NRMA Insurance looks to protect koala homes with new brand campaign via The Monkeys
NRMA Insurance has launched a new integrated brand campaign across New South Wales and Queensland starring Arlo the koala called “Every home is worth protecting” created by The Monkeys, part of Accenture Interactive.
The three-month campaign spans TV, outdoor, radio, partnerships, PR, digital, with a koala chatbot. It was developed by an integrated agency group with CHE Proximity, Havas, Mindshare and Thinkerbell.
Says Brent Smart, chief marketing officer, IAG: “Nothing matters more than the feeling of security you get from your home, so we want to inspire Australians with the message that every home is worth protecting. The homes of one of Australia’s most loved citizens – the koala – needs our protection and we hope this campaign has a real impact on koalas.”
The campaign features a TVC directed by Gary Freedman, depicting an intimate, emotive and heroic tale of a boy who finds a koala stranded up a telegraph pole and follows their challenges as the boy looks to reunite the koala with his home.
The radio component of the campaign features Robyn Moore, the well-known voice of Australia’s most famous and playful little koala, Blinky Bill.
Says Vince Lagana, executive creative director, The Monkeys: “For an insurance brand synonymous with helping Australians, it made so much sense when we landed on the idea of home insurance for koalas. A campaign dedicated to protecting the homes of our furry friends.”
NRMA Insurance has entered a three-year partnership with Conservation Volunteers Australia to plant as many koala homes as possible across Queensland and New South Wales.
Arlo, an 18-month old koala breaks new ground in the campaign by becoming the highest paid debut commercial actor in Australia this year. Arlo is donating his fee to Conservation Volunteers Australia, to protect more koala homes like his.
NRMA Insurance and Conservation Volunteers Australia want to encourage people to get involved by donating their time to plant a koala home, go to nrma.com.au/insurance for more details #koalahelp.
NRMA insurance will also be planting a tree for every new home insurance policy sold until the end of 2019.
Client: NRMA Insurance
Creative: The Monkeys
Production: Revolver/Will O’Rourke – Gary Freedman
Post Production: ARC EDIT/Fin Design
Music: Sonar Music
Sound Design: Squeak E Clean Studios
Photography: The Kitchen – Toby Burrows
Production: Revolver/Will O’Rourke
Media: Mindshare
Partnerships: Havas
PR: Thinkerbell
1:1: CHE Proximity
41 Comments
… my feelings.
The result of when Monkeys get together with Koalas.
Absolutely stunning.
Beautifully told, beautifully executed.
This
Is
Lovely.
Huge of them to get the licence to Hans Zimmer’s Man of Steel score. Big get. Well done.
Lovely work. One tree seems a bit stingy though. Can’t you plant a tree for about 10c?
Such a wonderful piece of film making.
This is dull
Best film from Australia in a long time.
Freedman plus Monkey magic.
Title for your next book of comments:
Monkeys rescued by a koala.
Lovely ad but surely you could do more than ONE tree for every policy?
Please tell me this isn’t true?
You’re planting a new tree for every “new home insurance policy” taken out by “new customers” until the 31st December?
So, an average of $1,500- $2,000 per insurance policy and NRMA will plant one tiny little seedling?
This is real bad for everyone.
Great piece of film.
Just take off the tiny disclaimer ‘Until Dec 31, 2019’.
I love this.
To those who are complaining that NRMA should be doing more for Koalas beyond planting one tree for every policy, I kinda of agreed but then I thought what is my insurance company actually doing? Absolutely nothing. Apart from trying to sell me a product or renew stuff.
This is a bold move from an Insurer.
Well played.
You’re crying
Nice job, enjoyed it
“NRMA Insurance has entered a three-year partnership with Conservation Volunteers Australia to plant as many koala homes as possible across Queensland and New South Wales.”
Perhaps instead of bashing every brand that trys to do something good, appreciate that one brand is never going to save the world. But many brands doing their bit might make a difference. And that’s worth celebrating. Fuck you.
Agreed
Really? Surely 1 Policy in paper terms takes a lot of trees.
What if NRMA pledged to make their policies paperless and donate more than one tree?
Lovely. Great to see community work that links directly to brand promise.
People will like this, and that’s all that matters.
I think you missed the point.
No one is criticizing you for doing nothing, but your strategy and overall idea is really weak.
Judging the information in the ad: If no one buys home insurance, no trees get planted right?
So a koala is dependent on sales to survive.
National tree day has planted over 25million trees and no one had to buy an insurance policy.
Awesome initiative. Save the homes of the cutest Australians.
The film however is a piece of poo. Overly long, weird narrative jumps, certainly didn’t get me crying like some of the internal comments team above.
Awesome platform though so hopefully something interesting comes of it.
How about NRMA put their money where the mouth is and give out a year’s insurance for everyone who plants a tree? Are all those Conservation Volunteers going to get discounted rates?
Um… a little bioy climbing up a power pole…exactly the message an insurance company should send out.. and how did you get that koala up there ?
That had room to be a really beautiful story and fell flat for me.
I mean, I get the emotional manipulation they were going for but this left me feeling cold. And took a long time in doing it as well.
Well done Gary Freedman and Monkeys. Made me get all warm and fuzzy inside. I love it.
I like it but it feels like it is missing something
Well done though to all involved and well shot
Did he drop the Koala in a burnt out forrest?
This is what you should really do if you see a native animal in trouble.
Great work adland.
http://www.wires.org.au
Great client initiative, rubbish ad.
Buy an insurance policy and we’ll plant a tree…or in marketing terms a Koala home. Sad idea on all fronts.
Look at the bright side, you didn’t make any Ooshies.
please please please no more god dam tinkering spacial pianos pleeeeeeasae…
@ Not Koalified, you sound like a partner sucking up to your clients arse. Little transparent. A little bitter. Get back to that thing you do, whatever that is.
Nice work NRMonkeys.
Not really warm or fuzzy. Hope that koala is getting rollovers from the last spot he shot with NRMA.
Cause related marketing is morally dubious at best. Perhaps if the company tackled an issue that was related to its existence we could commend them for trying to “make the world a better place” and not just make money. For example, a motoring brand like NRMA here wanting to advance its ESG credentials, might look at electric vehicle takeup, cycling safety, or congestion issues. Too often though, as is the case with this ad, the company chooses an issue that is safe ground and totally remote from its activities, then hijacks people’s goodwill to gain some brand benefit. Judging by the comments here it looks people are still well and truly sucked in by this tactic.
Well done Gary and The Monkeys
You know who will like this ad? Nanas.
Im so sick of clients repackaging transparent strategic sales-drivers as social responsibility and community goodwill. This is just so gross. One shitty tree for every policy taken up? It would be easier and feel much better to just go to Bunnings and buy my own $4 seedling and plant it myself.
How about you plant the equivalent of an average family home – at least its KINDA relevant – which is 234 sq metres.
Or better yet, the average residential lot, which is over double that.
One lousy tree? You should have just done it and saved the 2 million ad spend making the campaign to talk about it. Soooooo gross.
Jeez, you know who writes and complains about ads like you? Nanas.
A brand tries to do something good and you complain about it. Time to go change your adult diaper.
Nah, I’m with emoji nanas.
Greenwashing is exploitative. This is a half-arsed initiative that will do little to actually make a difference to koala populations. Maybe they could stop insuring property in developments that destroy koala habitat? That’d be real.
@!, give it a bone. This brand is not trying to do something good. They’re trying to APPEAR like they are doing something good. There’s a massive effing difference, and it’s as obvious as your involvement with the campaign.
everytime I seen these ads featuring Arlo it just pulls so hard on my heart…..we all should be doing so much more to protect these beautiful creatures as well as this beautiful habitat that we have all inherited! We all can make a difference and it does not always have to come from the wallet/purse ……learning and teaching our generation and those to come how to better co exist with our environment and with all creatures great and small.
Thankyou