Times are Changing

Stamppot is an age-old family favourite in the Netherlands, and you can’t make stamppot without a classic Unox smoked sausage. But times are changing. The brief for TBWA\NEBOKO as creative agency and Ambassadors as creative production partner was to retain Unox’s trustworthy, traditional brand identity while promoting its growing range of vegetarian options to the Dutch public. We had to make this a story about trying something new, not about missing out.

We embraced a CG feature animation style to tell a sweet story of how meat-free days can work even in a third-generation family of butchers. It all begins when a nature-loving butcher’s daughter sees a cow nuzzle its calf in the same way her doting dad does to her. So together with her trusted sidekick Pip the dog, she devises a clever plan to secretly switch out her family’s stamppot sausage that evening. When her butcher dad spots this, he humours her by giving it a go. The result? Pleasant surprise. This was about telling a rich story with the product at the heart, not just the end shot, so we obsessively crafted each scene with a high level of detail to both the scenery and the nuanced performance. With this, just a few looks between father and daughter could define the climax of the film.

This was Unox’s first animated commercial, and it struck a new style and tone that touched hearts across the lowlands. In Kantar’s post-test, the film rated 97% on enjoyment, 98% on branding, and 99% on relevance, differentiation and persuasion, ultimately making it Kantar’s 3rd most creative and effective TV ad worldwide. Within one year, the vegetarian range grew over 400%, making Unox the fastest grower in its category.

Read more on Shots.