Lamb Ad Argues Australia Should Make Happiest Country ‘Cut-let’, Auditor Gets Bitten by Platypus

Australian Lamb’s 2026 ad argues Australia should be one of the world’s top 10 happiest countries in a spot starring a ‘happiness auditor’ bitten by a platypus and a man popping to the shops in his togs.

The three-minute film, dubbed 'The Happiness List', was created by Droga 5 ANZ, part of Accenture Song, and directed by Dave Wood from Good Oil. After ‘Lambassador’ Sam Kekovich, sports commentator and meat lobbyist, discovers Australia has ranked 11th on the world’s happiest countries list, his staff resolve to impress the ‘international happiness auditors’ in 2026 to prove Australia should return to the top 10.

Once the auditors arrive down under, they are eagerly taken on a tour to witness all the reasons Australians have to be happy: beautiful beaches, diverse cultures, top-tier athletes, and better pay than Kiwis “for doing exactly the same job”. Plus, “while Sweden has saunas, we have Townsville.” The reasons all came from an official happiness survey report commissioned by Australian Lamb.

The final reason is Australia’s ability to unite over a barbecue of prime Aussie lamb: the spot concludes with one auditor remarking Australia should make the ‘cut-let’.

Droga5 ANZ chief creative officer, Damon Stapleton, said, “We may not be the happiest country on paper according to the so-called experts, but there are so many things that make us happy that just aren't going to fit in a pre-determined form.

“This year’s campaign is a celebration of Australia’s sense of unity and togetherness, and whether it’s enough to put us back in the top 10 is yet to be seen, but we hope it reminds people of what brings us together.”

General manager for marketing and insights at MLA, Nathan Low, added, “We believe the ‘World Happiness Report’ doesn't understand the unique cultural nuances that we enjoy about being Australians, so we wanted this campaign to be a playful reminder that we truly are a happy nation – especially when we come together. And nothing brings us together quite like Aussie lamb.”

This year’s instalment follows last year’s ‘The Comments Section’, which tackled online division, arguing when people “get out of the comments and into the cutlets,” the country is united. The 2026 spot is the first MLA ad led by co-CCOs Damon and Barbara Humphries, after their predecessor Tara Ford moved to Droga5 London last year.

The campaign premieres January 5th, during the Ashes tea break, across TV, cinema, BVOD/SVOD, and social. The national media campaign was led by UM, with PR and media agency one green bean driving reach across earned media and owned social.