Budget Direct introduces loveable daredevil ‘Captain Risky’ in debut campaign via 303Lowe
Budget Direct has kicked off 2015 with a major new advertising campaign created by 303Lowe, Sydney.
The campaign introduces Captain Risky, a lovable daredevil character who designs his life around risk and can’t work out why Budget Direct won’t insure him.
The campaign, which launched yesterday, features Captain Risky engaging in the high-risk activities that Budget Direct will not insure. The aim of the campaign is to highlight how Budget Direct can provide Australians with award winning, lower insurance premiums because they are smart about the people they insure.
The campaign is the first new work to be created by 303Lowe, since the full service agency was appointed to the account in August, following a three-way shoot-out against Host and BMF.
Says Jonathan Kerr, director of marketing & digital for Budget Direct: “This is the work that won the pitch. Budget Direct is well known for its market leading prices but we felt the need to help people understand how we can offer award winning insurance at such great prices. This campaign is designed to do just that, while building on Budget Direct’s brand personality.
“Budget Direct doesn’t believe lower risk customer’s premiums should subsidise higher risk customers premiums. At Budget Direct you only pay for your own insurance. By saying no to bad drivers, high risk takers and risky circumstances, year after year we are able to offer award winning insurance for less.”
Says Richard Morgan, ECD of 303Lowe: “Captain Risky is a larger than life, adrenalin-loving, front man for Budget Direct. Risk is his passion and his reason for being. He embodies all the high-risk activities that Budget Direct will not insure. He badly wants affordable insurance from Budget Direct – but, let’s be honest, he’s never going to get it, he’s just too risky.”
Adds Nick Cleaver, CEO of 303Lowe: “We have collaborated closely with the Budget Direct team on this campaign from early thoughts to final execution; it’s genuinely a team effort and we’re delighted with the result.”
The campaign will run across cinema, TV, digital, social, print and outdoor with spots highlighting specific Budget Direct offerings – Car Insurance, Home Insurance and CANSTAR awards.
The campaign was directed by Hamish Rothwell via production company Goodoil, with effects by Alt VFX.
There’s also a page on the website where Budget Direct dives into why they don’t insure Captain Risky.
ECD: Richard Morgan
Copywriter: Sean Larkin
Art Director: Adam Whitehead
Head of Business Management: Tony Dunseath
Business Director: Sophie O’Sullivan
Head of Strategy: Jon McKie
Agency Producer: Amanda Cain & Sean Ascroft
Director of Marketing & Digital: Jonathan Kerr
General Manager New Customer Acquisition: Paul Duggan
Campaign Manager: Jenni Osborne
Director: Hamish Rothwell
Production Company: GoodOil
Producer: Sam Long
DoP: Crighton Bone
Editor: Mark Burnett – The Editors
Edit House: The Editors
Music/ Sound: Song Zu
Photographer: Mat Baker,
Stills Production: Louis & Co.
37 Comments
Great stuff guys.
Thank fk the aliens have left the planet!
Amen to the death of the aliens. I hated those guys.
very good, made me laugh.
So this company won’t insure American stuntmen. Cracking strategy!!!
Love it. How can we get everyone to agree that creative + a production budget = a good chance of making a great ad. People love to hate but never give credit when it’s due. 🍹
Smashed it boys. Great start to the year.
I’m shocked in a good way that an insurer in Australia would go for this kind of strategy and idea. Well done!
Saw it at the movies with my kid the other day and we both had a great laugh. Then when it was revealed to be for an insurance company, I was pleasently surprised. And everyone in the audience liked it too. NIce work. Keeps it nice and open for more content to come as well.
Gotta love brave clients who encourage great Creative; awesome work.
This is beautifully shot and wonderfully produced.
Entertain then sell. Great to see an insurance client having some fun instead of the usual cheesy smiling talking heads bleating prices. This might just stop people from dashing off for a toilet break during the ads. Well done 303.
No doubt a little inspiration from the best documentary ever:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8d0yzVg1zfU
Oh man, Best and most refreshing ad on tv ruined by awful, uncrafted super/logo treatment. Stumbled at last hurdle. Can only assume client got involved. So close!
Good to see 303 are all back at work and posting breathless support for this campaign. Don’t think anyone else will
Saw the Cinema spot on the weekend, couldn’t believe it was from the same brand as the Aliens. Great work Tony, Mystery and 303 team.
Utterly awful
I really like it as an ad, but nowhere in the commercial does it state, as it does twice in the PR release, that Captain risky really wants Budget Direct to insure him and he can’t work out why.
Or are PR releases the places to hide the idea nowadays?
Did 303 get called back from holidays early so they could get some positive comments under their work?
It’s a big budget without a lot of bang. Definitely better than the majority of insurance work in the past year, but by no means a great idea. Seems like a solid first thought.
All sizzle, no sausage.
another class-A production from Goodoil
let’s face it, it’s a shit load better than 80% of the dross you see in an ad break – most of which is prob made by the gutless whiners tearing chunks off it.
it may not be amazing, but to say its utterly awful, etc, is just way off the mark and more evidence of pure spiteful bitterness.
stop bitching about other peoples’ work, go and think of a good idea and make your own for gods sake.
(no i dont work at 303)
It’s a further developed idea of the 2010 Honda – impossible dream.
Best insurance ad for a while. Funny, good casting, quality.
It’s really just a collection of youtube videos, cut together with a BD logo.Feels like a one off rather than a campaign.
How many times can we lampoon the 70s – ?
Runs like a bad comedy sketch.
Soooo much better than the aliens it can only be viewed as a massive step forward.
Product seems tacked on. Shame.
@E
Actually, it’s nothing like it.
What a stupid comment.
That’s like saying a scrotum reminds you of ears,
sure they’re both made of skin and a little hairy but they serve a different purpose.
This is good work, it stands out and it’s a stunt leap from where BD was…
Absolutely love the spot , fantastic production values , terrific attention to detail and highly engaging and arresting .
And a simple easy to understand clear message that is single minded that people get .
Well Done .
@ Chris Mc
Didn’t I say it’s a ‘further’ developed idea of the Honda ad?
Learn to read carefully. They’re both doing the same thing, just viewed from a different perspective. (like the scrotum and ear analogy)
When you watch the Honda ad, you can’t help but feel ‘I am not going to insure that guy’. That’s probably how the BD ad was conceived.
Is it a good ad? Yes I think it is. Is it a clever ad? No.
Is the bit about Captain Risky being too risky for Budget to insure?
Or is that the ad that sets up the idea (so we all understand it) that the client didn’t have the budget to produce???
Cracking art direction and whatnot on the spot I saw, but I’m guessing everyday punters are going, ‘What???’
Somehow it feels like we’ve jumped to year two of a really interesting, long running campaign – not that you guys stick with campaigns much down under, do you?
Why is that?
Let’s kick it and rip it. I like it.
http://funnyandspicy.com
Pants.
This is advertising guys!!!!! The campaign is funny, memorable and there’s an idea relating to the product offering. What more can you possibly be looking for?? Does every ad have to be pretentiously clever?? This is advertising. I suggest not taking it or yourselves to seriously. But if you insist, please share your work so we can see where we’re all going wrong.
(And No, I don’t work for 303 either).
I feel envy so it must be good. Well done team.
Love the character of Captain Risky. It’s the only spot I laugh at on TV. I think great kind of slapstick humor
I have Budget Direct car Insurance.😉