Unmistakably ours.

There are some things that are proudly, unmistakably Australian. Peeling prawns on Christmas day, dancing the Nutbush, shortening every second word until the meaning is half a consonant away from being entirely unintelligible. (See: arvo, tracky daks, macca’s, sanga, chuck a u-ey, onya… etc.)

In another case, a yellow label, amber liquid, and… a polar bear? Unlikely though it may seem, the bear does hold significance within the Australian market. The white, furry herald of non-alcoholic ginger beer or rum is a familiar face in every drinks fridge, in every servo, across the wide brown land. Almost all Australians would have a few happy - or hazy - memories with Bundaberg products.

Being made in Australia since 1888 from 100% home-grown products, Bundaberg has gained prestige as an affordable way to partake in one of our favourite national pastime (getting legless), and earned its rightful place on the shelf of any respectable bottle-o. The Queensland-born drink has arguably overtaken its own birthplace and namesake in terms of recognition.

In their “Unmistakably Ours” campaign, Bundaberg intertwines the Australian everyman’s story and values - Mateship, optimism, “hav[ing] a crack” - with the stories of the “legends” at the distillery. By running these narratives parallel, the company aligns the Bundaberg rum story and products to be fundamentally tied to Australian patriotism. Bundaberg uses a diverse cast within the commercial, and also highlights the distillery worker “Graham”, a classic Aussie battler with a classic Australian name, to further their image as one that is truly home grown.

Like the perfect slice of Vegemite toast, the drink is nuanced, uniquely native, and only properly understood by true connoisseurs. No-one else gets it, no-one else “does it like we do”.

In this commercial, the story of Bundaberg rum is the story of Australia.

The weakness in linking a brand story to the story of a nation, is the possible emerging of a group of consumers who either do not relate with being “Australian”, or hold an opposing belief about what “Australian values” actually are. This creates the risk of alienating a group of people that otherwise may have been consumers.
As Gillette saw with the release of their 2019 commercial, "The Best Men Can Be", aligning a brand name with a specific set of values (especially values that may be taken politically), can backfire significantly. Within their target market of middle-class adult men, many felt attacked and triggered by Gilette’s suggestion that they could “do better”. In their case, their ad led to a brief drop in sales and public opinion (Marketing Week 2019).

This phenomenon is unfortunately unavoidable when a company hitches their identity to a large and varied population. As a result of diversity, there is bound to be some dissent. However, it has been found that telling a story when promoting a product or brand makes the material more “acceptable and enjoyable” (Miller, Sood & Woodside 2008, p. 128), and thus easier to connect with.

So long as Bundaberg remains able to fulfil the “Aussie spirit” in their narrative conflict-free, it is likely they will remain one of Aussies’ spirit of choice, filling the glasses of many.

References:

Bundaberg Rum 2017, The story that is unmistakably ours | Bundaberg Rum, viewed 17 March 2020, https://www.bundabergrum.com.au/unmistakably-ours

Miller, KE, Sood, S, Woodside, A 2008, ‘When consumers and brands talk: Storytelling theory and research in psychology and marketing’, Psychology & Marketing, vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 97-105.

Vizard, S 2019, ‘Gilette brand takes a hit as #metoo ad backfires’, Marketing Week, viewed 16 March 2020, https://www.marketingweek.com/gillette-brand-takes-hit-as-metoo-ad-backfires/

Nick Barker-Pendree, Bundaberg Rum Unmistakably Ours, online video, viewed 16 March 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOuAKEj6ZxY

It's 5 o'clock somewhere.

Clarity in darkness.