Westpac’s Air Rescue wins AB+F Magazine’s campaign of the year
Westpac’s documentary Air Rescue has been named as the advertising/marketing/promotion campaign of the year by Australian Banking and Finance Magazine.
The announcement:
Westpac’s observational documentary, Air Rescue, was last night named as the Advertising/Marketing/Promotion Campaign of the Year by Australian Banking and Finance Magazine.
The six part series, a collaboration between Westpac and MediaCom Beyond Advertising, follows the brave, life-saving work of the crew of the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service.
Westpac is the first bank to have funded a prime-time television series, with Air Rescue proving highly successful. The series averaged 1.4 million viewers per episode on Channel Seven throughout November – December 2013 and is currently in production for season two.
Air Rescue was supported by an integrated communications strategy that extended across multiple platforms including events, in-branch activity, above the line advertising, publicity outreach and social media. Publicity generated by Westpac’s PR agency, Map and Page, resulted in 230 pieces of coverage across print, online and broadcast with a PR value of more than $2 million.
Westpac’s Head of Mass Marketing Services, Lisa Ronson said that “Westpac has been a very proud supporter of the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service for more than 40 years.
“Air Rescue was a natural progression in our partnership with the organisation. It offered Australians insight into the life-saving work these men and women perform regularly. The series has really connected with the public and demonstrated the important role service plays in our community.”
Gemma Hunter, Executive Creative Director and Head of MediaCom Beyond Advertising, said “It was fantastic to work with Westpac to showcase the important job of the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service and crew. The strong audience figures demonstrate that we created a program that appealed to Australians audiences, who were engaged by the cutting edge story telling and innovative visual imagery showing everyday Australians in crisis.”
Air Rescue provided a ‘fly-on-the-wall’ insight into the work of the pilots, air crewmen and intensive care paramedics of the Service, who came to the rescue of everyday Australians in crisis, whether they were fishermen in trouble on the rocks, injured farmers, flood victims, or holidaymakers in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Westpac has supported the Service since its inception in Sydney in 1973. Over the past 40 years, no one has ever paid to be rescued by the Service with partner support ensuring it remains a free community service. There are now 16 helicopters and 13 bases in the national fleet. The Service also includes two rescue boats, based in the Northern Territory and Victoria.
Source: Westpac media release
