Bridgestone Australia launches latest national brand campaign via Showpony, Adelaide

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Bridgestone-Frame 1.jpgShowpony Advertising, Adelaide has created the latest national brand campaign for long-term client, Bridgestone Australia.

It is Bridgestone’s first brand campaign since its “Swing” ad launched in 2005.

Greg Kavanagh, Showpony group account director said the challenge was very clear: “The vast majority of people don’t think about tyres. At a gut level we know they’re important, but it’s still a classic grudge purchase”.

Parris Mesidis, Showpony’s creative director and the director of the new TVC said the breakthrough came when they discovered a simple but startling fact: “Only the equivalent of one handprint of tread connects each of your tyres to the road.

“Once you know this fact, suddenly the tyres you choose become fundamental to your family’s safety. Creatively we wanted to bring this insight to life in a way that was engaging, but not alarming”.

While much of the ad’s appeal is derived from its simplicity, the process of putting it together was surprisingly complex says Mesidis: “When it came to making this ad we had a number of options, we could go with CGI or film it for real, but the one thing that we were absolutely determined to achieve was authenticity.”

To achieve this Showpony worked with Las Vegas-based performing artist, Cheri Haight, says Mesidis. “Cheri played a key role in the choreography of our story, but also helped us understand the performance side of shadow puppetry. Her input was critical in developing a convincing and entertaining visual narrative.”

Adelaide based animation company Resin worked closely with Showpony throughout the process to bring the ad to life. Music was based on an original composition by Sean Timms and performed by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.

Says Mesidis: “We’re incredibly proud of this ad. Working on it in collaboration with the team from Resin and Sean from Timms Tunes was a pleasure from beginning to end”.

The spot airs nationally on FTA TV, pay TV and cinema. Said Bridgestone Australia managing director, Andrew Moffatt: “This campaign is very unique. It is entertaining, it is powerful, and it absolutely positions Bridgestone as the best choice for consumers.”