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‘It doesn’t sound right anymore’: Australian Republic Movement launches major brand push

The Australian Republic Movement is calling on Australians to declare their independence from the British monarchy this Australia Day, as part of a major rebrand and renewed push for the movement.

ARM McCann Melbourne campaign

Modern Australians attempt to sing ‘God Save the Queen’ in ARM ad

Created by McCann Melbourne, the refresh is the biggest brand push for the ARM since it ran its campaign for the 1999 National Referendum.

The spot features a range of Australians from various backgrounds attempting to recite the words to the British national anthem, and former Australian anthem, ‘God Save the Queen’, with little success. It concludes with the text: “It doesn’t sound right anymore”.

The ad for the lobby group aims to point out the irrelevance of a British monarch for modern Australians and includes an engagement exercise, inviting Australians to pledge independence and allegiance to Australia.

“The journey toward full and final independence must be placed in the hands of the Australian people, not politicians,” said Tim Mayfield, national director of the ARM.

“This new campaign is all about connecting with regular folk and making the case for change.”

The rebrand includes a new logo with a yellow Australia, created in the shape of a forward-facing arrow. The new logo was used in a soft launch on December 17, as the backdrop for a speech by Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull.

Australian Republic Movement logo

The ARM will also launch its new website and will run events across Australia’s major cities this Australia Day, with groups of volunteers heading out in ARM shirts and filming locals pledging their allegiance to Australia.

“The aim of the ARM’s collaboration with McCann is to create an iconic Australian brand that stands the test of time. We’re confident that the new logo and ad are a huge step in this direction,” Mayfield added.

Peter FitzSimons, national chair of the ARM said there was “no credible argument” against having an Australian head of state.

“We respect the Queen for her lifetime of service, and we’d love to have her over for a cuppa to oversee the transition to an Australian republic with an Australian as our head of state,” FitzSimons said.

McCann Melbourne currently works with the Australian Republic Movement on a pro-bono basis.

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