Parnell agency Rainger & Rolfe, with a little help from Exit Films, has released a follow-up to its April AA Smartfuel campaign – which introduced viewers to likeable advice-giving Korean/Kiwi cab driver Edward.
R&R was also the creative power behind the long-running hit TVC AA Life Yellow Sheep – still on the M+AD/Colmar Brunton Top 10 this month at #6.
Edward returns in Part 2 (a 30sec and 2 x 15sec) to inform us that the AA Smartfuel programme has teamed up with Countdown – a combo that makes savings “directly available to 3.5 million New Zealanders”.
“With these kinds of numbers, our launch campaign always had to be built around simplicity, clarity but also charm” says Ant Rainger of Rainger & Rolfe. “Edward won hearts and minds when he became the face of AA Smartfuel last year, so for us, continuity was a no brainer.
“But with this level of scale, the creative challenge was as much about comprehension as it was about personality.”
AA Smartfuel director Ian Sutcliffe agrees: “Countdown joining the AA Smartfuel programme was always going to create loyalty participation of a kind not previously seen. We want all New Zealanders to see this is yet another convenient way to get extra fuel savings. I’m in no doubt the new campaign delivers this.
“Think about what it means to communicate with 3.5 million cardholders. TV, video, digital, Youtube pre-rolls, social, outdoor, radio, eDMs, DM to deliver the cards, a new www, a new app, retail POS, even in-ground digital stadium billboards … the list goes on.
“Yes we used a wide range of channels, but we have to. This is a big story.”
Sutcliffe said last week, Stuff, the Herald and RNZ “broke with the news” as per the PR plan. “Cards were then sent out at the end of that week and now this week the AA Smartfuel/Countdown partnership goes live.”
The first ads went to air on Sunday night and the rest of the media will soon follow.
CREDITS
AASmartfuel: Scott Fitchett, Ian Sutcliffe, Matt Dickson, Jordan Tran, Ed Brown.
Rainger & Rolfe: Ant Rainger, Jen Rolfe, Angela Budd, Paul Hankinson, Darryl Parsons, Lauren Proud, Shaun Bloch.
Exit Films: Declan Cahill, Greg Wood, Duncan Cole, Sam Brunette.
Post production: Creature.
Starcom: Al Jamieson, Bridget Soljan.
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