A pivot to VFX reshaped Supercheap Auto’s annual ‘Best Performing Oils’ legacy

Supercheap Auto’s “Best Performing Oils” campaigns are revered worldwide for pushing the limits of real action motorsport stunts. But with this year’s sixth installment of the “Best Performing Oils” campaign, unfamiliar boundaries had to be exceeded.

In a time where COVID-19 brought Australia’s Film and TV community to a halt, a decision needed to be made on how to approach the 2020 installment, or whether it could even proceed.

Josh Weier, brand strategist and creative director for the last five “Best Performing Oils” campaigns said that this was the most challenging year to date: “Each year we go above and beyond to produce content that surpasses previous years. We needed to be adaptable to the ever changing COVID-19 conditions, so we came up with a plan to leverage the last five years of incredible campaign action footage and package it up in a virtual reality game.”

The ‘Best Performing Oils’ campaign began in 2015, each year raising the bar for not just their unique take on delivering blockbuster creative, but total campaign execution across paid, owned and content creator media channels including YouTube stars Mighty Car Mods.

Says Allan Hardy ACS, director/DOP: “This is the fourth ​Best Performing Oils​ campaign I have had the privilege of creating with the wonderful team at Supercheap Auto, and I’m so proud of the ground-breaking and explosive legacy we’ve created together. The 2020 campaign is a celebration of the unbelievable ‘Oils’ campaigns of the past, brought back to life with a fresh creative idea and 1000+ hours of Visual Effects development” he went on to say.

Supercheap Auto’s new brand film shows off the best high-performance vehicle chase sequences filmed all over Australia from the viewpoint of a Father wearing a high-tech Virtual Reality Headset.

Adds Hardy: “It was fun to imagine a VR game within the Best Performing Oils worlds that we’ve built. From Wangi Wangi, Calder Park, Kyogle and the Gold Coast, these campaigns have taken us to some of Australia’s most epic locations. We’ve been very fortunate to have the support of local councils and the public to make these campaigns come to life.

“We’ve pushed the boundaries of advertising in the past, from heli lifts to filming with Danny Trejo, these campaigns have always given us the ability to create magic.”

Says Weier: “As always, a big thanks to David Bauer and Reece Moger for the opportunity to collaborate, and the trade partners Castrol, Nulon, Penrite and Valvoline for their amazing support.”

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Client: SUPERCHEAP AUTO
Content Manager: REECE MOGER
Agency: BLACKWATTLESTUDIO.CO
Creative Director: JOSH WEIER
Production Co.: HYPE REPUBLIC
Director/DOP: ALLAN HARDY ACS
Producer: DANA WHITE
Producer/Camera Op: CAM PIANTA
1st AD: DAVID NORMAND
Creative: JOSH WEIER
Executive Producer: REECE MOGER (SCA)
Art Department: CLIFF WEIDMAN
Gaffers: DAVE & BEN RUSSELL
1st AC: BRANDON HARRISON
Safety Co-Ord: JIMMY CHRISTIANSEN
Production Assistant: DAYNA YATES
Lead Talent: RUDI BAKER

VFX Supervisor: MOR VFX
Lead Compositor: CALEB THOMPSON
3D Artist: TIM BAHRIJ
Motion Graphics/Colour: JOE LANCASTER
Edit: ALLAN HARDY + TOM ANTOLINI
Graphic Design: BEN BARTELS
Music: OLIVER LYU
Sound Design: JUSTIN HARRISON
Wardrobe: SOPHIE BORRA
MUA: DYAN COPEMAN
Photography: MATTHEW MCFERRAN