Outback Steakhouse introduces ‘Koala on the Walla’—like Elf on the Shelf, but furry and Australian

Starting new holiday traditions has been a theme of several seasonal campaigns this year. Still, we weren’t expecting Outback Steakhouse to come up with an Elf on the Shelf-like character who watches you like a hawk and rewards your good behavior with steak. Meet the Koala on the Walla, a plush toy developed by agency Mischief for what Outback is calling “Steakmas Season.” The video below introduces us to the watchful marsupial, who likes to keep tabs on you at all times. (Make sure the curtain is closed when you take a shower.) Outback is giving away 1,000 of the koalas in a social media giveaway today. It follows the launch in November of a limited-time steak-centric holiday menu. "We're starting a new tradition this Steakmas by introducing the Koala on a Walla," said Leah Burgess, director of marketing for Outback Steakhouse. "If you’ve been naughty, good luck getting an 8-ounce steak in your stocking! The Koala on the Walla is watching and knows all your secrets and habits, but you have nothing to worry about if you've been good.” “Outback Steakhouse is bringing the longstanding but little-known Australian holiday of Steakmas to America this season,” added Ross Fletcher, group creative director at Mischief. “So of course we’re also bringing classic Steakmas traditions like the Koala on the Walla—a stuffed koala who watches your every move and decides whether you deserve steak. It’s a warm reminder of what’s important this holiday season: delicious steak entrees at Outback.” The effort follow another amusing Mischief campaign for Outback last month that acknowledged people could probably care less that the chain recently topped a customer satisfaction survey—but offered them a free Bloomin’ Onion if they shared the news in social anyway.

Outback Steakhouse introduces ‘Koala on the Walla’—like Elf on the Shelf, but furry and Australian

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