After 10 years of collaboration, we’ve learnt a thing or two about keeping big-brand work and relationships fresh.
For the eighth year running, we’ve had the pleasure of planning and executing the Woolworths brand experience at Sydney’s Royal Easter Show (RES). But more than that, this year also marks a milestone 10 years since we first embarked on our brand-agency journey with the Fresh Food People, one of Australia’s biggest and most celebrated retailers.
Back in 2014, we got to know each other when asked to execute a mass sampling event showcasing Woolworths and its vendors. Since then, the RES event has evolved into an experience that has included Woolworths’ signature kitchen demos, virtual reality visits to Aussie farms, and fresh market tours – all with a single purpose – to form a greater connection between visitors and Woolworths’ key pillars.
The secret to this – dare we say it – ‘organic’ evolution is simple. With the brand’s strategic and intrinsic principles as our north star, we can do more than simply execute. We can understand. It forms a relationship based upon a shared belief in what the brand is and wants to be. A relationship that enables the brand’s long-term growth and reinvents how it can be experienced year-on-year.
“As with any healthy and happy relationship, open communication and honesty are at its heart. This means maintaining a balance between friendly discourse while still being able to manage expectations and have honest conversations. But at the end of the day, this happens naturally when everyone believes in the greater goal of finding considered solutions and creating great work. And that is always the greatest test – the quality of work. It speaks for everything else.” says Meredith Cranmer, Co-founder and MD of Because ANZ.
Luckily for us, over the last 10 years, our relationship with Woolies has been built on previous successes and grown through trust. It has fostered a spirit of true collaboration which has enabled us to unlock even greater value for our client. For example, by briefing us as a collaborative partner on other campaigns, it has ensured that our work is seamlessly integrated and strategically sound.
Today, we share a genuine respect and admiration for each other, and a willingness to always strive for better. In turn, we get to keep on doing great work. Ahem, speaking of doing great work, here are some of our top picks from this year’s RES experience.
2022 HIGHLIGHTS:
This year we were thrilled to produce an immersive activation that inspired Easter Show goers to eat seasonal fresh food, grown right here in Australia. We highlighted Woolworths’ connection to agriculture and its relationship with Aussie farmers. The experience also tipped its hat at Woolworths’ commitment to ‘growing greener’ and making healthier eating easier.
Country-chic propping - Citrus trees and hedging created a walkway from the welcome area to each ‘farm’, creating a farm tour feel while building some anticipation for every stop to follow. We brought the ‘green’ theme through with fresh produce, plants, textures, lighting and signage. Farm-style equipment, distressed wood textures, and upcycling corrugated iron further dialled up the farm and provenance cues.
Fresh stop – Celebrating Australian Fresh, visitors began their tour by tasting a variety of delicious vegetables and fruits from Perfection Fresh – one of Woolworths’ delicious Australian-grown produce suppliers. Our tour guides then chatted visitors through Woolworths’ incredible sustainability initiatives using our slide-and-reveal activity.
Seafood stop – Our seafood stop focused on the ease of making healthier eating easier with a fun spin on tic tac toe. Visitors could place their ‘barramundi’ or ‘salmon’ player piece on a staple ingredient (such as carbohydrates, veggies, or herbs) where they could build their own healthy meal. They also got to taste Tassal salmon, sourced from Tasmania.
Meat stop – First tempted by the smell of delicious grass-fed burgers and then educated about Woolworths’ strategies to reduce single-use plastics with a bag-toss game, visitors were taught and tested on reuse, recycling and refuse best practices.
Digital show bag and microsite – As an interactive extension of the show experience, visitors could sign up to a digital show bag, bringing them further information on this year’s vendors as well as exclusive content and competitions. This year we also built a custom microsite reflective of the farm tour experience.
Mural of Australia – Finally, for a big picture of Woolworths’ commitment to sustainability and its sources, we showcased the diverse range of farmers and growers Woolworths supports.
We’re proud and privileged to walk the long road with brave and committed clients such as Woolworths. It’s thanks to the collaborative spirit of our partnership and hard-won trust that allows us to keep on creating work that digs deeper, builds brand love, and keeps evolving alongside the brands we serve. Here’s to keeping it fresh for the next 10 years.