Core has launched the first campaign for Our Food Roots, a collective of organisations from across Ireland’s agri-food sector, to encourage younger audiences to think differently about Irish farming and the food it produces.
The campaign, “We Make Greatness From Grass”, is aimed primarily at 18 to 34-year-olds and features an original song and music video performed by a fictional farming crew called “The Grazin’ Squad”.
The campaign is currently underway across social, audio, cinema, digital video and television, with additional activity around RTÉ’s “The Traitors”.
The film was directed by Eilís Doherty, whose previous work includes music videos for Irish artist CMAT, and mixes farming imagery with the confidence, language and performance conventions associated with rap and hip-hop.
It also features FarmTok creators Eoin Lynch, Fin Walsh, Annie McGuinness and Katie Gleeson, while content creators Garron Noone and Kayleigh Trappe are also involved in the campaign.
Core said the work was informed by research carried out by Our Food Roots and its own strategy team and was designed to make the quality of Irish beef and dairy more relatable and relevant to audiences who may now be two or more generations removed from farming.
Shane O’Brien, Creative Partner, Core Creative, said the agency deliberately wanted to move away from conventional agricultural advertising.
“In a category that usually featured a lot of familiar farming tropes, we wanted to do something a bit left of field – excuse the pun,” said Shane O’Brien, creative partner, Core Creative.
“Irish farmers have never been short on greatness; they’ve just been a little shy about singing their own praises. So, we borrowed from hip-hop – a culture that knows exactly how to celebrate where you’re from and what you’re good at – and celebrated Irish farming with the confidence, humour and swagger our world-class produce deserves.”
Helen O’Rourke, client partner, Core, said the creative approach was shaped by the need to win the attention of an audience that may not have a strong existing connection with farming.
“From the outset, we knew this campaign needed to earn the attention of its audience rather than expect it,” she said. “That pushed us towards something bold, entertaining and genuinely difficult to ignore.”
She added that the production involved a number of firsts for the team, including shooting a two-and-a-half-minute music video on a working farm.
Tom Cronin, executive director, Our Food Roots, said the organisation had approached Core with the challenge of making younger people care more about Irish farming and where their food comes from.
“What impressed us was the response they brought to us – clear strategic thinking, a brave idea, standout creative and clever media planning to reach that disengaged audience,” he said.
“The result is a campaign that speaks to our audience in a completely unexpected way to build a positive association with agriculture and food,” Cronin added.
Credits
Agency: Core
Group Strategy Director: Andy Pierce
Strategy Director: Aoife Bradbury
Client Partner: Helen O’Rourke
Head of Client Service: Grainne Kehoe
Creative Partner: Shane O’Brien
Senior Copywriter: Conor McDevitt
Associate Creative Directors: Nadia Karim and Fionán Healy
Head of Production: Andrew Counihan
Creator Management: Ruth Gleeson, Sarah McGinn and Nia Gallagher
Media: Spark Foundry, part of Core; Lynn Callan and Rob Emmet
Client: Our Food Roots
Executive Director: Tom Cronin
Marketing and Operations Manager: Rebecca Carter
Insight & Expert Community Manager: Richard Cooper
Production Company: Tiny Ark
Executive Producer: Nathan Reilly
Head of Production: Gabi Chrobak
Director: Eilís Doherty
1st AD: Tom Spiers
Line Producer: Olivia McLaughlin
Assistant Producer: Rosie Spearing
Production Coordinator: Kate Gurren
Production Designer: Tara O’Reilly
Stylist: Sarah Flanagan
Choreographer: Douglas Reddan
Food Stylist: Johan Van Der Merwe
Head of Post Production: Colm Moore
Offline Editor: Rory Bradley
Colour Grade: Cam Sander
Composition and Sound Mix: Folding Waves
Director of Photography: Leon Forristal
Camera Operator: Blaine Rennicks
Focus Puller: Dean Gordon
Stills Photographer: Eoin Holland
Gaffer: Padraig Conaty
