Title | Mammoth Meatball |
Agency | VML |
Campaign | Mammoth Meatball |
Advertiser | Vow |
Brand | Vow |
Date of First Broadcast/Publication | 2023 / 4 |
Business Sector | Food |
Story | Vow is on a mission to break the status quo of food by challenging the way we think about how we produce and consume food and highlighting how cultured meat is cruelty-free and can reduce environmental impacts.The woolly mammoth is a symbol of loss and what drastic impact climate change can have. Could this giant become a beacon of hope for the future of food? The mammoth meatball was created by starting from the DNA of the extinct woolly mammoth (over 20 billion cells were used to create the meatball!).We sparked hope by making the seemingly impossible happen. And turned what is no longer here, into an icon of today: a meatball. A popular dish for people all over the world. |
Philosophy | The world’s first meatball made from mammoth DNA has been revealed at the Nemo Science Museum in the Netherlands - a scientific experiment and creative collaboration between Wunderman Thompson Benelux, Australian cultured meat start-up Vow, Wefilm and a group of international experts to demonstrate the potential of cultured meat to revolutionise the food industry. The Mammoth Meatball concept is more than a cutting-edge innovation - it’s a striking statement which aims to challenge the public and the meat industry to think differently about how we produce and consume food, highlighting cultured meat as a viable alternative to traditional animal agriculture. The idea was initiated by creative disruptor Bas Korsten, Chief Creative Officer at global creative agency Wunderman Thompson, best known for The Next Rembrandt, a 3D-printed painting that was the result of AI learning from the complete works of Rembrandt. Using new and innovative technology, the mammoth meatball was created from the DNA of the extinct woolly mammoth and completed with fragments of African elephant DNA (a close relative to the mammoth). Cultured meat is genuine animal meat, grown from the cells of animals - instead of the animals themselves - using innovative molecular technology. Cultured meat can be designed to be preferable in both taste and nutritional value, and has the potential to significantly reduce the environmental impacts normally associated with traditional meat production. The Mammoth Meatball is a unique experiment - but one that also has a very serious ambition which is to start a conversation around the future of food for a rapidly growing population - and to introduce the idea of cultured meat to a wider audience. Amsterdam-based creative film agency Wefilm joined Wunderman Thompson as creative partner in the project, and produced a short documentary in which the cutting-edge process is documented. Juliette Stevens directed the documentary on Wefilm’s behalf. As Australia's first cultured meat company, Vow is committed to creating food that is not only more sustainable but also more delicious and nutritious. Unlike most other cultivated meat startups, Vow is using this technology to create new products that go beyond replicating existing pieces of meat. By working with a team of scientists, chefs, and creators, Vow is exploring new flavours, textures, and nutritional benefits that have never been seen before. In November 2022, the Sydney-based company announced a $49.2M Series A funding to continue its mission, bringing forth the next generation of food products fit for a rising population. This significant new funding marks the world record for a Series A raise in the cultured meat industry. Having launched less than four years ago, Vow is already leading the way with their world changing innovation, and they’re just getting started. The company will be launching their first brand, Forged by Vow, in Singapore later this year, creating dining experiences unlike anything we’ve seen before. |
Media Type | Product Design/Development |
Length | |
Market | Netherlands, Australia |
Production Company | WeFilm |
VFX/Post Production | Ambassadors |
Advertising Manager | Tim Noakesmith |
Advertising Manager | James Ryall |
Advertising Manager | Sarah Ellice-Flint |
Advertising Manager | Sarah Separovich |
Advertising Manager | Jasper van Veen |
Advertising Manager | Adem Kurcan |
Academic Researcher | Professor Ernst Wolvetang |
Academic Researcher | Giovanni Pietrogrande |
Advisor | Corine van Impelen |
Advisor | Bart Braun |
Global Chief Creative Officer | Bas Korsten |
Regional Chief Creative Officer | Sandra Bold |
Creative Concept Team | Bas Korsten |
Creative Concept Team | Marius Gottlieb |
Creative Concept Team | Jasper Korpershoek |
Art Director | Tunçhan Kalkan |
Global Account Leader | Dorien Van Antwerpen |
Account Manager | Sarah Savoir |
Co-founder / CEO | Bas Welling |
Director | Juliette Stevens |
Editor | Nik Roosenberg |
Production Creative | Marius Gottlieb |
1st AD | Fabian van der Hulst |
Executive Producer | Beau van Assem |
Producer | Ellis Thomas |
Director of Photography (DOP) | Zeeger Verschuren |
Focus Puller | Chris van Dijk |
2nd AC | Keith Tedesco |
Gaffer | Thomas Jeninga |
Best Boy | Sander Idema |
Set Dresser | Rivka Koops |
Production Assistant | Tijn Lodder |
Cameraman event | Luc Roes |
Production Company | Wunderman Thompson |
National Head of Production | Alistair Pratten |
Senior Producer | Siobhan Crowley |
2nd Unit Director | John McGovarin |
Director of Photography (DOP) | Courtney Jones |
Camera Assistant | Macs Finaly |
Sound Recordist | Oliver Dibley |
Chief Creative Officer | João Braga |
Food Creative | Robbie Postma |
Music / Sound Design | Amp.Amsterdam |
Music / Sound Design | The Sonic Branding Company |
Audio Director and Composer | Bertus Pelser |
Sound Engineer | Martin Snel |
Project Manager | Frederique Vroom |
Executive Creative Director | Justin Blyth |
Head of Production | Michelle Kruger |
Producer | Sophie van Kooten |
Animation | Stefano Paron |
Animation | Ilaria Di Sevo |
Colorist | Amy Besate |
3D Supervisor | Ralph Meijer |
3D Supervisor | Nick Groenveld |
3D Artist | Sjoerd de Greef |
3D Artist | Chris Klinkhamer |
3D Artist | Puck van Vliet |
3D Animation | Oscar Guagnelli |
VFX Artist | Sil Bulterman |
VFX Artist | Jeroen Baars |
Food Photographer | Aico Lind |
Event Photographer | Robert Harrison |
Global PR lead | Jessica Hartley |
PR Agency | For the Right Reasons |
PR Agency | BCW NY |
Global Chief Creative Officer | Fede Garcia |
EVP, PR | Heidi Donato |
Website | Monwest |
Web designer | Joop Akerboom |
Web designer | Matthias Leuhof |
Web Developer | Stan van Oers |
Web Developer | Amber Van Os |
Culinary advisor | Phillip Davenport |
Bioengineer advisor | Arend Vos |
Professor of Molecular Biology | Merlin Crossley |
French copywriter | Yves Donceel |
Sound Producer | Menno van Riet |
Strategy support | Jef Pelkmans |
Creative Manager | Matthew Garrard |
Global Creative Operations Director | Nora Farley |