Darrell Lea has declared its products are now completely free of palm oil with an ad that will appear familiar to chocolate lovers.
Bearing a striking resemblance to Cadbury’s famous Gorilla campaign, Darrell Lea’s use of the orangutan is a reference to how it has become an endangered species, due in part to the destruction of its habitat for palm oil production.
The campaign was created by Melbourne independent, Akkomplice, the same agency behind Darrell Lea’s short-lived spin on Yellow Pages’ ‘Not Happy Jan’, which ended with a cease and desist letter being issued to the brand and the agency.
By eliminating palm oil from its products, Darrell Lea is living by its brand platform ‘Makes it better’, marketing director Tim Stanford said.
“There is growing awareness of the devastating impacts on natural habitats and endangered species associated with palm oil production,” he said.
“Our consumers told us they would prefer our products to be palm oil free. We listened and we took action.”
Palm oil is the world’s most widely consumed form of vegetable oil. Demand is driven by the low price of its production and the high yield of the crops compared to other forms of vegetable oil. It thrives in the tropics – 90% is grown on a few islands in Malaysia and Indonesia, but its production threatens the habitat of orangutans.
Darrell Lea’s ad, set to George Michael’s ‘Freedom ‘90’, is rounded out by the line ‘The choices you make can change her world’.
Akkomplice executive creative director Sara Oteri said: “It’s not every day that you get to produce work that you know will have such a tangible and positive impact on our world.”
Kenny Hill, founder of Akkomplice, added: “Darrell Lea is exactly the ambitious and rare breed of client that we love working with. They actively embrace ambitious creative and really run with it, so it’s wonderful to see the incredible success that the brand is enjoying.”
Stanford said: “Akkomplice has again demonstrated their passion for our brand by delivering work that will start conversations and have a tremendous impact on our business.
“The ad of an orangutan in a rainforest perfectly encapsulates our brief which was to announce that Darrell Lea is now 100% palm oil-free. It’s a very emotional ad. The eyes of the orangutan are a great connection.”
The ad was directed by Mitch Kennedy and visual effects specialists Alt VFX brought the orangutan to life.
The campaign launched last night, and is running across TV, social media and outdoor. Online content has also been developed to educate consumers on palm oil and Darrell Lea’s process of removing it from its products.
CREDITS
Tim Stanford, Marketing Director, Darrell Lea (client)
Akkomplice (agency), Kenny Hill (founder & creative director), Sara Oteri (executive creative director), Nicole Torrington (account manager), Nathan Herbertson (graphic designer),
The Producers (production company), Noelle Jones (executive producer), Mitch Kennedy (director), Kieran Fowler NZCS ACS (DoP), ALT VFX (post production), Music Mill (music licensing), Bang Bang Studio—Tristan Dewey (final audit mix), Rapid Media (media planning), Voyance (digital performance)
Birds of Prey PR & Communications (PR)
Published on Mumbrella
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