Carman’s Kitchen taps Kill Boring Dead to bring ‘rebellious energy’ to creative account
Carman’s Kitchen campaign by Kill Boring Dead.
Australian muesli brand Carman’s Kitchen has appointed Melbourne independent agency Kill Boring Dead as its lead creative agency, following a pitch.
Kill Boring Dead will manage content production, influencer marketing, user-generated content, creative development and paid social campaigns for the 30-year-old breakfast brand, taking over from East of Everything.
The agency won the account following a pitch and has recently run campaigns for Carman’s Kitchen across YouTube, TikTok, connected TV and digital display.
According to the announcement, the agency will steer “Carman’s into the next phase of its digital and social journey, shifting from traditional approaches to social-first, bold and purpose-driven content”.
Founder and CEO Carolyn Creswell said the agency was chosen to “challenge us and elevate our social presence”.
“Kill Boring Dead impressed us from the very first meeting with their unique approach to creativity and deep expertise across channels. As two brands built on innovation, attention to detail and passion for what we do, this partnership feels like such a natural fit,” she said.
The agency, founded by CEO Marcus Willis in 2015 as Eight Clients and rebranded to Kill Boring Dead in February, positions itself as bringing “rebellious energy to the FMCG and lifestyle industries”.
“It’s rare to see a market leader like Carman’s still hungry for creative risk,” Willis said. “Most brands at that stage get comfortable. And staying too comfortable, for too long, is a slow, painful death. Right now, every brand is in a war for attention.
“The ones who win are the ones brave enough to push. That’s exactly why we’re here.”
Creswell famously bought the fledgling museli business in 1992 for $2,000 with co-worker Manya van Aken, combining their names to create Carman’s Kitchen. Over three decades, the brand has grown into a household cereal and muesli bar staple, exporting to 35 countries.
Despite its scale, Carman’s marketing efforts remained relatively modest until 2023, when it launched its first major advertising campaign under then-CMO Jed Simpfendorfer with agency East of Everything.
Speaking to Mumbrella at the time, Simpfendorfer said: “When Carman’s first came out and was big 30 years ago – that generation has moved with us, but we haven’t really spoken to or connected with the younger generations. There are a lot of Australians who just weren’t thinking about us, because we haven’t talked about us, and we haven’t communicated.
“By talking to people and raising the top-of-mind awareness, it’ll help grow our penetration amongst the market.”
Simpfendorfer left the brand at the end of 2023, with Lois Tristram later promoted from head of marketing to general manager of the division.
In addition to Kill Boring Dead, Carman’s also works with Pearman for some media buying and East of Everything on a project basis..
