FOR 10 years Sam Kekovich's annual rants have pushed up lamb consumption in time for Australia Day, but 2015 could see another summer icon become the voice of lamb.
Ever since Kekovich symbolically passed the baton in 2014's "Generation Lamb" ad campaign, rumours have abounded that 2015 would see a new face fronting Meat and Livestock Australia's (MLA) lamb advertisements in January.
Cricket legend Richie Benaud is already among the names being circulated by speculators.
MLA refused to confirm this, saying the marketing team was finalising the details for the 2015 ad campaign with no announcements of who (or what) would be appearing.
For such an iconic ad series, however, The Land believes lamb lovers across the nation should have their say.
Surely maverick Senator Jacqui Lambie would be good for a rant or two, with a name to match.
Another sporting figure with the nominative determinism fit for the part is former Bulldogs captain and Australian rugby league star Terry Lamb.
Or MLA could hark back to the 1990s "dinner with Tom Cruise vs lamb roast" ads, and enlist Nicole Kidman.
Ms Kidman could be well placed these days to talk about why a lamb roast dinner is a far better option than a date with the pint-sized movie megastar.
If MLA wanted to follow in the Kekovich path, Aussie Rules commentator Dennis Cometti would be a good fit.
Like Kekovich, Cometti also has a track record as an Aussie Rules player and commentator with a distinctive voice and mannerisms, and Cometti's classic one liners could easily transfer to an ad campaign.
Cometti is known for calls like "Scotty Cummings alone in the square, jumping up and down and waving his arms like they're playing 'My Sharona'" or "Hay, bailed up on the boundary line", and of course "ball in dispute, Lamb, now Yze (both AFL players) the meat in the sandwich. Really Lamb should be in the sandwich," which he called in a game involving the Melbourne Demons.
Kekovich's rants have courted controversy through the years, however, they have also boosted lamb sales figures.
MLA's regional manager Australia, Lachlan Bowtell, said the 2013 "Lambnesia" campaign was the most successful.
"We achieved a massive 48 per cent above the weekly average sales, even with prices at record highs," Mr Bowtell said.
"Over 800,000 Lambnesia tests were taken across the campaign period."
Mr Bowtell said Mr Kekovich was the man for the job back in 2005 because "at a time of confusion, Australia needed a hero".
He said the success of the campaign was due to Mr Kekovich's ability to "hold a mirror up to society and challenge them to come together and celebrate what makes our nation great".
Whoever takes over from Sam Kekovich as Australia's Lambassador will have a lot to live up to.
Roderick Makim
Senior journalist for The Land.
Senior journalist for The Land.
