Thanks to Rhonda, AAMI is Mumbrella’s Advertiser of the Year
Mumbrella has named AAMI as its Advertiser of the Year thanks to the runaway success of brand heroine Rhonda’s adventures in Bali.
The accolade comes in The Annual, published jointly by Mumbrella and Encore. Last year’s Advertiser of the Year was Coca Cola for its Share A Coke campaign.
The printed edition of The Annual, which arrives on subscribers’ desks this week, marks the final printed edition of Encore. The title increases frequency to weekly and goes tablet-only in the new year. The free iPad edition of The Annual is now live on the App Store. An Android version is also available for 99c on the Google Play store.
The AAMI campaign created by Ogilvy Melbourne struck a chord with the public as a holiday romance developed between Rhonda – played by Mandy McElhinney and waiter Ketut. Facebook pages celebrating the sexual tension between the pair soon amassed more than 100,000 likes.
According to AAMI’s executive marketing manager Richard Riboni: “Watching that Facebook page take off was the point where we realised the campaign was bigger than we originally thought – that it had entered the Australian psyche.”
As well as the advertiser of the year, The Annual features a host of lists from the year in review. These include the year in TV, radio, magazines, newspapers, outdoor and branded entertainment.
The Annual also features a string of “significant seven” lists including:
- The nicest people in the industry
- TV hits and flops of the year
- Film and TV directors
- Best radio ads
- Best radio stunts
- The worst advertising turkeys of the year
- The best viral videos
- The best Dr Mumbo items of the year
- The most complained about ads of the year.
To download the iPad edition click here; to download the Android edition click here.
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If the genders were swapped, complaints would have been made and it would have been taken off the air.
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Why is it that I only ever heard of Rhonda through Mumbrella?
Absolutely no-one I follow on Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook even mentioned Rhonda or AAMI at all during or after this campaign (even to this day).
The only place I’ve ever seen mention of how “successful” this was is here on this site. Is Mumbrella sponsored by AAMI or is this some new form of revenue for online publications?
The only time I have seen a Rhonda is on the follow-up commercial involving her recalling some supposed romance to a friend.
And this is coming from someone who watches television quite alot (well above the average anyway).
Melbourne is not the only city in Australia and success in Victoria does not make the greatest advertiser of the year.
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Furthermore, as was pointed out in the other article/comments – the Facebook page which “exploded” was not created nor managed by AAMI or its advertising partners. It was a fan page, as evident by the misspelling and lewd comment in the banner picture.
https://www.facebook.com/1nightinrhonda?ref=ts&fref=ts
“UU BOOBS”
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I loved the first Rhonda ad for its sweet, innocence. The second lost me from the opening ‘did you get lucky?’ But a worthy winner for the first ad alone.
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@ Jamie I think you are being ridiculous. Firstly can I point out that you ask mumbrella why this was the first place you’ve seen the campaign but then in the 3rd paragraph go on to talk about the time you saw the follow up commercial, to know it was a followup commercial you obviously had to have seen the original?? So here is obviously not the first time you’ve seen it.
The frequency for this campaign must have been off the charts. I saw the commercial so many times ( but it was still funny). I find it extremely hard that you had not seen this at all if you watch commercial TV.
Your reference to success in Melbourne confuses me. What are you trying to say?
And as for Facebook whether something be fan produced or not don’t for a second think AAMI hasn’t influenced the pages in some way.
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I haven’t got a subscription to Encore (printed edition), is there another way I can pick up a print copy of the Annual?
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@Cam I read about it on Mumbrella, that’s how I know it was a follow-up, apparently there was a kiss or something broadcast during a sport I don’t watch. Reported by Mumbrella as akin to people were more looking forward to that ad than the actual grand final (if I remember correctly, the author wrote “people cheered” during the kiss, please).
I don’t doubt it was a good campaign, it obviously has 100,000 people talking. It has industry writing rave reviews about it. But one good campaign makes AAMI become ‘Advertiser of the Year’? – even if the frequency was off the charts in Melbourne/Victoria, give the media agency an award.
I referenced the Facebook page because again, in terms of “Advertiser” of the year, AAMI has had little to do with the management of its social media success. Surely, a fan base page is a testiment to the idea and content of the ad – but says nothing about how AAMI has performed in turning it into online success.
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@Jamie – what is your problem with Melbourne. You keep mentioning it, but I’m still confused. Do you have a problem with Melbourne agencies winning awards?
AAMI is a National Brand. And yes one good campaign can make a brand Advertiser of the Year, you see this campaign wasn’t just a couple of weeks. The Rhonda theme has been going all year.
You seem to have alot to say about this – in your opinion who is Advertiser of the Year? I’m all eyes & ears..
one last note – if media agencies won awards simply for off the chart frequency – I think I would walk away from the industry completely.
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Jamie = spurned blogger
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@Jamie I really wouldn’t hyperlink your Mumbrella name to your blog if I were you. It only serves to showcase your self-importance and inexperience ever better than your comments on this article.
“I have no doubt the future of advertising is online” – really? Profound.
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The reason it struck a chord with the Australian people is because they like the idea of going to Bali or other third world countries and living like kings and queens for five days and four nights, breakfast included
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I’ve got nothing against the Rhonda campaign at all. It’s a nice, slightly funny soap-style campaign that stands out in a boring category.
But if that wins Advertiser of the Year it says something about either the competition or the judging.
It’s an above average ad, but if it’s the best this country has to offer then there’s a serious problem with our industry.
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Cam v Jamie. I love it when trolls turn on each other
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Hi Julian,
If you have an iPad or Android-based tablet, you can view it that way. Otherwise we have a small number of the print edition available in the office for $19.95. Please email martin@focalattractions.com.au.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
Open on two middle aged guys driving away from the airport. The driver says to his mate with a dirty glean in his”‘Did you get lucky? ” ” Well”, says the mate with a knowing look, ” there was this one girl…”. This ad reeks. Being popular is no excuse –the Colosseum was popular too.
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So from what I’m hearing…popularity of advertising is a bad thing? I kinda thought the point of advertising was to make your brand ‘famous’ or…y’know, popular.
I must point out to my clients in future that unless all the ads they commission are potential winners for Oscars in Script writing and Cinematography I WILL NOT have a bar of it! Unless they pay me to help them market their brands and products using the strategy that best suits them and not my subjective opinion of course…
*smdh*
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