Melbourne, September 5: The new advertisement copy for Australian lamb celebrates diversity – swinging from Luke Jacobz to Indian Australian actor Arka Das, of ‘UnIndian’ fame, in the supporting lead role of TK.

“Too many perky white males are contributing to a lack of diversity on our screens”, says Jacobz before disappearing and on comes Arka Das who leads to a diversity line-up of Australia.

The Meat and Livestock Corporation’s (MLA) upbeat “You’ll Never Lamb Alone” advertisement has done a Lamby – literally.

What the Australian TV and film industry failed to achieve for decades, MLA’s new lamb copy has turned 180 degree from its earlier vegan-beating image to its new inclusive image.

The face of a changing and colourful Australia is brilliantly showcased in the free-spirit, culturally diverse and meaty ad copy on TV.

Starring migrants, gay dads, transgender comedian, a dumb woman, a soccer player named “Jesus”  and indigenous personalities – sprinter Cathy Freeman, rugby player Greg Inglis, presenter Samantha Harris; the advertisement makes a ‘meal’ with the oh-so ‘inclusive Lamb’.

“People of colour, who isn’t?

“White white, translucent whites, beige whites, red white and dark whites – darker than the light-dark guys”, goes Das in a deciphering state.

Nudging television producers, this is screen diversity at its best!

Arka Das later gets to call the shots at a barbecue, offering a lamb chop to the first one there: “who was here first” to which screen-couple Freeman and Inglis claim, “Aaaah, that’d be us.”

This fun filled take, arrives at an honest reality – indigenous people are Australian natives and with an inclusive society we make a Great Australia. In such an Australia ‘You’ll Never Lamb Alone’, as the campaign goes.

Arka Das who debuted with the Ensemble Theatre in 2010 in Animals Out of Paper, in which he was nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2010 Sydney Theatre Awards; wrote in his facebook post:

“I’m so stoked to star in this amazing ‘Spring Lamb’ campaign from We love our Lamb and to get to be the face of a wonderfully true message about a diverse Australia!

“MASSIVE shout outs to everyone that worked on this, it was a HUGE shoot and I’m SO proud of it! Enjoy!”

The campaign indeed unites us all – with Lamb.

MLA’s theme “Lamb doesn’t discriminate … and nor should you” is remarkable shift from the erstwhile vegetarian-mocking and indigenous insensitivity image of the meat lobby; as in its last Australia Day lamb ad starring SBS personality Lee Lin Chin.

“It proves that there is no other meat that brings people together quite like lamb,” MLA said on its website.

MLA’s marketing head Andrew Howie said that census and their own research showed more than 90 per cent Australians were proud of the current diverse and multicultural society.

He said the new campaign is all about being inclusive.

Meaning to shake up the Australian screen, he said the ad copy was framed “to highlight that what you see on TV does not reflect what Australia truly looks like”, with many Australians in MLA’s research, complaining of unbalanced representation.

Spring Lamb 2016 | You Never Lamb Alone

What’s the best thing about diversity?

Everything! So let’s all unite with the meat that doesn’t discriminate – Lamb. Because You Never Lamb Alone. #unitedwe…

Shalini Singh

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