Brand Experience and Activation > Culture & Context
VMLY&R MELBOURNE / LEGACY / RSA / 2019
Overview
Credits
Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation?
The Half Biscuit is a one-off activation designed specifically for the Australian and New Zealand market on Anzac Day. Veterans' support groups, Legacy Australia and RSA New Zealand, partnered for the first time ever to reunite the two countries for one day. By respectfully changing the iconic Anzac biscuit for the first time in 104 years, we reignited the true meaning of the Anzac spirit. And for the first time in a long time, both nations remembered not only their own fallen men and women, but those from the other country, too.
Background
April 25 is Anzac Day, a day of remembrance for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The day is commemorated by both nations due to their history serving in conflicts all over the world together, dating back to Gallipoli in World War One. However, in recent years we’ve commemorated the day in isolation of one another. Our brief was to reignite the true meaning of the Anzac spirit and enable Australians and New Zealanders to share Anzac Day together. We needed to engage not one country, but two. So, we took an iconic symbol – the Anzac biscuit, which has been shared between Australian and New Zealand soldiers in war zones for over 100 years – and reimagined it.
Describe the creative idea
To remind Australians and New Zealanders that Anzac Day should be shared together, we split the Anzac biscuit in two and created The Half Biscuit. One half went to Australia, the other to New Zealand. So, no matter where you are on Anzac Day, you can commemorate
fallen men and women from both Australia and New Zealand. Enjoy a Half Biscuit, and someone from the other country will be enjoying the other half with you.
Describe the strategy
We tend to forget that the Anzac spirit is a special bond between Australia and New Zealand. We acknowledge the sacrifices our own soldiers made, but it’s not often we think about our brothers and sisters on the other side of the Tasman Sea. Our challenge was to reignite the true spirit of Anzac by bringing these two nations together to commemorate Anzac Day not in isolation, but as one. To do it, we took one of the most recognisable icons in Australia and New Zealand – the Anzac biscuit – and turned it into a shared experience that transcended location, age, race and religion.
Describe the execution
The Half Biscuit was made using the original 104-year-old recipe. The only difference was that it was broken in two – one half went to Australia, the other to New Zealand. Half Biscuits were handed out on Anzac Day at major sporting events featuring both Australian and New Zealand teams, which resulted in news outlets across both countries highlighting the campaign. On social media, Aussies and Kiwis could share their own digital Half Biscuit with each other. For one day, the Half Biscuit brought Australians and New Zealanders together.
List the results
The Half Biscuit made people rethink the true meaning of what Anzac represents. In a survey of people who received one, 84% now had a greater understanding of the bond between Australia and New Zealand. Legacy Australia and RSA New Zealand had their highest number of social media traffic ever, with 100% positive feedback. 79% of social interactions were from people sharing with someone from the other country, and donations to both Legacy and RSA NZ increased by 81%.
Please tell us about the social behaviour and/or cultural insights that inspired your campaign
Australia and New Zealand are like siblings. We’re competitive and we make fun of each other, but when it matters, we always have each other’s backs. The Half Biscuit campaign was created specifically for the two countries on Anzac Day, a time of shared respect and remembrance. It used language, iconography, symbols and cultural references that only Aussies and Kiwis would understand. The significance of Anzac Day is not to be understated – it’s a building block of Australia’s and New Zealand’s national identities and it’s part of what makes us who we are. We took the Anzac biscuit and turned it into a new symbol that made people rethink what Anzac truly means, in a way that was respectful of its 104-year heritage. The Half Biscuit didn’t just capture the attention of one nation. It brought two countries together.
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