Campaign Review: Ads with character

In Campaign Review, Mumbrella invites industry creatives and strategists to offer their views on recent ad campaigns.

Brand: Viva

Campaign: ‘UnbeVIVAble‘ 

Agency: Hello

The verdict: A fun reinvigoration of the platform. 

Jody Elston, chief strategy officer at 303 Mullenlowe Sydney, gave it an 8/10 and said: 

Great to see a brand famous for its product strength having more fun with the real mess of family life.

We’ve seen Viva playing in the space of kids telling tall tales about their mess before, but what’s great about this execution is the authentic storytelling.

We’ve moved on from unrealistic portrayals of parenthood that perpetuate old stereotypes of happy mum feeling smug with the superiority of Viva.

This work is much more in tune with the real culture of parenting today – shared, a bit frenetic, but still finding fun in the chaos.

Love how they’ve stuck with the cheesy but distinctive idea of ‘UnbeVIVAble’ but found a way to make it a more honest reflection of families.

Ernie Ciaschetti, senior copywriter at Howatson and Company, gave it a 6.5/10 and said: 

I love that the insight came straight from the audience.

I also like that they’ve added some fun to a category that can often feel more functional. It leans into something warm and familiar, the ridiculous excuses kids come up with to avoid blame. The construct is essentially a blank canvas to create almost any scenario, with loads of potential, and it ties back to the product nicely.

I’d love to see the film as a 30” to really land the gag. The 15″ looks great, is well cast, but feels a touch too quick.

All in all, a rich territory and a solid film to keep building on. Looking forward to seeing where they take it.

Brand: Seek Australia

Campaign: ‘Seek And You Shall Find‘

Agency: Droga5 ANZ

The verdict: Fun and clever. 

Jody gave it a 7/10 and said:

These ads are a super engaging way to refresh a strong platform and sonic asset, ‘Seek and you shall find’. Playing off famous characters like Dorothy, Tarzan and the Tooth Fairy who are seeking their perfect job match, not only stands out but is deeply familiar. And our brains are hard wired to like familiar things.

It’s also a great example of pattern interrupt as we see these characters in ordinary situations we can relate to as job punters.

Even though this sets of ads will no doubt steal people’s attention, they’re ultimately selling a functional benefit with the new AI-powered search bar.

Think there is also so much rich emotional territory that Seek could explore — feelings of accomplishment, satisfaction, fulfillment in finding that perfect fit. Would be great to see Seek delving beyond its functional role in people’s lives to build a stronger emotional connection, while keeping the comedy it’s known for.

Ernie gave it an 8.5/10 and said:

I love the idea of showing the moment before these characters have made it.

It’s playful, well cast, and all tied together with a simple but clever brand device and lines like ‘King. Jungle. No dress code.’ do a lot with a little.

I’d be keen to see the films pushed a little further, and maybe they will in the next round of executions.

Until then, these are great, a genuinely fun watch and a strong evolution of Seek’s existing platform. Nice one Droga5.

Brand: Mitsubishi

Campaign: ‘Nothing Can Frighten a Triton‘ 

Agency: Richards Rose

The verdict: What’s not to love?

Jody gave it a 9/10 and said:

This is Mitsubishi compounding creativity right here. Love how they’ve taken national treasure Russell Coight from their Effie-winning EV campaign and are now leveraging the character to build the Triton brand.

Showing off the tough credentials of a ute in the Australian bush is category territory, but this spot brings distinctiveness and fun, and keeps the long-standing and sticky line of ‘Nothing can frighten a Triton’.

Playing with Australian cues is also smart as the market has been flooded with new global entrants. Mitsubishi has always done a great job of leaning into Aussie culture, and this spot is a great example of doubling-down on this.

Coight may carry a bit of cultural cringe but he also evokes deep nostalgia, and he’s very effectively used as the foil for the more aspirational Mitsubishi drivers.

Ernie gave it a 7/10 and said:

Russell Coight, a ute, a gag, what else could a punter want?

It might not be the most groundbreaking use of a celebrity, but it’s entertaining, and the Triton gets its time to be the main character.

The spot is well paced, it looks great, it doesn’t try too hard and it’s up there on the better end of car adverts. The 10 year warranty proof point is a little cheeky, but it works. Overall, a solid spot and hopefully not the last time we see Russell and Mitsubishi.

As told to Lauren McNamara.

If you are a senior creative or strategist who would like to take part in a future Campaign Review, please email me at lmcnamara@mumbrella.com.au.

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