Australian Avocados Marketing Update 2021
About the marketing program
This is the latest marketing activity that’s helping Aussie consumers connect with (and eat!) Australian avocados. The industry’s marketing is managed by Hort Innovation and funded by the avocado marketing levy. Hort Innovation develops consumer-focused promotions using a variety of mediums including social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, as well as targeted partnerships with consumer-related publications and platforms.
Keep scrolling to see more great marketing activity in 2021. (If you want to look back through 2020, click here.) And, if you are chasing some delicious avocado recipes, check out Australian Avocados.
PR – Place an avo on the Barbie (November/December 2021)
Hayden Quinn, an Australian chef best known for appearing on Series 3 of MasterChef Australia and as a judge on Nine Network cooking program Family Food Fight, has been appearing in print and online talking about placing an avocado on the barbecue. Stories have appeared in November in The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, Courier Mail and NT News along with Nine media outlets. Australian avocados also featured on the TODAY Show on 24 November where avocados and their uses were the topic for discussion. Australian Avocados’ PR agency has been busy reaching out to targets across lifestyle, radio and food verticals with more coverage expected.
Fitzy & Wippa from Nova were spreading the good news about avocado working well on the barbie. They ran an Avo Mate competition in November and promoted it on their Instagram story. On air they played the “Our Green Gold” radio adverts (15 second and 30 second) and promoted avocados as they selected winners for the competition.
| Our Green Gold Radio Commercial 15s | Our Green Gold Radio Commercial 30s | |
| Avo Mate Comp Winner #1 | Avo Mate Comp Winner #2 | Avo Mate Comp Winner #3 |
Looking for the new ad?
Our Green Gold wins again! (7 September)
The Outdoor Media Association (OMA) has announced the winners in the quarter two Creative Collection competition for 2021. Our Green Gold won the Best Use of Multi-Format Campaign. Read more in Mediaweek.
We love our avo just as much as we love our green and gold. Congratulations to @AusAvos for taking out the win in the Best Use of Multi-Format in this quarter’s Creative Collection. Across the board, we loved this simple, striking nod to our home grown produce and our Olympians. pic.twitter.com/vTRIrwGx0j
— Outdoor Media Assoc. (@OMA_Australia) September 7, 2021
Kate Ritchie shares her fave avocado recipes (1 September)
Nova’s Kate Ritchie has put together some of her favourite avo recipes, including sushi, an avocado and salmon poke bowl, and an avocado bruschetta. Read more at Nova.
Avocado a mood booster (26 August)
Green + Simple listed avocados as one of their top 5 mood boosting foods, in this recent article. Readers learnt that avocados help improve brain function and reduce fatigue.
Our Green Gold on Woolworths (18 August)
Our Green Gold is currently on show on the Woolworths website.
While it’s live, you can check out the Woolworths website here, including the featured egg and bacon smashed avocado toast recipe.
We’ve taken a quick screen video recording as well, so you can check it out regardless.
No squeezing please! (15 August)
Sydney dietitian Lyndi Cohen has revealed why you should never squeeze an avocado to check if it’s ripe, and the correct way to see if it’s ready to eat. Read more in the Daily Mail.
Lyndi also shared a great avo recipe, and you can check it out here:
View this post on Instagram
Our Green Gold Ambassador gets cooking! (14 August)
Comedian, TV personality and Our Green Gold ambassador extraordinaire Nazeem Hussain has been at it again, showcasing his avocado prep skills!
Nazeem is also extremely proud of Our Green Gold being voted Channel 7’s most loved ad of the Olympics (more on that below).
He said being part of the ad was an honour, and he sends his “love and excitement” to Australia’s avocado growers.
View this post on Instagram
WE WON!!!! (13 August)
The winner of the Seven Network’s $1 million contest to crown the best ad shown during the Olympics Games Tokyo 2020 has been announced.
Australian Avocados’ Our Green Gold campaign won gold with the public, who voted it as their favourite ad shown during Seven’s live, free and exclusive coverage of the world’s biggest sporting event of the decade.
Australian Avocados has won free placement in Seven’s biggest sporting and cultural moments of the next nine months, worth $1 million.
Read the 7 release here.
Vote for Our Green Gold! (3 August)
Australian Avocados’ Our Green Gold ad featuring comedian Nazeem Hussain has been shortlisted for Channel 7’s Favourite ad of the Olympics! Voting is now open at https://7plus.com.au/fav2020.
We encourage you to share widely – no connection is too distant to reach out and encourage voting! The time for action is now: we must av-a-go at winning the title, the supreme; THE PRESTIGE of the best ad of the Olympics.
Also, the winning ad will receive a $1 million advertising boost (extra avocado promotion!) and for voting, you will go into the draw for a $25,000 holiday. Did we mention you can vote once a day through to 9 August? *hint*
Celebrating National Avocado Day (31 July)
The face of Our Green Gold, comedian Nazeem Hussain, decided to add “celebrity chef” to his repertoire for National Avocado Day, showing his followers how to make an avocado egg salad. Click here to watch on Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
Also onboard for the day was influencer and nutritionist Lyndi Cohen, who shared a one tray avocado fajita recipe.
View this post on Instagram
Win 365 avocados! (30 July)
Talking health in The Latch (16 July)
The Latch has teamed up with Australian Avocados to bring you the low down on all of the incredible health benefits that the nutrients in this delicious green gold fruit have to offer. The Latch is a Val Morgan Digital publication, focussing on wellness, lifestyle and entertainment content.
Read the article here.
Early entries for the Metcash competition (13 July)
Consumers at IGA stores nationwide, and Foodland stores in South Australia, will be seeing the Our Green Gold messaging a lot this month, as part of an Australian Avocados-supported sales challenge with Metcash. The store teams are being encouraged to celebrate the avocado with great in-store displays, with prizemoney and a trophy on offer. Here’s some of the entries from the first week!
Check out our 6 July post (below) for more on the competition.
MiNDFOOD showcasing creative avocado eats (7 July)
Three new recipes from the Australian Avocados team are being showcased in MiNDFOOD, and have the potential to be seen more than 726,000 times by avocado lovers. Check out the herb crusted polenta pizza base topped with avocado and pesto, grilled halloumi and dukkah crumbed avocado salad with a buttermilk dressing, and avocado and za’atar grilled chicken wrap.
IGA display competition (6 July)
For the next month, consumers in IGA stores nationwide, and Foodland stores in South Australia, are being encouraged to up their avo game, with an Australian Avocados-supported sales challenge. IGA teams are being encouraged to celebrate the avocado with great in-store displays, with prizemoney and a trophy on offer. The stores have been provided with a point-of-sale kit, including posters, shelf tickets, and tear pads.
Retailers promoting Hass avocados (28 June)
Our Green Gold on the airwaves (June)
Here’s just a sample of the radio spots that have been playing on various stations across the country!
Panic buying extends to avocados in Sydney (25 June)
There’s plenty of #OurGreenGold for everyone, we promise!
Moments after the lockdown was announced, panic buying struck the avocado shelves.
Toilet paper aisles have also been stripped in Sydney supermarkets.
READ MORE: https://t.co/VtekuqYGRQ
The lockdown explained, tonight at 6.00pm on #9News pic.twitter.com/kk8QkG6iwH
— 9News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) June 25, 2021
Sharing the versatility of avocado (21 June)
Blend it, dowse it in citrus, smoosh it between brioche, deep fry it, freeze it – we asked cafe and deli owners across the country what they’d do with cheap avo (other than smashing it on toast), Broadsheet Melbourne tells their readers.
Tasty recipe for avo lovers (13 June)
Toss away your stock-standard salad, this season Hunter and Bligh are dressing things up with Australian Avocados and this simple recipe: Avocado, Cucumber, Edamame and Soba Noodle Salad with a zesty peanut dressing.
This avocado season, Aussies are expected to be treated to an estimated 127 million hass avocados.
Homegrown, Australian hass avocados make for a great winter comfort food without the guilt – they’re fantastic as a substitute for dairy products and can be used in handfuls of easy to prepare recipes like pasta sauces, soups, pancakes and even desserts!
Click here to visit the Hunter and Bligh website, and get the recipe.
Eativity: Hass avos back in record numbers (27 May)
Homegrown Hass avocados have had a superb growing season, with an estimated 127 million Aussie Hass avos expected to hit our supermarket shelves in the next three months alone. And that’s just the beginning.
According to Australian Avocados, this year’s Hass crop is of excellent quality, with the huge supply offering great value for consumers – there are already multi-buy promotions available in many retail stores, including supermarkets and greengrocers.
John Tyas, CEO of Avocados Australia, says the quality and abundance of this season’s fruit is attributed to optimal growing conditions across most growing regions.
Read the full Eativity article here.
Nazeem Hussain talks Our Green Gold (27 May)
During his interview with Laurel, Gary & Mark on 4KQ, Nazeem revealed the surprising way Australian Avocados are helping support local bowls clubs! Listen to the interview here.
Our Green Gold in the Aldi catalogue (21 May)
Australian avocado growers Simpson Farms feature in the catalogue for Aldi stores in NSW, the ACT, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia (on sale 22 May), and so does Our Green Gold.
Our Green Gold on the highway! (20 May)
It’s green, it’s gold, it’s a national treasure.@AvocadosAu are celebrating their iconic status with their brilliant new ‘Our Green Gold’ campaign as Avo’s officially become the unofficial sponsor of everything Australian, ever. 🥑🇦🇺#BeMemorable #AustralianAvocados #DOOH #OOH pic.twitter.com/iezQNlj2on
— QMS Media (@QMS_Media) May 20, 2021
Now that’s a mural! (14 May)
The mural takeover in Kings Cross has happened. Avocados Australia Director Daryl Boardman was sent this image from an excited avocado fan in Sydney this week.
Freshen up your Zoom background! (6 May)
Are you loving the Our Green Gold campaign? Well, now you can share the campaign on your Zoom or Teams calls, with this custom background from the Australian Avocados crew! (Haven’t seen the new ad yet? Scroll down my friends!)
Our Green Gold launches on Sunday! (30 April)
Key Highlights
- May marks the launch of the new brand positioning and messaging for Australian Avocados
- This strategy has been developed from the overarching Avocado category strategy and through consultation with Australian Avocado SIAP
- The launch campaign includes a traditional media mix designed to drive mass awareness of the new creative with the overarching objective of driving demand for the category
- The hero talent in the TVC is well-known comedian Nazeem Hussain
- PR where we Officially, Unofficially sponsor of one of the oldest bowlos in the country
- The initial burst of activity is scheduled for May-June 2021 in line with the highest volume supply forecast
Australian Avocados brand campaign
Objective: To develop a campaign that emotionally connects with Australian consumers by leveraging the inherent love people have for avocados. By building brand love, we will help drive preference of Australian Avocados, grow unaided brand recall (awareness) and drive consideration, which will contribute to increasing the frequency of purchase. All of which are important when faced with a volume uplift of 30% YOY.
The integrated campaign will feature activity across television, out-of-home advertising, social media (Facebook & Instagram), digital advertising, and public relations, and will run until the end of June 2021.
The case for change
Whilst the Australian Avocados ‘Smash an Avo’ campaign has driven awareness of functional benefits (such as use and versatility), it is a creative articulation that somewhat limits distinctiveness, brand building and ongoing relevance.
Creative inspiration
They may not have been born in Australia, but we’ve made avocados our own.
They’re everywhere. At our cafés, our dinner parties, our restaurants and our taco trucks.
In fact, they’re so universal, they’ve almost become invisible. And we’ve forgotten how precious they are. Every mouthful is a premium. Every slice is golden. Every cube is a little treasure. To be artfully arranged in our sushi. Masterfully mashed on our toast. And divvied up democratically. (Or else.)
Isn’t it time that we reminded Australians of how much we love them?
That we celebrated their iconic status? They’re our national treasure.
Our Green Gold.
Creative idea
It’s green, it’s gold. It’s a national treasure. In order to celebrate the iconic status of the Avocado and elevate it beyond the plate and into culture. Let’s give the Avocado its rightful place. Officially… but actually unofficially.
Check out the 30-second and 15-second spots
Want to take a walk through the creative pitch? Click here to have a look!
Mural take-over in Kings Cross, Sydney
PR campaign
The PR activity will see Australian Avocados ‘officially unofficially’ sponsor small community and/or sporting groups. In order to create a strong earned media moment and provide a springboard for our national call out for sponsorship, we will engage with one Australian green and gold institution to kick things off and bring the essence of the campaign to life.
By engaging with one community group/ team, we are providing an example of what an ‘official unofficial’ sponsorship looks like. Media are in need of an example to provide the call to action for involvement with context.
We have chosen a bowlo as it is an Aussie icon and the heart of many communities, which makes it a beacon for the types of small community and or sporting groups we are looking to receive sponsorship requests from.
The Bowlo we have chosen (Balmain bowling club) is based in Sydney but has great history in that it is the oldest in NSW. As the oldest Bowlo in NSW we are bolstering the angle of engaging with true Aussie institutions further. The club has also been hit by hard times in this past year, nearly closing its doors permanently following Covid closures.
Social
Program Objective: Having an online presence on any of our social media forums like Facebook or Instagram is a great way to interact with our audience and to really connect with them on a personal level.
Our content pillars have evolved based on the new campaign. These are:
- Sponsors of Green Gold – Content that amplifies our platform and motivates community participation to build an emotional connection
- Mastering Green Gold – Content that educates people about Australian avocados and their health & wellbeing benefits
- Green Gold moments – Food and recipe content that inspires people to choose & use Australian Avocados more frequently
IGA merchandising competition: Go for Green Gold
In addition to this activity, to support the brand campaign from an in-store and consumer experience point of view, a merchandising competition across 1,400 IGA stores will run from 7th July for the period of 4 weeks. The activation will encourage IGA stores to create amazing displays in order to win a green gold avocado trophy.
Three new recipes on the Australian Avocados’ website (April)
The three new Luke Hines recipes showcase the season’s Shepard avocados.
- Crispy Loaded Sweet Potato Fries with Lime and Chilli Shepard Avocado
- Beet Nachos with Chunky Zesty Shepard Avocado Salsa
- Charred BBQ Avocado Salad
Take your salad up a level by grilling your Shepard avocado. Add broccoli and cauliflower, and dress with lemon juice…
Posted by Australian Avocados on Sunday, 11 April 2021
The Shepard is misunderstood (4 April)
Often the victim of ire and disdain online, the Shepard avocado gets a bad rap for its eternally green appearance and firmer flesh, but it turns out they’re just misunderstood, foodie Luke Hines tells Body+Soul.
It’s Shepard season in Woolworths (23 March)
Australian Avocados is continuing its 2021 Shepard promotion, working with Woolworths on this digital screen.
Leveraging MAFS! (19 March)
It was an opportunity too good to miss, when Married at First Sight star Beck Zemek used the classic line “you’re not an avocado, not everyone likes you” when talking to another participant in an episode first aired on 17 March 2021.
Australian Avocados immediately took the opportunity to be involved in the conversation, commenting on the quote on the MAFS social media, and developing the above meme. (Click here to download, if you want to use it yourself.)
Woolworths promotes Shepard (4 March)
This month, Woolworths’ Shepard promotions have leveraged levy-funded content, as a result of retailer engagement work carried out by Avocados Australia Market Development Manager Hayleigh Dawson, in partnership with Hort Innovation.
Check it out in full by clicking here.
“Give Shepard some love”: Luke Hines (2 March)
“They need all the love they can get,” says cookbook author and shameless team Shepard devotee, Luke Hines. “Australia is the only place in the world where you can get a Shepard, and they’re only around for a couple of months. They should be celebrated.”
Read the full story at news.com.au.
Shepard season features on 7News (27 February)
The teams at Australian Avocados and Avocados Australia have been getting the word out that plenty of delicious Shepard avocados are on their way to retail shelves. This piece ran on 7NEWS Brisbane news bulletin on Saturday, 27 February, and featured a range of growers.
Aldi promotes Shepard (24 February 2021)
Aldi’s special buys catalogue for the week of 24 February featured Australian Shepard avocados.
Shepard promotions are here! (22 February 2021)
Australian Avocados has started its Shepard seasons promotions with posts on Facebook and Instagram to help consumers tell when the greenskins are ripe. Activities to promote Shepards this season will include promotional panels near the point of purchase, radio spots, a PR campaign and more.
You can view the full Shepard marketing plan from Australian Avocados in the BPR Library (you will need to log in to view this report). The BPR is an online one-stop-shop focusing on best practice to improve the quality of avocados provided to consumers. Avocados Australia welcomes new applications for the Best Practice Resource from all businesses that are part of the Australian avocado industry.
View this post on Instagram
Chinese New Year promotion (9 February 2021)
Chinese New Year is just around the corner, and Australian Avocados is using its social media channels to provide some recipe inspiration for the celebrations. Check out this Yu Sheng salad on Facebook.
Chinese New Year is around the corner! From Feb 12th it will be the year of the Ox and we think this colourful Yu Sheng…
Posted by Australian Avocados on Thursday, 4 February 2021
Shopping centre promotions (5 February 2021)
The Australian Avocados shopping centre promotions have been spotted in the wild by Avocados Australia staff today. This shot is of an electronic advertising board in the Maroochydore Sunshine Plaza, in Queensland. This sign is above the escalators moving between floors.
Dessert with Adam Liaw (20 January 2021)
Celebrity chef Adam Liaw is encouraging our avo loving consumers to step up their dessert game with his avocado, lime and macadamia pie. There’s even a blow torch involved! Check out the video and recipe here.
New video with Adam Liaw (13 January 2021)
A partnership with well-known television presenter, author and cook Adam Liaw will help provide inspiration and drive preference for Australian avocados, through engaging content. Adam is producing six video recipes, including an avocado seaweed salad with sesame and onion dressing. Adam, who specialises in Asian home cooking, has 230,000 followers on Instagram and is a regular columnist for goodfood, Sunday Life and the Guardian Australia.
You can watch the video here: https://www.goodfood.com.au/recipes/this-recipe-will-elevate-your-outdoor-eating-this-summer-20210106-h1t7t4.
Driving consumption via social media (6 January)
Australian Avocados has an “always on” approach to social media. In the current marketing plan, the goal is to drive preference for Australian Avocados through communicating the value of buying local. The various posts on Facebook and Instagram aim to:
- inspire new avocado occasions
- educate Australians on how to choose and use avocados
- highlight the value of buying local.
Date Published: 06/01/2021