In a nod to his role as Lambassador in the iconic Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) ads, Sam Kekovich is lending his support to the ailing strawberry business.
In an ad that ran on The Project last night, he encouraged Australians to smash a strawberry and support farmers that have been impacted by declining sales caused by the needle scandal, where they were found hidden in the fruit.
Kekovich addresses the camera while holding a lamb chop, only to then quickly replace it with a bowl of strawberries.
There’s nothing worse than being un-Australian and Sam Kekovich should know! Be a true blue Aussie, do the right thing and #SmashAStrawb! 🍓 #TheProjectTV pic.twitter.com/QmvdCaKSBn
— The Project (@theprojecttv) September 20, 2018
He declares: "If there's one thing I hate, or intensely dislike, is the Australian farmer being screwed over. The strawberry farmer is the nipple that nurtured our nation."
Instead of discarding or avoiding strawberries, he says Australians should just "chop 'em, check 'em and chomp 'em".
In another reference to MLA's controversial 2016 campaign, which was accused of discriminating against vegans, Kekovich said even "weirdo vegans" can enjoy the berry.
Kekovich fronted MLA's Australia Day campaigns for several years in the mid 2000s, before the brand changed its tune and moved away from celebrating the occasion in favour of a summer campaign.
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