Apia celebrates wisdom of over-50s in ad showing life mistakes of the young
Apia is targeting over-50s with a brand campaign featuring young ‘inexperienced’ Australians making life mistakes while a band of older musicians sing about how they wish their wisdom had come earlier in life.
https://youtu.be/9Vy72o-hXqM
The new work – by DDB Melbourne and directed by Abe Forsythe – features young Australians in situations such as missing family time by working late, failing to talk to their crush, dressing in identical styles, risking back injury and being inattentive on the road.
The ad shows a young man too shy to talk to his crush
The band singing a cover of ‘Ooh-la-la’ by The Faces – featuring the chorus “I wish I knew then what I know now” – appears in the background of each scene.
Apia ad shows identically dressed hipsters drinking from jam jars
“The over-50s market is not only one of the broadest, it’s also perhaps the most misrepresented,” said Jim Ritchie, creative director at DDB Group Melbourne.
A young man stays late at work while his children play at home
“We were keen to move the advertising away from a staid category offering, reliant on holding a mirror to its audience, to brand capable of existing within culture – and wisdom provides the perfect platform to do just that.
Apia: Selfies on the road
“To use the old adage, we didn’t want to teach our audience to ‘suck eggs’; rather celebrate their wisdom in a light-hearted and memorable way.”
Apia: Trying to lift a terracotta pot
Travis Hughes, manager at Apia Marketing said the campaign communicated the one thing over-fifties have in common, “the experience of life, which deserves to be recognised and valued.”
“This new brand platform is an opportunity for Apia to tip its hat to the wisdom and experience of our customers and demonstrate why we’re exclusively for over 50’s in a creatively engaging way,” Hughes said.
The campaign is rolling out across TV, Facebook, press, outdoor, digital and radio as well as on Youtube through 60-second bump ads targeted to video search preferences.
Credits:
- Group Creative Director – Jim Ritchie
- Creative Director – Andrew ‘Fish’ Fisher
- Art Director – Becky Morris
- Copywriter – Anna Yates
- Copywriter – Locki Choi
- Head of Onscreen – Tuesday Picken
- 7 Electric Street Richmond VIC 3121 Australia | T +613 9254 | www.ddb.com.au | ABN 13 004 241 329 05:07
- Senior Producer – Jo Alach / Sophie Simmons (Post Production)
- Managing Director, Track – Tess Doughty
- Senior Client Lead – Angela Bishop
- Executive Planning Director – Ian Forth
- Senior Planner – Rob Martyn-Wilde
- Account Manager – Stuart Smith
- Managing Director, Mango – Rebecca Ahern
- Head of PR – Amanda Sheat
- Head of Social – Penelope Lipsham
- Senior Social Media Manager – Stephanie Grapsas
- Account Executive – Sian Salmon
Production
- Production Company – Goodoil Films
- Director – Abe Forsythe
- Executive Producer – Simon Thomas
- Producer – Jodi Matterson / Llew Griffiths
- DOP – Lachlan Milne
Post
- Editor – Drew Thompson, Arc Edit
- Grade – Martin Greer, The Refinery
- Online Edit – Chris Reynolds, The Refinery
- Music Supervision – Karl Richter, Level 2 Music
- Composition – Electric Dreams Studio
- Casting – Stevie Ray, McGregor Casting
- Sound Mixing – Phil Kenihan @ Front of House
Client Team
- Tim Hernadi – Head of Brand Marketing, Suncorp
- Travis Hughes – Manager, Apia Marketing
- Nick Coombe – Marketing Manager, Customer Sales
- Jade Thomas – Marketing Specialist
Media
- Starcom
i wish I knew what this ad was about
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Being of a certain age I was pleased by the sentiment and excited to see this. But, genuinely, I don’t get it. The scenarios are baffling and the life-lessons far from apparent. That’s a shame, as the idea (flattering your prospects) seems sound. But why put so many barriers between the idea and the desired response (presumably “APIA is for me”)? The communication becomes so opaque as to be beyond comprehension.
As another old bloke, Dave Trott, wisely said: “Real creativity is taking stuff away”.
I do like the song, though…
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I’m going to come in to bat in the ad’s defence.
What I find most refreshing is that the same ideas could have been covered in the sort of obvious or even clumsy way we too-often see in advertising.
The fact that the hipsters are all dressed the same and drinking the same trendy drinks takes a moment to notice. The awkwardness of the man with the tray and his failed lunchtime friend was really nicely, and subtly, acted.
The scenarios would all have stood up on their own. But what really helps take the ad back to strategy is the band of older people who’ve been there and seen it.
This is a much more subtle, much cleverer ad than it first appears.
And if you miss all the messages the first time, then I presume there’s a decent media buy behind it. I think it will do well under repeat viewing.
Along with MLA, this is one of my favourite ads of the year so far.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
Who are the people singing wish I knew then what I know now? Are any of them actors?
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That would Geoff Morrell – well known actor and great musician too.
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I would like to know who the man with the beard is I get hypnised every time I hear hid singing its so refreshing to listen to I hope you can help me thankyou karen.
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Great advert, love the song and the band. Yep looking back I’ve done a few of those crazy things so it made me chuckle – I’m closer to 60 now but oh how I wish I knew then what I know now ! Keep up the good work Apia and Mumbrella
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Love the 2017 ad, would like to know the location of the?? Bowling club where one of the ads were made
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Can you please inform me the names of the singers, particularly the bearded man with the banjo.
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Stupid ad. All you hear is “when I was younger” in the jungle. Sounds like a bunch of people regretting their age and wishing they were young again.
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Geoff Morell is the guy in the beard singing the song. Great actor and keen muscian it seems. You can see Geoff acting at his best as the local politician in the first series of RAKE.
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The guy playing the banjo is so creepy … I have to change the channel when the ad comes on! He sends shivers down my spine 🙁
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APIA – overpriced insurance for the uninformed. “Because we know you don’t know” Much like all Suncorp products.
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Like to know more about the group. Especially the lass in blue. Are they a group in there own right or just a bunch of actors pushed together.
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I agree with Jennifer. That guy with the banjo freaks me out too.
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Are you sure the bearded man is Geoff Morrell? Also who are the others in the band.
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I get the same feeling of revulsion when I see the BooHoo.com or PrettyLittleThings ads. Talk about vacuous.
You see I’m 71 and was an early rock-n-roll musician starting in 1962. Apparently that was before the earth was made.
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Who is the lady in blue in musical band pls?
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So which bowling club.
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Haaa. The WHOLE ad is just so wrong. Absolutely hate it.
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I can’t stand that creep either he is in lots of commercials,I change the channel as soon as I see him !!
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Who are the band in the adds
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Love the singers/performers in this ad really makes it memorable. Who are they?
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shame on Apia in the latest version of this ad which trivialises eating gluten free. As the parent of two kids with Coeliacs disease I’m disgusted at this ignorance. As a health insurer they should know better.
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What’s their names
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