Shane O'Brien

Lidl Ireland

Selected projects from my time as ECD of Lidl Ireland.

BEEFGRUDGERY

Lidl's award-winning Irish beef was just as good as any other beef on the market, yet there were still lingering quality perception issues. To overcome this and the win a bigger share of the main shop, we needed to do something their competitors wouldn’t do, something uniquely Lidl; we aimed for disruption and superiority not parity.


Our campaign was based on a simple insight about Irish people. We are a nation of begrudgers. Bono, Sally Rooney – there’s nothing like the sight of another Irish person doing well to make the rest of us resent their success. In Lidl, their beef is so good it has become the star of the store. So we took to the streets (well, the aisles) to find out what the other foods really think of the new Lidl Beef ad. And it turned out that Irish food is just like Irish people. There was a little bit of “beefgrudgery” there too.


AWARDS:


SHARK AWARDS 2021:

SILVER – Advertising Film Craft: Animation

BRONZE – Advertising Film Craft: Use of Humour 2021


ICAD 2022:

SILVER – Advertising Film: Film Campaign

SILVER – Advertising Film: TV Commercial up to 30 seconds

SILVER – Advertising Film: VOD/VOL Campaign

BRONZE – Advertising Craft: Art Direction Campaign

BRONZE – Advertising Craft: Copywriting Campaign

BRONZE – Advertising Craft: TV commercial up to 30 seconds

BRONZE – ICAD 2022 - Advertising Craft: Direction for Radio Single


Executive Creative Director – Shane O'Brien

Copywriter – Eoin Tierney

Art Director – Kevin McKay

Agency Producer – Georgia Stevenson

Director – Gavin Kelly for Piranha Bar

WE NEED A LIDL CHRISTMAS

Following a year full of tear jerking, emotional pandemic comms in 2020 – we really wanted to bring some joy back to the Christmas season. To create a bit of magic and escape for people, as well as lots of glorious looking food. This year more than any other, we all deserved a Lidl Christmas. The campaign ran for 3 years, delivered exceptionally strong growth – giving Lidl their most successful Christmases yet, and giving the people of Ireland an unforgettable and joyous earworm.


AWARDS:


SHARK AWARDS 2021:

SILVER – Advertising Film Craft: Animation


ICAD 2021:

SILVER – Production Craft: Production Design for film

BRONZE – Production Craft: Animation


Executive Creative Director – Shane O'Brien

Copywriter – Gerry McBride

Art Director – James Carr

Agency Producer – Georgia Stevenson

Director – Gavin Kelly for Piranha Bar

LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD

The Level The Playing Field campaign was created for Lidl Ireland’s sponsorship of the LGFA to highlight the ongoing battle for women’s equality in sport. Lidl have been serious supporters of the LGFA since 2015 and during that time, the profile of both the sport and the players has risen to previously unseen levels. But the women of the LGFA are still up against uneven odds. Fewer resources. Less coverage. Less recognition of their achievements. ‘Level The Playing Field’ is an award-winning campaign that acknowledges the generations of players who have battled for equality and a rallying cry for all present and future players.


AWARDS:


CLIO SPORT AWARDS 2021

BRONZE – Film


SHARK AWARDS 2021

SILVER – Advertising Film: best sport themed commercial


Executive Creative Director – Shane O'Brien

Copywriter – Des Kavanagh

Art Director – Rob Murray

Agency Producer – Georgia Stevenson

Director – Stevie Russell for Red Rage Films

ROLE:

Executive Creative Director


FOR:

BBDO Dublin


DATE:

2019-2022


I oversaw the Lidl account for 3 of the 5 years it was with BBDO. During that time we created more than 60 separate campaigns, growing market share by 25.7% from 10.5% to 13.2%. We created an award-winning CSR programme, won a Clio Sport award for their ground breaking LGFA sponsorship, introduced a loyalty app, launched dozens of local suppliers, worked with their staff engagement and recruitment team, and we had a lot of fun on their social channels along the way. Above are just a couple of the campaigns we worked on.