GOOSE ISLAND: BOLD TO BLAND

THE

BRIEF

Goose Island wanted to highlight its bold, full flavour and do so in a way that ingratiated itself into Australian culture in a fun, meaningful and creative way.

THE

SOLUTION

Located in remote NSW, the shire of Bland is a long way from the flavour capitals of Sydney and Melbourne. Suffering the effects of the drought, it was in need of a fun and free activity to bring the community together in a tough time.

And so Bringing Bold to Bland was born.

Bastion Effect worked with the much-loved local Bland Shire General Manager Ray Smith to pen and release a humorous open letter and campaign video calling on Aussies to send Bland their flavour inspiration.

It is safe to say the plea for flavour didn’t go unnoticed thanks to our crack media team. Even Prime Minister Scott Morrison heard it loud and clear, responding directly to Ray via Twitter video to offer his own recipe.

Ray become a national icon overnight.

Goose Island hosted flavour drop off points in Melbourne and Sydney for those wanting to share ingredients and recipes with the Shire of Bland, offering those over 18 free product for their efforts.

The brand also hosted the first ever Bland Flavour Festival, a free event that brought the people of Bland together at a time when they needed to support one another.

All in all more than 100 media outlets picked up the story, with our message providing more than 40 million opportunities to see it.