Nando’s offers Aussies an escape from these fiery times in new brand campaign via Sunday Gravy
A.I. is threatening our existence, scammers are everywhere, and boomers are buying up the property market. Yeah, life is fiery, but life has always been fiery, so enjoy the moment,— and enjoy delicious Nando’s PERi-PERi chicken. That’s the overarching message in Nando’s latest ‘Fiery times. Fired up flavour’ campaign via creative agency, Sunday Gravy.
While calling out some spicy topics, the campaign maintains an optimistic perspective by celebrating Nando’s passion for vibrant music, art and flavour. This is led by the authentic hero talent, Professor Rhythm – a captivating musician and producer from Nando’s original birthplace of South Africa. He’s featured swaying through a Nando’s restaurant to the beat of his iconic track, Professor 3.
Says Darren Hampton, customer and brand director ANZ, Nando’s: “Nando’s global success has centred around serving its world-famous, flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken in an experience that embodies the energy and vibrancy of our Afro-Portuguese heritage. This is who we are and what we obsess about so we wanted to create an expression of this that speaks to what’s on all our minds at the moment and let’s face it, we are not living in boring times.”
Says Tom Blackburn, head of brand and communications, Nando’s: “We’re on a mission to reignite the Nando’s brand in Australia and New Zealand. The Nando’s experience is unique, it’s visceral, you slather on as much sauce as you like and leave with PERi-PERi infused cuticles. We wanted this campaign to reconnect with Aussies and Kiwis, understand them, and offer them a place to come and forget about life, for just a moment…”
Nando’s has ambitious growth ambitions in the ANZ market. As a result, this campaign is aimed at attracting a younger audience who demand transparency and authenticity from brands, and also tend to deal with life’s mess through escapism and humour.
Says Max Kennedy, senior art director, Sunday Gravy” “Life is messy. But, historically, life has always been messy. It’s part of being human. Whatever happens, has happened before, and we survived. Chicken yum yum.”
The campaign will roll out over the coming weeks across, film, social and OOH.
Client: Nando’s Australia
Darren Hampton, Customer & Brand Director ANZ
Tom Blackburn, Head of Brand & Communications
Adorel Ng, Graphic Designer
Creative Agency: Sunday Gravy
Media Agency: Bohemia
Production: Finch
Director: Sam Hibbard
Post Production: Atticus
Photography: Mark Roper
Retouching: Electric Art
77 Comments
yum yum!!
Love it
This is on fire! Love it and want to see more!
This is fun
Had to stop.
Wanted to hate it.
Actually like it.
Yeah, saw the outdoor from the tram today and it bothered me for the rest of the ride to work.
What the heck do arbitrary headlines about current events have to do with Portuguese chicken?
Like, at least tie it back with a line like ‘At least there’s Nando’s’ or something.
Like this, especially the track
This is funny, I like it. Their chicken is fiery.
I worked on Nando’s in a previous life. Nice to see them making good work again.
Yum Yum
Fiery times, fiery comments loading…
Unwatchable. What on earth is going on?
Also, it will make South Africans homesick.
Style over content
Brilliant
The long one was too much
Love this, ignited my fire from within. Defs having Nandos for dinner tonight!
I like this as well. Tone is cool and that soundtrack is catchy.
I think the latest Oporto ads are a bit stronger overall.
But it’s cool to see weird, interesting work from both brands on TV.
Hopefully Nando’s stick on this path and see it where it takes them.
Funny lines.
Well done me JB
Nice to see some work with personality
…Nando’s giving it a crack and looking for a little personality finally
This is iconic. Could have been more refined conceptually. But definitely ain’t bland.
I love it
Seems off, and not OK. It’s 2023.
… and look at the better version of this with the latest Oporto campaign. That’s genuinely brave. This is meh.
It’s a bit racist, innit?
What if he was a comedian, could we laugh then? Or is it still considered racist to you?
than the catch work
11 gold stars for whoever found that music track
funny africa man can’t speak english!
Australia is so regressive
This is outrageously good to watch. And listen to.
Good.
Mint. I love how they’ve used a South African personality rather than a rando
Why?
…. I like it!
Everything about this is forced.
Work that will cut through the clutter and made me smile. Job done.
Sunday Lazy
Rubbish…
Just watched this with 5 of my black friends here in an agency in the UK and ALL are deeply offended.
Tone deaf or what.
Nope.
I don’t believe you
‘Professor 3’ by Professor Rhythm (same artist in this spot). Definitely better than a royalty-free ukulele…
Remember when Nandos did good advertising?
This is different-for-the-sake-of-being-different, rather than creating distinctive brand assets that will actually get people loving the brand and coming back for more. This is short-sighted rubbish.
(Pretty easy to spot the agency’s positive comments – you’re fooling nobody)
I like everything about this. A+ use of Awesome Tapes from Africa.
Random quirkiness is not an idea.
Nor is it funny.
Maybe you should all stop commenting on how great this work is and look at it as it could be perceived.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3Q5nhnrPHg
How is this work racist? Spell it out for me if you can?
Wow. How soft has Australia got? Racist? Get back to promoting Yes and virtue signalling…
But it’s not racist either
It’s not common knowledge that nandos originated from South Africa. But did anyone else nerd up and research the board of directors? Optics are not good.
@ it’s a start
Spot on. Rich white South Africans own the business and they are using a caricature of a black South African to flog chicken here.
It would be like using a stereotype of an indigenous Australian to sell Fosters in the UK.
This isn’t being woke, it’s just self-evident.
Racist? For charactering a black man?
So, you want him not to be black – or not to be a character?
Was the Old Spice ad racist? He was black and a character.
Please, folk love to stick the knife in as deep as they can eh
Imagine how the actor must’ve felt when being given the director’s note: ‘love it love it. We just need you to make fun of your entire culture and country. Like a lot more. Action!’
Old spice had nuance and self awareness. This has the nuance of a rusty blunt knife.
You being offended, does not make something offensive
Bad things but …. product
Nuance and self awareness?
I don’t know what you mean.
Self awareness about what?
It was a black character in an ad.
Same as this
Honestly, let’s not pretend people slamming this aren’t doing it because it’s from a competing agency
Get a grip
Medibank customer
Completely soulless comment
Finally, something interesting from Nandos!
Yeah, I thought I’d hate it, but I don’t
If I’m being perfectly honest, in the beginning I thought hmmmmm… but now I like it !
Randomly calling something racist doesn’t actually make is racist
Dolmio literally had ethnic stereotypes as puppets gesticulating wildly and slurping pasta sauce and no one said s***. This guy is South African AND the musical artist. It’s way more respectful to have him represent his country than a puppet with a fake accent.
Pen, pineapple, apple pen..
Its not so old that we’ve forgotten – Lazy.
Brilliant seeing all the white advertising men calling this racist
As opposed to all the white advertising men who made it?
How the agency has managed to align this (alleged) strategy with this creative is interesting, to say the least. FML there is a leap and half there.
I think the whole thing is pretty all over the place.
So there’s not 69 comments…
Awesome work guys! Loved it.
It’s racist because they cast a black man speaking in his natural accent. Fug Me… Bite!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrB_Hm3wWI
Genuinely curious Nandos was founded in South Africa so the casting is fun and on brand in a way? Genuinely curious how this is racist?
Gutsy! We need more advertising like this! Entertaining and totally on brand!
Gutsy! We need more advertising like this! Entertaining and totally on brand! Well done!