Australian Lamb ad 2026: Sam Kekovich returns with bad news for Aussies as World Happiness Index disappoints

Endless beaches, adorable animals, and months of sunshine — Australia is surely one of the world’s happiest countries, right?

Wrong.

According to the World Happiness Index, our bountiful land of nature’s gifts slipped out of the top 10 to 11th spot for the first time ever in March last year...

Behind the likes of Luxembourg, Mexico, and even Israel.

But Australian Lamb — driven by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) — simply does not believe it, with Aussie Lambassador Sam Kekovich setting out to prove that the nation’s residents are in fact a happier bunch than most in his latest annual ad.

And as per usual, he’s framing the humble lamb chop as the saviour.

The three-minute Share the Lamb spot begins with Kekovich interrupted while grilling his favourite protein source as he’s served the bad news.

He then tasks his team with chaperoning the (unofficial) happiness adjudicators around the country, attempting to convince them that Australia deserves to retake its place in the top 10 this year.

The commercial ends — naturally — with a BBQ by the water, and Kekovich shoving a lamb cutlet over one of the judges’ mouths in an act that triggers a kaleidoscopic montage of quintessentially Australian moments in history.

And of course, the Lambassador shouting, “Just eat some lamb!”

Australian Lamb conducted its own research to disprove the 11th place happiness ranking by polling more than 1000 Aussies in late November.

The study, conducted by YouGov Plc., found 74 per cent of us are happy most days, if not always, with the average happiness score of participants reaching 7.3 out of 10.

At large, the results — and theme of the campaign — suggested that spending time outdoors, our friendly people, and unique wildlife contributed to our overall happiness.

Nathan Low, General Manager for Marketing and Insights at MLA, argued the official rankings may not reflect the true sentiments of Aussies.

“At first glance, the World Happiness Index might suggest Australians have lost their spark,” he said.

“But our research tells a different story — happiness here isn’t about rankings, it’s about togetherness, shared experiences, and the simple joys that make life distinctly Aussie.

“Nothing brings people together like an epic lamb BBQ, and this campaign celebrates the humour, camaraderie, and unmistakable Aussie spirit that keep us smiling every day.”

Watch the full ad above.