Mary Carmichael Douglas, Lurpak's buttery brand ambassador, takes to the skies on Wednesday (October 3) in a new ad for the brand's Lighter Spreadable variant. The ad accounts for a big chunk of the new product's £6m marketing support, but the package also includes PoS material, instore sampling activity and a direct marketing campaign offering money-off coupons. The ad, entitled Picnic, takes Douglas outside for the first time where he tries to imitate the birds. It begins to look as if he's managed it as he seems able to fly through the air flapping his coat tails and blowing into a duck caller. However, a wider camera angle reveals that he is using a cling film-wrapped salad bowl as a trampoline. Douglas's sparring partner and ad voiceover Penelope Keith then whips away the cling film and Douglas falls into the salad. Brand manager Danny Mickelthwaite said that Douglas was one of the Lurpak brand's great strengths and he criticised other manufacturers for constantly changing their TV ad strategies and not communicating their message effectively, claiming that this left consumers confused. "Douglas has been an integral part of Lurpak's TV advertising for 15 years," he said. "The consistency of advertising message has helped to develop a strong and unrivalled brand image for Lurpak with shoppers." Douglas is created and controlled by Aardman Animations, makers of Wallace and Grommitt. The 30-second ad took seven hours to prepare. Lurpak Lighter Spreadable, which has 25% less fat than traditional butter, was launched earlier this month. {{P&P }}

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