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Overpaying consumer told by Budget Direct to ‘probe a little deeper’ on his insurance as he’s abducted by UFO

Investigators continue to be fascinated by people overpaying for their insurance – rather than the extraterrestrial invasion – in Budget Direct’s latest campaign.

In this iteration, Sarge and Jac allow a man to be abducted by a UFO, and simply advise him to “probe a little deeper” when it comes to making decisions on his car insurance.

Gary – the man who ends up being taken by the UFO – tells the investigators he’s overpaying for his insurance because it’s the company his parents are with.

Budget Direct’s CMO, Jonathan Kerr said: “This part of the campaign shines a very bright light on another inexplicable reason why some people keep paying way more than they need to for their insurance.

“We hope that the ad will encourage Australian’s to start 2020 off by saving on their car and home and contents insurance, with Budget Direct’s multi award-winning insurance.”

The spot was created by 303 Mullen Lowe and shot by Danny Kleinman through Rattling Stick / Good Oil Films and photographed by Mat Baker through Louis & Co.

303’s Nick Cleaver said the campaigns are equally as entertaining as they are effective.

A static execution of the campaign

“Our work for Budget Direct continues to lead the category with campaigns that are entertaining as they are effective. Sarge’s single-minded focus to solve the conundrum of why people would needlessly pay more for insurance than they need to, provides the perfect comedic platform for the most extraordinary potential distractions to be ignored,” he said.

The creative will run across TV, cinema, online, outdoor/ indoor display and radio, with cinema kicking off on Boxing Day.

The ad is the latest adventure for Sarge, who debuted as part of Budget Direct’s Insurance Solved platform in September last year.

Sarge and Jac have since found themselves surrounded by other-wordly mysteries, but have remained focused on solving the quandary of why people pay too much for their insurance.

Another iteration sees Sarge interrogating a man in a dimly-lit room about why he pays too much for his car insurance.

Humans have also found themselves under attack from aliens in the campaign, with Sarge lambasting them for being “oblivious” about insurance – despite himself being seemingly oblivious to the destruction around him.

And most recently, a husband and wife were trapped in their own home by an alien web. Despite the obvious predicament, Sarge was more intent on uncovering why the victims are sticking with their over-priced insurer.

Sarge is played by Hamish Clark, who starred in BBC’s Monarch of the Glen.

CAMPAIGN CREDITS
Budget Direct
Chief Marketing Officer – Jonathan Kerr
General Manager – Brand & Media Marketing: Warren Marsh
Marketing Manager – New Customer Acquisition: Catherine Harty
303 MullenLowe
Executive Creative Director – Gary McCreadie
Creative Director/ Art Director – Adam Whitehead
Creative Director/ Copywriter – Sean Larkin
Managing Director – Joanna Gray
Group Business Director – Ben Glasson
Head of Strategy – Jon McKie

Production Partners
Production Company – Good Oil Films / Rattling Stick
Director – Daniel Kleinman
DOP – Ginnie Loane
Executive Producers – Sam Long / Johnnie Frankel
Producer – Chana McLallen
Editor – Mark Burnett @The Editors
Post Production – alt.vfx
VFX Supervisor – Jay Hawkins
VFX Producer – Celeste Fairlie
Music and Sound Company – Sonar Music
Music Composer – Matteo Zingales
Executive Producer – Sophie Haydon
Sound Designer – Timothy Bridge
Stills Photographer – Mat Baker, LOUIS & CO
Stills Digi Op – Carl Baker, LOUIS & CO

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