Gruen Transfer’s election challenge to the advertising industry
From the makers of The Gruen Transfer:
A federal election is about to be called.
How the major parties pitch their advertising message will have a huge bearing on which side wins.
Any agency worth its salt will be looking at the two campaigns and thinking, “We could do better”.
During the election campaign, we would like to give eight agencies the chance to prove it.
Hosted by Wil Anderson and featuring Gruen regulars Todd Sampson and Russel Howcroft, Gruen Nation will “run an ‘X-Ray over the federal election” examining the advertising, as well as the other tricks and tactics parties use to get their messages out.
Political insiders and campaign veterans will join the two advertising experts in a series of 45-minute specials, in the same timeslot, dissecting each week’s events as they unfold.
At the centre of Gruen Nation will be The Pitch. Normally, it’s a challenge to agencies to sell the unsellable. This time, we’re asking you to play for real.
Your clients will be the Labor Government and the Coalition Opposition. The issues and personalities will be the ones we see on the evening news. And you’ll be working in real time, with as little as three days to turn an ad around.
There will be four styles of ad we’re after: Heartwarming. Fear. Jingle. Attack.
We need eight agencies to step up to the plate and demonstrate to a massive national audience – and the main players in Canberra – how good they are. And how good they could be if they were given the gig at the next election…
Don’t chew it over for too long. There are only eight slots. And we want to fill them now. It doesn’t matter if you’ve done The Pitch before. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t. The eight most passionate, most committed agencies are in.
This is not for the faint-hearted. You’ll be on the national stage, being tested in real time.
Who wants to play?
Call us.
- Jon Casimir on 0438 759 014 or email jcasimir@zapruder.com.au
- Polly Connolly on 0408 476 438 or email pconnolly@zapruder.com.au
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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Years ago, I tried watching “The Glass House”, a news satire show hosted by Wil Anderson. He was very unfunny and the show was crap. I would love to see Hamish host the election specials instead.
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Again I say, can The Gruen Transfer PLEASE not act in a way which suggests they (think they) play a bigger role than just (previously) entertaining TV?
Also, “The Gruen Nation is seeking four styles of advertising — Heartwarming, Fear, Jingle, and Attack” – OH. MY. GOD.
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Fortunately for Wil, 1.4 million people a week disagree. The new format sounds superb – can’t wait!
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I’ve always enjoyed the Gruen Transfer and the new show sounds pretty interesting and timely too. I think we take ourseves way too seriously sometimes in this game, overcomplicating and overrationalising things. We’re selling shit at the end of the day, not saving lives (although granted for some clients we can do that too). The show’s 80% entertainment 20% education. What’s wrong with accepting it for what it is?
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The Glass House was a fantastic show! Way to personally attack someone and completely ignore the crux of the story Boiler Room 4
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You’d think that with a multi-million dollar ad budget, PR hacks, research, lobbiests and Parliamentary Staff the Libs and Labor would have no problem flogging whatever will (hopefully) keep them in power for another coupla years.
Not true. The campaigns are so hit and miss, for example the latest round of anti-caol industry ads?
Would be more interested to see how the veritable ‘no-ones’ run their campaigns (sometimes even winning) – the Greens, Independents, One Nation, Family First. It seems like a totally different ball game.
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“Your clients will be the Labor Government and the Coalition Opposition.”
Isn’t it time the Australian media woke up and realised there are more than just 2 parties running.
I’d rather see them do ads for some of the minor parties. It would be way more interesting and much more funny….if thats what they are trying to achieve.
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I agree with Mike here. Why not the greens? They have been making up ground hand over foot. Doesnt seem fair, does it?
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There is a serious legal challenge coming for the Gruen Transfer.
They do not seek, let alone gain permission to run the TV commercials they select for comment.
This is under the allusion that the work is in the public domain and can be replayed without permission.
This is untrue, unless it is shown as part of a news or current affairs program and is in the interests of the public.
We are all fooled that this is the case with Gruen because it’s the ABC.
Wrong.
Your work is being pirated by Zapruder, a private company owned by the already wealthy Andrew Denton who makes money by selling the show.
Your TVC’s are little more than free program content for Denton.
Wise up.
Call your Agency legal advisor.
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Looks like somebody been sitting too close to the tele without wearing their tin hat…
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I suspect you’ll struggle to make that one stick, anonymous.
I know we can’t rely too strongly on Wiklpedia, but it does have a very well written enttry on fair dealing under Australian copyright law: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.....yright_law
A perhaps relevant extract:
… in order to be a fair dealing under Australian law a use must fall within one of range of specific purposes. These purposes vary by type of work, but the possibilities are:
* review or criticism
* research or study
* news-reporting
* judicial proceedings or professional legal advice
* parody or satire (this last is new: it was added by the Copyright Amendment Bill 2006)
In order for a certain use to be a fair dealing, it must fall within one of these purposes and must also be ‘fair’. What is fair will depend on all the circumstances, including the nature of the work, the nature of the use and the effect of the use on any commercial market for the work.
“Review or criticism” certainly seems to meet that criteria.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
@Anonymous
By showing the adverts, isn’t the Gruen Transfer effectively giving these advertisers FREE ADVERTISING on the ABC no less. Priceless!
Rather than suing them they should be thanking them for penetrating into a market which money cannot buy.
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It would very interesting to have Todd and Russel’s agencies doing this pitch as its great to heat their opinion every week on other peoples work but it would be good to see them ‘walk the walk’ for a change.
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Guys, once again I think the discussion here should be the fact that only the labour government and the libs get coverage.
Although It is a two party prefered system, surely the lesser parties (the greens, the nationals) deserve some form of representation?
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Strongly agree with Fraser, comment number 13: Todd and Russel should walk the walk and show the nation what they’ve got by joining in with “The Pitch”. During the election campaign would be a great time to do this – maybe the week before the election.
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indeed. an industry that sells crap for clients using sex appeal, not allowing us to choose to spruik Fiona from the ASP rather than Julia or Tony? DUH.
And for a show on ABC that makes half its ratings from “naughty material” from the UK? double DUH.
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