“February demonstrates an interesting appeal in advertising for this month’s Top 10 with only one new TVC resonating among our audience,” writes Colmar Brunton client executive Andy Strain, in his latest NZ Top 10 ads report.
BUT – there’s one notable omission this month: For the first time since July 2014, there’s no sign this month of Mitre 10 Sandpit, a classic production DraftFCB and Exposure (directed by Kevin Denholm) – probably the most-loved ad of the past decade.
“The top spot goes to ANZ The Neighbours Pool, jumping up from second last month,” Strain says. “The ad pulls through cheeky humour which Kiwis resonate strongly with. A nostalgic feel for a viewer representing what they did during their summer months.
“Second goes to Lotto’s third edition of the Imagine series – a personal favourite of mine, I will admit. The ads shows two security officers whose job is to deliver the Powerball winnings to the bank.
“Fed up with their mundane lifestyle, and frequent conversations of what would you do with the winnings, the older driver decides to drive off with the winnings, speaking words of dreams to his associate in order to convince him.
“After the so-called joke becomes unfunny it is revealed that the driver has won the jackpot, keeping his old promise to his colleague to split the winnings 50/50. The pair drive off leaving their routine life behind them, starting a life of adventure and happiness.
“Viewers love the story it tells and the interesting character interplay between the two friends, and who doesn’t love an unexpected twist. We resonate strongly to this ad as everyone has had the conversation or thought ‘What would you do if you won the Lotto?’ To see it portrayed in an ad brings a smile to anyone’s face.
“Third place goes to the always popular Toyota The Real Road Experts. Again, another humorous ad which holds generational references as well as quirky attitudes towards New Zealand’s not-so -oved animal.”
Top 10 Ads in February 2018
1. ANZ The Neighbour’s Pool, FCB
2. Lotto Imagine – Armoured Truck, DDB, Scoundrel (Tim Bullock)
3. Toyota The Real Road Experts, Saatchi & Saatchi, Flux (Laban Dickinson)
4. KiwiRail Scenic Journeys, Clemenger BBDO/Touchcast
5. Specsavers Series, produced in-house in Sweden (director Mats Stenberg). NZ PR from Mango
6. Nova Greg Grover, Assignment Group, Curious Film (Ric Cantor)
7. Sealord Be Like a Fish, Ogilvy, Waitemata Films (Rob Sarkies)
8. Pak’n Save Stickman, FCB, Waxeye
9. Trivago Girl: The Trivago girl is Aussie musician Gabrielle Miller. The ad was shot in the UK. No credits available.
10. McDonald’s Stuck in the Middle, DDB, Scoundrel (Tim Bullock).
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
1. ANZ The Neighbour’s Pool
- “It’s funny and cheeky. Reminds me of the good things about being young.”
- “A good example of Kiwi humour.”
- “It’s cute; the relationship between two children and their mission to enjoy summer.”
2. Lotto: Imagine – Armoured Truck
- “First time seeing it is great because you think it is an actual robbery, after that it’s still entertaining because of the character interplay.”
- “I like it because it tells a story.”
- “It’s quite cool. The dream of winning and escaping from doing something mundane.”
- “It’s a good ad because you don’t know where it is going, and it is very memorable.”
- “Good Kiwi humour.”
3. Toyota The Real Road Experts
- “Very off the wall humour, which I love!”
- “Love the quirky characters.”
- “The possums were talking about significant events/fashions, at different parts of time (eg, in the 70s, 80s, 90s.”
- “It is a revamp of a clever ad, I remember, and it is totally Kiwiana.”
HOW THIS CHART WAS PRODUCED
The TV Top 10 is produced by Colmar Brunton (www.colmarbrunton.co.nz) exclusively for M+AD. Readers may reproduce all or parts of it without authorisation – but we do ask for a M+AD/Colmar Brunton credit.
Colmar Brunton completed 1000 interviews online over a period of one week (from Sunday 14 January – Wednesday 21 February) for this report. Respondents were incentivised with Fly Buys points. The interviewees were all aged 18+ and the margin of error is +/- 2.6%.
To view all the M+AD/Colmar Brunton Top 10 charts for the past 12 months, click the Top10 button in the menu on the home page at www.mad-daily.com.
