Miss Scotland Launches Campaign in Stunning Scotch Lamb Dress

Miss Scotland, Ellie McKeating, stepped out in a stunning Scotch Lamb PGI branded dress today (Wednesday 13th August) to launch a new Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) campaign.

The unique dress, created using Scottish wool by Edinburgh-based designer Alison Harm at Psychomoda, celebrates the high quality and natural wholesomeness of Scotch Lamb.

The launch event marks the start of a major advertising campaign by QMS which is set to reach 90% of Scottish adults - more than 3.6 million people.

The key objective of the “Wham Bam Thank You Lamb” campaign is to encourage consumers to understand the versatility, simplicity and speed of cooking with lamb.

The three-month long campaign will feature billboard, press and radio advertising as well as on-line and in-store activity including 165 days of activity by Scotch Lambassadors in Tesco and Asda.

An exciting, new component of the 2014 campaign is the “Love Scotch Lamb Weekend” which will take place on August 23rd and 24th.

The weekend, organised jointly by QMS, NFU Scotland and the National Sheep Association, will see sheep farmers heading into town centres and retailers to meet consumers and encourage them to sample top quality Scotch Lambs. The sampling activity will also be happening at Ayr Flower Show over the weekend and a number of restaurants have also come on board to offer their support by placing Scotch Lamb at the top of their menus.

Ellie McKeating, who was crowned Miss Scotland in May 2014, said her love of Scotch Lamb was kindled at a young age and lamb has remained a firm family favourite. Miss McKeating will be joining farmers to support the Scotch Lamb sampling activity at around a dozen venues during Love Scotch Lamb Weekend.

“I have always loved Scotch Lamb and it is hard to understand why more Scots don’t appreciate this fantastic product right on their doorsteps.

“I’ve been learning more about the quality assurance and traceability behind Scotch Lamb and I’m looking forward to meeting farmers and consumers in the coming weeks,” said Miss McKeating. With this in mind she switched her high heels for wellies this afternoon to visit a Kinross hill farm, Tillyrie, near Milnathort where Mark Thomson and family run 400 ewes.

Suzie Carlaw, Marketing Controller at QMS, said the vision the campaign was driving towards is all ages of Scots having Scotch Lamb in their “every-day meal repertoire”.

The “Wham Bam” campaign in 2013, which won two silver awards at this year’s Scottish Marketing Society Awards, succeeded in driving a six percent increase in consumers viewing lamb as a great mid-week meal.

“Scots eat much less lamb per capita than elsewhere in the UK so we are encouraging them to make Scotch Lamb a regular purchase by tempting them with dishes which can be cooked in half an hour or less,” said Miss Carlaw.

Aberfeldy sheep farmer Martin Kennedy, representing NFU Scotland said: “We are going to have dozens of Scottish sheep farmers around the country on Love Scotch Lamb weekend, talking to the public about what goes in to putting fresh, tasty Scotch lamb on their plates.

“We are justifiably proud of the lamb we produce in Scotland, and by tempting shoppers with a wee taste of this fantastic product, we hope to remind those who regularly buy lamb about what a fantastic, versatile meat it is.  At the same time, there is a new generation of shoppers out there that we want to encourage to love Scotch lamb.”

Sybil McPherson, Chair of the National Sheep Association Scotland said: “The NSA are proud to part of this opportunity to promote Scotch Lamb and to emphasise the importance to the environment and the rural economy of the production of sheep in the hills.”

For further information and sizzlingly simple recipe ideas visit www.whambamlamb.com or www.scotchbeefandlamb.com