Devondale – advertising that works
Take a look at the picture below.
It’s Devondale Dairy Soft spread. On my kitchen table.
I’ve never bought it before.
But yesterday, I watched DDB Melbourne’s new ad for the brand. It’s directed by Tim Bullock, one of the world’s go-to directors for funny ads.
And tonight, on the strength of having watched a TV ad just twice, I changed my behaviour as a consumer.
When I found myself in the dairy aisle at Coles, I broke a habit, and turned away from the ‘hard’ butter, and bought the Devondale.
I’m not going to make the mistake of extrapolating my behaviour and coming up with a consumer trend.
But, gee, it’s a good ad, isn’t it?
Tim Burrowes
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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that’s pretty depressing. You buy your butter according to how good the ads are? How about price, ethics, and nutrition ?
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Hi Mus,
You misunderstand slightly. But probably because I didn’t fully explain.
The ad makes use of an insight – people don’t like the results of hard butter.
And what impresses me is that in my focus group of one, that insight delivered a change in consumer behaviour.
I didn’t buy the product because I liked the ad; I bought because it persuaded me. And that’s why I think it’s a good ad.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
I didn’t find it as funny as everyone’s raving. I actually found it a bit cold and awkward. That said, it’s the only butter we ever use in our house so they’re preaching to the converted here…
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Please stop calling it butter. It isn’t butter. That’s the point.
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@ Encyclic…. it sure as hell tastes like butter and the ingredients on the side say 44% butter. Which scares me to think what the other 56% of it is….
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But… but… but… it’s not butter!
Butter is essentially pure cream. Sometimes salt is added.
Dairysoft ingredients are Butter (73%) [Cream, Water, Salt], Canola Oil (27%), Vitamins A & D, 58% Milkfat.
But – good to see an ad making a change on consumer behaviour.
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I like the spot because I hate hard butter. Really well done.
But I buy Mainland Buttersoft – it’s 100% butter but somehow spreads quite easily from the fridge. I know this sounds like I work for Mainland or I’m one of their pr hacks, but I’m not. It’s just really good stuff.
Stuff like this is half oil and other non-butter ingredients, which I’m not so keen on.
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So it’s basically butter with canola oil? Making it…. butter….
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Bruce. Where on the packaging is the word “butter” used?
As in “what you are buying is actually butter”.
Not “butter was somewhere near the thing you’re buying once”.
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Encylic. In the ingredients panel (and I’m quoting directly from the pack I just took out of the fridge) – BUTTER 44%, canola oil 22%, milk fat 37%. Plus there’s vitamin A&D, food acid, emulsifier and preservative. Making it butter but with oil to spread easier. Can I also add, this is one of the best online conversations I’ve EVER been involved with….
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Love it!
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Well fair enough then! Hope you’re enjoying your newly improved winter breakfasts.
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Encyclic. Paddle Pops are really ice creams, Time Outs are just chocolate, Fruche is just yoghurt. I may be wrong, but it could be something called marketing.
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advertising is the only industry in which you can label “insightful” the observation that people don’t like hard butter. what credibility problem? i hear you ask.
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way too many furrowed brows here. thanks for sharing Tim – I loved the ad too
This is a very nice ad, very well written and beautifully directed.
Quite apart from my appreciation of the ad and its execution in an artistic and theatrical sense, Tim is on the money here, it reminds us that we all hate hard butter when it won’t spread and It is very effective at making a point and changing consumer habits.
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@NS – you hit the nail on the head.
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