Australia’s first chicken shop, Red Rooster, has announced the launch of a new major brand campaign, signalling a decisive reinvention of its brand story across every customer touchpoint. The campaign, via long-term creative partner Leo Australia, is spearheaded by two x 30” brand TVCs supported by two x 15” iterations, plus 6” cutdowns, social, digital, OOH, PR and in-store branding.
Red Rooster’s CEO, Samantha Bragg, said the campaign marks the next step in the brand’s bold new chapter.
Bragg said: “The brief was simple. We are a great Australian success story that grew from one person’s dream to open a chicken shop, to a national brand run by small business owners operating in a market where we need to punch above our weight against some big global juggernauts. The best way to challenge was to create work that is authentic to who we are, who we’re for, and where we’ve come from. A story that only Red Rooster can tell.
“The work is not about being a little fancy through glossy food shots and aspirational locations but is centred on celebrating the communities we serve and our ability to reward their efforts with hearty feeds and honest value. Red Rooster has always been a part of Australia’s heartland, and we’re here to keep backing the people who keep it running.
“I am incredibly proud of this work for its representation of our brand and our communities and the moments our food is shared,” Bragg explained.
Leo’s creative strategy rejects aspirational perfection and instead leans into authenticity. The TVCs are shot entirely in real suburban locations, leaning heavily into street casting, with the work featuring everyday life and Aussies showing up as themselves in every day, lived-in situations.
To find the right talent, Leo’s wrote a love letter to the heartlands of Australia, seeking the people who make those places what they are and help put Red Rooster’s support on the map.
Tommy Cehak, Executive Creative Director at Leo, said “Fast forward to now, and somehow the very people we imagined when writing the scripts have ended up in the ads, which almost never happens. It’s truly captured the imagination and authenticity of Australia’s suburban heartland.”
The soundtrack is “Matchday” from Western Sydney artists 3NDLES5 and Crazymike, while a voiceover by local rapper Zion Garcia carries the energy and pride of Red Rooster’s campaign. NRL and Sydney Roosters legend, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, appears in an off-field role, while former Red Rooster crew member and TikTok creator Hady Saleh represents a younger generation of suburban voices and Red Rooster devotees. The film is directed by Riley Blakeway, whose documentary-style approach captures honest, soulful performances.
Cehak continued: “Reds isn’t some global fast-food chain. They’re Australia’s first chicken shop and this campaign is a reminder of that. The brand is proud of who they are, the people they serve and represent, and where they come from. Red Rooster is a place for the hungry, the hardworking and the hot chip obsessed.”
With media led by Atomic 212°, the campaign spans branded film, OOH and product advertising. Beyond straight marcomms, Red Rooster’s brand reinvention will be embedded into the full customer experience, from tone of voice and menu boards to uniforms, social strategy and in-store design restoring consistency, and reclaiming the brands’ iconic status.
Bragg concluded: “In today’s fast-moving and competitive market our focus is firmly on our customers and long-term brand growth, and our new brand story is just the beginning.”
Red Rooster’s new brand campaign launched in market on February 22.
Campaign credits:
- Client: Red Rooster
- Chief Executive Officer: Samantha Bragg
- Head of CX & Digital: Hollie Lowe
- Head of Marketing: Lisa White
- PR & Communications Manager: Stella Katsaros
- Creative Agency: Leo Australia
- Creative Agency: Leo Australia
- CEO: Clare Pickens
- CCO: Andy Fergusson
- Executive Creative Director: Tommy Cehak
- Senior Art Director: Daniel Stewart
- Senior Copywriter: Tatsuki Kamekawa
- Creative Director: Michelle Walsh
- CSO: Catherine King
- Group Strategy Director: Vince Usher
- Chief Client Partner: James Walker-Smith
- Group Business Director: Shae Jones
- Senior Business Manager: Sebastian Soto Lopez
- Senior Producer: Fiona Norman
- Media Partners: Atomic 212°
- General Manager: Ashleigh Carter
- Group Account Director: Kate Lemoine
- Client Lead: Ashleigh Pitcher
- P&T Director: Bettina Benjamin
- Performance Director: Karla Silva Villegas
- Production Company: DIVISION
- Director: Riley Blakeway
- Managing Director / Executive Producer: Genevieve Triquet
- Executive Producer: Lib Kelly
- Producer: Marge McInnes
- DOP: Tyson Perkins
- Photographer: Josh Robenstone
- Senior Producer: Karen Hayward
- Casting: Byrne Creative
- Post-Production: White Chocolate
- Editor: Stewart Arnott
- Online: Chris Grocott
- Grade: Matt Fezz
- Sound House: Rumble
- Sound Designer: Daniel William
- Sting Composer: Jeremy Richmond
- Music: “Matchday”
- Written by Mitchell Tolman & Michael Hassett
- Performed by 3NDLES5, Crazymike, Courtesy of 3NDLES5, Crazymike
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