Aliens’ future unclear as Budget Direct pitches creative account
Budget Direct has put its creative account out for pitch, although the brand is remaining cagey on the future for animated alien brand ambassadors Zeek and Zia, Mumbrella can reveal.
The Brisbane-based insurer currently works with animation house Liquid Animation, also based in Brisbane, while strategic brand and design company Hulsboch has worked on the brand’s design and logo work in the past.
A spokesperson confirmed the pitch to Mumbrella, adding: “Budget Direct, keen to expand on the significant momentum it’s currently experiencing from the Alien campaign, has embarked on a closed tender process to find an external creative partner.
“The aliens have been an amazing success and we are looking to expand upon that success with this tender.”
Mumbrella understands the insurer has narrowed the pitch down to three agencies, with the brand seeking an agency known for making big and memorable TV campaigns.
Budget Direct said it is not specifically seeking an agency located in Brisbane.
“The tender process is expected to close by the end of July,” the spokesperson said.
In August last year, the brand retired quirky couple Michelle and Michael famous for the “Boojay, Boojay” ads, in favour of animated aliens Zeek and Zia.
The aliens have featured in a number of campaigns rolled out since, including one which saw Zeek give humans advice on insurance, Zeek discovering wearable technology and Zeek focusing on safety with an orange car.
While the campaign has been greeted with much criticism in the creative world, the brand says it has been a success with the public.
Miranda Ward
Miranda Ward worked for Mumbrella from 2013 to 2017, eventually becoming deputy editor. Miranda joined Mumbrella in September 2013 from Sky News.
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If the aliens have been so successful, how come they’re rolling out a new pitch less than a year since launching the aliens?
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I smell get rid of the agency, before somebody really asks questions about the marketing departments decision regarding the aliens………
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Joey makes a brilliant point.
I think the new campaign should kick off with Michael and Michelle eliminating Zeek and Zia Men in Black style
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I don’t think anyone is buying that. The aliens are shit.
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Destroy. Remove. Leave no reminder.
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Couldn’t agree more with you, Joey. The aliens have quite clearly been a disaster (you only need to look at their Facebook page to see the backlash), and I don’t know a single person who thinks otherwise.
They even had to make their pricing more attractive by increasing their online discounts to offset such a woeful re-brand and campaign. If they get rid of the aliens, they should also get rid of whoever dreamt them up.
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‘with the brand seeking an agency known for making big and memorable TV campaigns’
How truly innovative of you to stand out from the crowd in an already very dull category. I wonder who will be able to outspend each other to buy that attention.. Big Yawn.
Brands get what they deserve.. It’s the circle of life!
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I’d find it very hard to trust a company that states “the aliens have been an amazing success”
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Getting your media via torrents and the web with adblock enabled makes life very peaceful, but you miss gems like this.
It’s so cruel. Did they run in high rotation just to really rub it in the target market’s face?
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Oh dear, another failed ad strategy. Reminds me of the disastrous Hungry Jack’s “Makes It Better” campaign which had to be totally nuked and the old slogan (and agency) put back in place.
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Yep, I’m with Joey (and the rest of the commenters here)… if the consumer response is so brilliant, why the pitch?
I’m willing to take a punt that the biggest issue with the new aliens is branding. Insurance is a top of mind game, so a catchy jingle or other branding reference that gets into the lexicon is gold (look at confused.com or sheilas wheels in the UK, compare the meerkat, eyes on the road rhonda). They had that with boojay boojay. With the aliens, not so much
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Just saw one of the agencies ads for the pitch – works well
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUXjoInekU4
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The original campaign wasn’t great but in comparison to “Aliens” its an award winner.
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Those funny white things are meant to be aliens??? And they have names??? And as for that idiotic jingle they’ve been running forever…. Grrrr.
Worst ads ever – all of ém.
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Well there’s a surprise….NOT. I agree with I wonder. In comparison, the old guy and his young girlfriend are certainly Gold Lion Winners. There’s a marketing director out there who needs a good face palming. The solution is always sack the agency.. not the dick who approved it. Then again what was the agency thinking… Let me see that brief from the client.
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‘with the brand seeking an agency known for making big and memorable TV campaigns’.Does memorably shit count? If so keep up the good work. When advertising is this bad for this long the reason is usually in the Clients bathroom mirror
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Yep somewhere out there there was a marketing manager at Budget Direct saying that’s a fabulous idea, aliens, so relevant to our business… guys you nailed it…. go and make it. The mirror indeed Tom is the reflection of how good a brand’s marketing director and his family love the idea.
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Can this seriously be right “Mumbrella understands the insurer has narrowed the pitch down to three agencies, with the brand seeking an agency known for making big and memorable TV campaigns.”
Big and memorable??? Have a missed something? What about a campaign that works – i.e. is effective and building the brand profile, gaining new customers, retaining existing customers or whatever actual business need they have.
Does the brief seriously say “Budget Direct are looking for a big and memorable TV campaign”.
If so how do these people have jobs?
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