schmackos, 2001’s “Things That Go Bump”

“The distinctive cartoon style immediately stood out to me at the time and 25 years later, it still does! The humour in this series of ads combined with the humour ear-worm jingle of “Dogs go WACKO for SCHMACKOS” at the end, it has all the ingredients of a memorable ad, one that as a youngster made it feel like it WAS the pet food treat category.

“The fact the campaign platform is still being used today is a testament to its genius, and the discipline of the brand owners over time.”

Jade Paolone – Sales Coordinator, ARN

Snappy Tom

“The cats of Australia had made their choice, and they were communicating it in a very modern way. The boy asking his cat at the end what he thought about girls always made me giggle.”

See Also: The Ads That Made Us: Moving house, Mechanics, and Making the most of Bali

Top Image: Nikki Clarkson, Paddy Cain, Jade Paolone

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