Merrick’s Carbeque goes global for MLA
US TV presenter Michael Strahan shows off the Carbeque
An Australian radio stunt has made international headlines this week, including coverage on US television for both the station and its brand partner.
This week Triple M’s Merrick and the Highway Patrol’s stunt with Meat and Livestock Australia, the Carbeque – part car, part barbeque – went global across the Huffington Post before spreading to US TV morning show Live! With Kelly and Michael, reaching over 3m viewers.
Watts told Mumbrella, the Mad Max-inspired meals-on-wheels vehicle worth $135,000 also landed on news sites in Brazil, Argentina and the Czech Republic.
Watts said the message behind MLA’s current ad campaign, that it’s not a ‘shrimp’ but a steak that should be thrown on the barbie, was mentioned on Live! with Kelly and Michael.
Watts said: “They did say throw another steak on the barbie, which is the catch cry of Meat and Livestock Australia at the moment. I’m rapt for them as a representative of the ‘throw another steak on the barbie’ campaign, but also in general as a radio client of ours, that’s a really good hit.”
Watts and his team revealed the Carbeque on air in late November with an outdoor broadcast in Parramatta.
After requesting to be MLA’s ambassador live on air in July, November saw Watts launched his first beef campaign, to have Tourism Australia remake the 1980s ad featuring Paul Hogan that coined the term, ‘throw another shrimp on the barbie’ using the term ‘throw another steak on the barbie’.
A spokesperson for MLA said: “Southern Cross Austereo have been a great partner to work with and a great fit for the Nothing beats Beef campaign. And now the message has gone global, I guess we have to let Merrick re-make the old ad with the right line… throw another steak on the barbie!”
