Michelle Bridges pokes fun at ‘health freaks’ in new videos for Woolworths from Emotive
It’s Michelle Bridges as you’ve never seen her before – poking fun at the perception of her “perfect life” which sees her waking up in the plank position and celebrating her various accomplishments, including apparently winning the Melbourne Cup – and it’s all for an ad campaign for her new pre-packaged food range for Woolworths.
Created by Emotive in partnership with Carat, the spots sees Bridges poking fun at both herself and perceptions around what it means to eat healthy as part of a push for her new frozen meals range.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsGSmZxKJ-o
Jamie Crick, Emotive strategic partnerships & audience director said in a statement: “Our approach to content creation always starts with the audience. Michelle has an amazingly engaged fan base and we knew this humourous approach would capture their attention along with the broader public.
“We’ve put in place an amplification program that ensures the content not only reaches Michelle’s many fans, but also the much wider audience we know is in the market for healthy meal options and amusing social content. It was a privilege to work in a true collaboration with Michelle and the team at Woolworths and Carat on this content campaign.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7cgtoxlTV8
Nicholas Chin, senior digital manager at Carat, said in a statement: “Emotive’s audience first approach to social video has helped Carat and Woolworths ensure we’re tailoring creative for the right audience and delivering it across the right platforms. The result for Woolworths is video content that doesn’t just entertain but actually drives real social conversation, which can be difficult in this cluttered retail environment.
“Their agile approach to content production is really refreshing and keeps us all on our toes, but it is an approach that delivers genuine brand value for Woolworths and keeps us looking forward to what comes next”.
The content will be distributed across Woolworths’ owned assets, social media, social influencers and publisher syndication.
Kate Walker, brand manager – health and celebrity, at Woolworths said: “We had a real opportunity to go to market with a humorous piece of content about Michelle. By having a bit of fun, it’s given us permission to talk to the audience about our amazing new range of healthy, frozen meals. The theme continues into two short form pieces that address the perception that it’s hard to be healthy.”
Credits:
- Executive Creative Director, Emotive – Charlie Leahy
- Director, Emotive – Sean O’Reilly
- Woolworths – Kate Walker
- Carat – Barbara Messitt, Nicholas Chin
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I would not normally think this was a Woolworths ad. It was engaging and made me laugh.
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Is this the same Michelle Bridges who only a few months ago insensitively raised the ire of Australian farmers by saying that eating meat is cruelty to animals? So what are chickens Michelle?
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My favourite ad of all time 🙂
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Ha ha – clever and fun.
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It’s become quite clear Michelle has reached a point where money beat integrity with these ads.
Suggesting that growing your own food makes you a freak, and that to “get real” you should eat horrible plastic packaged microwave meals is disgraceful.
Woolworths seems to be doing their best to make terrible decisions this year.
The Reward program schmozzle.
Masters.
The Anzac Day embarrassment is still ‘Fresh’ in our memories.
Cheap Cheap
Largest owner of pokie machines (Probably a good financial decision, but shows the ethically corrupt core.)
Woolworths is done if they continue like this. Much like McDonalds, trying to solve all their problems through gimmicks and marketing.
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Well I must be a freak then! Epic fail calling people who grow their own veggies “Freaks”. I’ll never buy a single thing with Michelle bridges name on it nor shop in Woolworths again!
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Social Media melt down on Woollies and Bridges’ pages. Both ended up deleting the video. Close to a thousand comments and none of them positive.
Woollies have apologised.
Serioulsy thye have.
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Yeah, she is cashing in-big time.
Trashing two brands with one ad, well done…..
If you already like her, this won’t hurt her. Same with the folks who don’t like her- it won’t change their minds either.
Those who don’t like her, but like Woolies……this will not make them like her any more, and may well tarnish Woolies in their eyes.
Yeah, a fail from me.
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Hi all,
Just flagging Woolworths has now apologised for the soil eating video. Link here: https://mumbrella.com.au/woolworths-apologises-for-michelle-bridges-soil-eating-video-329335
Cheers
Nic – Mumbrella
Its money game. She probably was paid well. No one is fool to believe someone saying frozen food is better. She should be teaching about fresh food and encouraging others to try to eat fresh. Poor judgement
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“Audience first approach”…..by insulting them. (slow sarcastic clapping)
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This ad was a MAJOR crash, burn, and fail. That ad and their new not-a-rewards program suggest Woolies has a death wish for their business.
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Emotive have had lots of well deserved publicity for their Optus work – but this is a great example of a terrible piece of irresponsible and un-insightful content. Agencies should be fired for work like this. This agency still lacks credentials beyond one campaign. Did they just get lucky?
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As if Michelle Bridges would eat frozen veggie meals, firstly.
Secondly, when will Woolworths learn? Are the few bucks you save using crappy two-bit content agencies and the media agency for your creative really worth it.
I’m off to do my weekly shop tonight and I’ll be doing it at Coles.
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Well, that’s what happens when you use a ‘content’ company rather than someone with your best interests at heart. Idiots.
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Emotive did well with the Netflix ad for Optus. I found the follow up ads disrespectful by claiming it’s ok to sacrifice his integrity because it’s Australia. It seems Emotive don’t have respect for the consumer.
I agree with Barry, brands should really work with their accredited agency. Perhaps Ricky Gervais can release a frozen meal range for Woolies
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Clever
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Come on, folks, hoodwinked by the “pointing-the-finger-at-the-wrong-person” game again? IT WAS A WOOLWORTH ad, probably who drummed up by some insensitive whiz kid in their “creative” (or, more like, “destructive”) department. Michelle was given a script, she appeared in an ad. End of story. She was the instrument, not the instigator of this piece of advertising fiasco. But guess who gets the mud on their face? Not Woolworth, who created the ad that may well cause both a marketing disaster to Michelle’s products (foods, books, clothing) and to her personally. In my opinion, she made the wrong choice and should not have agreed with the script. She already had professional relations with Big W, so perhaps leverage was in play. But it comes down to choice. I have seen the ad and I found it rather stupid. I could have created a better ad in my sleep. Selling, buying, greed, disrespect for the public ….
PS: A message to Jamie Oliver: come to Australia and see how Woolworth isn’t marketing your fantastic range of products – I found them next to the offal and animal meat by-products in a local Woolworth.
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@An Is, I think you will find Michelle’s team hired Emotive. Woolworths are not responsible here. Sure, they should have stepped in to pull this rubbish but I don’t think Woolworths hired Emotive.
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