MARKETING FOCUS "ÍOLtDLY M D E IN tJSTR U SINCE 19Z3 VEGEMITE CELEBRAT ES ITS 8 5TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR BRAND STORY VEGEMITE Vegemite is today considered an iconic Australian brand, despite its hunible beginnings as pure vegetable extract . ^^ft ^ K egemite's first appearance on ^ ^ & ^ ^ V Australian grocsry shelves ^H^V occurred in 1922, when chemist ^^^V Dr Cyril Callister was hired by ^^V the Fred Walker Company to develop a vitamin B spread. Accompanying the product's launch was a c ampaign in the form of a competition, offering Aussies the chance to name th e spread. The prize was £50 and it was won by Walker's own daughter who chose the name Vegemite. In 1923 , the spread was launched in groceries around the country with the description: "Delici ous on sandwiches and toast, and improves the flavo ur of soups, stews and gravies." Immediately prior to the outbreak of World War II. Vegemite gained official product endorsement from the British Medical Association, which allowed the spread to be advertised in the Australian MedlcalJournal. Doctors recommended Vegemite as a Vitam in B- rich, nutritionally balanced food. After World War 11 , Australia experienced a post-war baby boom, which created a huge market for Vegemite, Infant Welfare Centres soon recommended babies have their quota of Vitamin Bl,B2andNiacin. In 195 0 Vegemite moved under the Kraft Foods umbrella and the company has si nce c onsisten tly reinforced the food value and "Australian-ness" of Vegemite. If asked, most Aus tralians could sing the Happy Little egemites jingle which was written by advertising agency J.Walter Thompson, and first performed on radio in 1954. Two years later, Kraft ad apted the popular campaign for a television audience. It showed healthy children in happy scenes. This campaign continued intermittently on radio and television until the late 1960s, The " Happy litt le V egemites" campaign was then replaced with other commercials depicting Vegemite as a nutritional food for people of all ages. But in the iate 1 980s, the original commercials were colourised so that new generations of Australians could experience the nostalgia of Vegemite, The Happy little Vege miiesjingle still plays through all Vegemite commercials, securing its place in the marke t. As Vegemit e celebrates its B5th birthda y this year, it is still foun d in many Australian homes. As Kraft directed its m arketing towards families, consumers began associating Vegem ite with their childhood. Along with celebrating Vegemite's 80th birthday in 2003, the brand launched the "Spread the Smile" campaign, associating the spread with childhood memories. Today, Kraf t hopes the future for Vegemite is - to quote a line from its early advertisements - "as bright as bright can be' • IF ASKED, MOST AUSTRALIANS COULD SING THE EAPPY LITTLE V MIT S JINGLE W HICH WAS WRITTEN BY ADVERTISING AGENCY J, WALTER THOMPSON, AND EIRST PERFORMED ON RADIO IN 1954, O I AT A GLANCE The na me Vegemite was created in 1923 thro ugh a nationwide competition with a prize of £50, After the success of the limited edition "Vegemite Plate" in 2000. the "Vegemite Mug" promotion was launched. Multi-purpose jars were introduced and once the jar was empty it could be used as an egg cup, salt and pepper shaker or mustard pot (com- plete with spoon), Vegemite was advertised in the Australian Medical Journal and doctors increasingly recommended it as a nutritio nally balanced food. The Vegemite logo is now embossed on the top of the lid and the back label carries a short story about how the spread came to be. Written with the help of 4 6 BANDT COM AU OCTOBER 24 2008