CALTEX FLIES WITH NEW CAMPAIGN VIA GEORGE PATTS Y&R SYDNEY
Caltex, via agency George Patterson Y&R Sydney, this week launches a major new brand advertising campaign based on a radical duel between a V8 Supercar and more than a million flies.
“In some ways the campaign brings together the very best of Australia with an unavoidable element of the Australian lifestyle,” according to Liz Whiteway, Caltex’s National Manager – Brand & Communications.
“The best is represented by the current V8 Supercar Champion, Australia’s largest petroleum company and an ingenious creative concept.
“And one of the key ingredients to the campaign is the nation’s perennial pest, the Aussie fly.”
Technically, the extremely complex shoot featured a team of more than 29 crew and a post production unit responsible for creating and marshalling more than a million of the little digitally-animated critters.
The commercial features Australia’s only true home-grown form of motorsport, a typically laconic “star” in Russell Ingall, a dry and dusty race circuit, the country’s most well-populated pest and an arid-dry sense of humour.
“Caltex as a company is driven by excellence, passion and performance – the very same hallmarks demonstrated by Russell Ingall in becoming Australia’s number one V8 Supercar driver,” Ms Whiteway said.
“Caltex is proud of the fact this campaign is truly Australian. As the nation’s only oil refiner and marketer listed on the ASX, it is fitting this commercial has been made by Australians and specifically for the local market.
“Investing in domestic motorsport and Australia’s best creative talent is another example of Caltex putting more in.”
The new campaign is spearheaded by a 60 second TVC featuring V8 Supercar driver, Russell Ingall, in a racetrack duel with a swarm of flies. By leveraging its association with the burgeoning popularity of V8 motorsport, Caltex is staking out a new territory in connecting with Australian consumers.
The multi-faceted campaign covers television, PR, viral, point-of-sale, Internet and internal communications.
Although the campaign will reach an audience far beyond motorsport fans, the TVC launched last night on Channel 10’s RPM program and screen during V8 Supercar and AFL broadcasts along with other sports programs.
In a groundbreaking initiative, an interactive component will enable the online community to take a starring role in the commercial by visiting the cleverly named website, www.jointherusistance.com.au.
“Just to prove all of our flies live to fly another day, Australians have the chance to join the Rus-sistance by adopting a fly, modifying it to their personal specifications and tracking its progress during its duel with Russell,” Ms Whiteway said.
Retail and partner promotions will extend the campaign to Caltex retail forecourts.
CREDITS
Creative Director: Michael Stanford
Art Director: Chris Northam
Copywriters: Sri Mogeri & Chris Northam
Agency Producer: Craig Sloan
Director: Graeme Burfoot
Producer: Jude Lengel
Production Company: Filmgraphics
DOP: Andrew Lesnie
Visual Effects: Animal Logic
Sound & Music: Song Zu
Online Creative Director: John-Paul Jacques
33 Comments
I’m confused. Do I need to see the TV to understand the print, or see the print to understand the TV?Or is there a direct mail piece I’m missing that will make sense of it all?
It was ok until he took his helmet off and did the old ‘Look! It’s Russell Ingall!’ bit.Then it just went all.. well… Australian.
looks cool but i don’t get what flies have to do with V8 Supercars. I would have used Grant Denyer. A million littl Grant Denyers forming into a Holden and racing Peter Brock for a chiko roll. But that’s me.
12.37, I’m glad someone else doesn’t get it. Flies? V8 Supercars? Huh?
it’s a tenuous link to performance but a fresh one, well-executed.hats off lads.
There’s like this giant gulf between Patts/Y&R Melbourne and Patts/Y&R Sydney. It may be only an hour by plane, but they may as well be in different freaking solar systems.
First things first, I am not a suit. But how does this benefit the brand? And what the hell does this mean? I have a headache.
You guys don’t get anythin’.*If you put Castrol in your motor it flies.* It also sounds like a fly.* Flies are Australian just like Caltex????* No flies on me mate.and* Flies like shitDErrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!Plus the guys fly was undone.
The DOP from the Lord of the Rings trilogy had nothing to do and needed work. It was a slow day at Animal Logic. Sri and Chris dropped a batch of really old Acid. Battery Acid perhaps.SRI: “Hey, I’ve got it”CHRIS: ” HUH?”SRI: “Flies”CHRIS: “Brilliant!” Then the Planner and the Account Guy drugged the Client, who briefed a compliant PR person.And the trade press, including CB went along with it.Behold! Adland’s latest work of genius.I wonder what you need to be on to have even the vaguest guess at what this campaign is trying to say.Maybe it’s a conspiracy to CONSERVE the Earth’s dwindling supply of oil… I dunno.What a fabulous industry.
why is there always some condescending old twat who has to remark, “hat’s off lads”. By jove old chap, I say since the rise of feminism, it’s a long time since I took my hat off for a lady as she entered the room. You must have travelled here from the late 18th century.How about slipping a ‘sick’, a ‘phat’ or even a ‘good’ ad into your vocabulary. Think of the kids. The kids.
I don’t get it either….
Gee…thanks for pointing that out. Now I get it. It’s just like one of those great movies where you talk about it in cafes afterwards for hours. I can see people doing it now. I especially like the ‘If you put Castrol in your motor it flies’-Brilliant.I thought it was that*there’s people in the ad.People have to travel so they go up in planes. That means they fly. People=Fly=Ad for us.VERY EASY.
Sri is to Chris as Patts Mel is to Patts Syd.
The McGrath is greener on the other side.
T he online is well worth a look and far outshines the TV and print. Well done guys.
How did the client buy it? Bloody crap – come to think of it, maybe that’s why they bought it.
Okay,I had no idea what it was all about until I went to the website. The video of the ad on there gives it meaning… there’s some supers which actually help tell the story. Check it out, it’s actually quite cool, when you can eventually find it!But as a TV ad it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
just checked out http://www.jointherusistance.com.au it is pretty good, makes the whole thing work.
Caltex driver kills fly. Flies get angry. Flies want revenge. Flies fail. Caltex driver wins. Hooray Caltex! Cool.
those flies are cunning little fuckers – joining together to make a car. what the fuck it’s got to do with caltex is anyone’s guess. maybe it’s be/c you can buy flyspray at caltex servos.the website ain’t even on the ad so there’s going to be a lot of punters scratching their heads over this one.
wow. I like it. But i don’t get it.Sri is a champ.
Fucking hell Lynchy. You go son.
Flies and crap always have gone together well.
a very expensive joke. caltex won’t be laughing .
Chump.
I love the TV, but I don’t get the print.
If they spent some time killing a few more flies to start with it might work a bit better. As it is there’s just too much of a cgi show off going on…
As an aside, could we please have condensed versions of the shite PR releases? They’re so full of shit that you get put off looking at the work, I mean, for fuck sake: “Investing in domestic motorsport and Australia’s best creative talent is another example of Caltex putting more in.? Or are they paying for this post?
You actually read the articles on here, 8:06? I just go straight to the comments.
Tend to agree with 8:06, Lynchy.As a doyen of the industry who knows a good ad when you see one, you really should vet these PR releases and not just reprint their hyperbole – or risk losing your credibility.Yeah, I know it all takes time, but it’ll be worth it in the long run to protect the CB brand.I know you Lynchy, and I reckon you’d privately think this is a triumph of execution over content, as any intelligent person would. I’ll go a step further under the protection of anonymity: It’s a real stinker.However I understand your dilemma: refuse to run the shite you’re given and you risk offending the industry that is both your lifeblood and the supplier of material for this website and the mag.Love,A fan (and friend).
Dear 2:42pm fan,I think it’s better to run pompous press releases as they are. They’re hilarious. Showing work that is clearly not great also gets a lot more comments. In my experience, CB Bloggers prefer slagging to praising (Jeez, remember Tooheys New!)
yeah you poofta, trendy adland types, this ad is piece of targeted, retro, blokey brilliance. Men with an interest in huge, heavy, 220+ kms per hour cars going round a track are not a sophisticated bunch. Next you’ll be suggesting the Fiat 500 is sexy car.
Did Animal Logic do the components for the website as well?