PM caught up in bizarre viral campaign for US craft brew but agreed to continue with stunt after being informed about the ad

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

The prime minister, Scott Morrison, has found himself at the centre of a bizarre advertising stunt for an American beer, helping it to promote a viral campaign on social media while simultaneously pushing a drought relief plan for regional Australia.

Morrison became embroiled in the campaign for US craft beer Goose Island last month when he decided to latch onto a folksy video on Twitter featuring the general manager of the New South Wales shire of Bland.

The video featured general manager Ray Smith and a cast of Bland townsfolk asking people to make his town less “bland” by bringing “flavour” to it.

Continuing his current barrage of social media postings Morrison’s video team filmed him promising to send curries made from his favourite Sri Lankan recipe to help promote the campaign. He also linked it to his forthcoming drought summit.

But the Guardian Australia can reveal that ‘bring flavour to Bland’ was in fact a campaign cooked up by the advertising agency Taboo for Goose Island – the idea being to create a viral plea to bring ‘flavour to Bland’ and then ride to the rescue with their beer.

When Morrison was told the Bland slogan was in fact part of an advertisement for the beer, he agreed to go along with it.

A spokeswoman for the Goose Island Beer Company, which is owned by US brewing giant Anheuser-Busch, told Guardian Australia: “After the PM’s video was put out, his office was advised that the Bland campaign was part of an advertising campaign, which included Goose Island. It was a fun, light-hearted campaign that Bland was very pleased to be part of.”

A spokesman for Morrison said the prime minister continued to support the campaign after being told Goose Island was behind it, because Bland was a real shire and it was a good promotion for the area.

“The prime minister wanted to support Bland Shire because like many regional communities, they have been trying everything to attract people to the area to combat the effects of drought on local farmers and businesses,” a spokesman said.

The saga began when Morrison saw a YouTube video by the general manager of Bland Shire, Ray Smith, calling for people “to send us anything that’s going to add to the flavour of Bland”. Smith tweeted it with a personal video message and the hashtag #BringFlavourToBland.

Morrison responded, saying: “I’ve got a great curry recipe and I’m going to be bringing you the curry. But more important than that here at the drought summit today I announced a million dollars that’s going to a whole bunch of new drought-affected councils and that includes Bland. So I’ll be bringing you a million bucks as well.”

Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) I've heard @RaySmith_Bland's message from Bland Shire Council: https://t.co/uGUi6BDfR6

And I've got a message for them.#BringFlavourToBland #DroughtSummit pic.twitter.com/5WsHU4U2zc

Despite by now knowing about the beer commercial link Morrison made good on his word and sent the deputy prime minister, Michael McCormack, to visit the shire and deliver his Sri Lankan curry recipe personally on 16 November. It was cooked up for the Bland Flavour Festival the following day in West Wyalong, a town in the shire.

Michael McCormack (@M_McCormackMP) #BlandShire will prove there’s nothing bland about it when it hosts the #BlandFlavourFestival tomorrow.



As part of my Acting PM duties, I personally delivered PM @ScottMorrisonMP’s Sri Lankan curry recipe to Bland GM, Ray Smith & Mayor Brian Monaghan 🌶#BringFlavourToBland pic.twitter.com/eGn6NieBaj

The Taboo campaign director James Mackinnon initially told Guardian Australia Ray’s videos were “so well done” and “we answered the call of the Bland Shire” and decided to put on a big party serving Goose Beer because “they’re having a rough time at the moment”.

Ray Smith (@RaySmith_Bland) Well Australia, I think we did it. Bland is now the official home of flavour! A huge thank you to everyone who came down, danced, ate, laughed and knocked the top off some @GooseIsland. Looking forward to some leftover @ScottMorrisonMP curry! @10Daily @theprojecttv @abcnews pic.twitter.com/AvGAoL3leR

He later admitted he had produced the video for Smith.

“Scott Morrison coming out was not part of our plan so it was kind of a fortunate thing that everyone loved Ray so much,” Mackinnon said.

“Our client, Goose Island, when that happened, they went into panic mode and they called the prime minister’s office and said in full transparency that we are working with the shire on this. It’s all absolutely true. Ray is not an actor. We actually just told a factual story about a town that is lacking in flavour because of its geography.”

A PR firm for Goose Island confirmed Taboo made the original video and the whole affair was an advertising campaign.

Ray Smith (@RaySmith_Bland) History in the making. The very first @GooseIsland Bland Flavour Festival is about to kick off! If you want to know @ScottMorrisonMP curry tastes like, I’d get down to the Royal Hotel! pic.twitter.com/oGvPBpyUlq



McCormack defended his participation in the campaign on the basis that it benefited the drought-affected region.

“I’m thrilled to hear last weekend’s Bland Flavour Festival was a huge success,” McCormack told Guardian Australia.

“It attracted hundreds of visitors to the drought-affected town of West Wyalong and proved there’s nothing ‘bland’ at all about the Bland shire.

“More than 300 bowls of the prime minister’s famous Sri Lankan curry were served up and I hear everyone loved it!

“It’s events such as the Bland Flavour Festival which bring a community together and give a welcome boost to local businesses to help them pull through this tough time.

“I support all events which encourage people to visit and spend money in regional communities. They need it now more than ever.”

Many media outlets, including the ABC and Ten’s The Project, also treated the campaign as a genuine promotion by the shire.

ABC Rural (@ABCRural) The people of Bland say they're far from Dull and Boring — the Scottish village of Dull & the US town of Boring that is — and now they're looking to #BringFlavourToBland with the launch a video that's quickly gained media & @ScottMorrisonMP's attention: https://t.co/Dw749UGAYX pic.twitter.com/yIvLJDeytu

“Mr Smith said the council had made the video in the hope of attracting new visitors and businesses,” the ABC reported.

The Project (@theprojecttv) Ray Smith making a “Pho Pas” in his pronunciation of Pho, but we’ll forgive him after his brilliant tourism video for the Shire of Bland #TheProjectTV pic.twitter.com/HBw5YhkIDF

Smith told Ten Daily the offer was “extremely serious” and The Project’s Waleed Aly interviewed Smith on the show without mentioning the involvement of the beer company.