Budget Direct aims for ‘talkability’ with two more ads starring aliens Zeek and Zia
Budget Direct completes its move away from unconventional couple Michael and Michelle in new ads from the insurance brand.
The ads cement alien couple Zeek and Zia as the new faces of the brand as the company continues its departure from the previous pairing of an older Australian man and younger French woman.
The low cost insurance company began to transition away from Michael and Michelle with a parody of the brand’s original ad which featured Michelle in the shower. The first ad for the new direction saw a pastiche of the spot showing Zia and Zeek in a similar bathroom scene.
After the airing of the initial spot featuring Zeek and Zia, Jonathan Kerr, Budget Direct’s director of marketing and digital, said social media monitoring system Radian6 found Budget Direct was the most talked about brand when compared to others in the market that aired ads during the same period. He added that Zeek and Zia are already building a fan base.
The Today Network’s Hamish & Andy dedicated a segment to the ad on their Happy Hour show this week.
“We’ve been inundated with questions about Zeek and Zia. Where are they from, why are they here, have the previous characters been abducted by our aliens?” said Kerr.
The first of two new ads created by Liquid Animation is set to air tonight, with a second installment following on Monday. The spots will tell viewers more about the characters and also introduce Zeek and Zia’s neighbour Dave to whom they recommend Budget Direct.
The campaign launched last month to push a new branding – masterminded by Hans Hulsbosch – as a “Simply smarter insurance” provider and features a new logo and website.
Kerr said: “We’re delighted with what the new campaign has done so far. The talkability is huge and people are really investigating why these smart aliens think Budget Direct is such a smart choice for insurance.”
“We’ve had just about every reaction imaginable. People angry that we copied our own advert, kids telling us they love Zeek and Zia and singing our famous song, we’ve even had Hamish and Andy trying to figure out what we are up to on their radio show.
“So far, in terms of cut through and the sheer weight of brand mentions compared to our competitors who launched new TV ads at the same time, we’re really excited about how the new campaign has started.”
The campaign will also appear on outdoor media and online.
Credits:
- Production company: Liquid Animation
- Director: Mike Viner
- Producer: Geoff Viner
- Live action director: Damon Escott
- Producer: Georgie Uppington
- Design and branding: Hulsbosch Communication by Design
- Executive creative director: Hans Hulsbosch
- Client: Budget Direct
Megan Reynolds
This first appeared in the weekly edition of Encore available for iPad and Android tablets. Visit encore.com.au for a preview of the app or click below to download.
