Beef: It’s What’s for Dinner

Audio is one of the few instances in advertising where a creative stands alone at the plate. With nothing but a blank page, the copywriter must balance on a tightrope of concept, voice, narrative, performance, and production. Every word has weight. Every pause is a decision. Done well, audio feels effortless and immersive—but getting there is one of the most demanding challenges in the advertising craft. On the Beef Council account, we did so much audio it forced us to know our voice. The campaign started with Robert Mitchum in the 90s. But our Cowboy Sage and “Western Meat Poet” soliloquies contemporized the campaign and romanced beef in a way only Sam Elliott could deliver—and later, Matthew McConaughey.