New Car Owner’s Manual
Issue 15 | June 2010
Agency
Rapp Melbourne
Creative Team
Executive Creative Director: Grant Rutherford; Creative Directors: Glen Dickson, Ruben Cirugeda; Copywriter: Ben Maher; Art Director: Ben Jelfs
Production Team
Production Manager: Sarah Tonner
Other Credits
Account Management: Kate Fraser, Matt Hunt, Elsa James
Date
January 2010
Background
APIA had a genuinely great offer: if your car is stolen, they’ll replace it with a new one. The challenge was to cross-sell this offer to APIA’s existing customers and make the excitement of a new car ‘real’ for people.
Idea
The agency chose to dramatise a human truth: new cars are great, but they do take a bit of getting used to. The ‘New Car Owner’s Manual: Your Guide To Frequently Encountered Problems’ brought this insight to life. After all, they’re nice problems to have.
Results
Dramatising this insight led to a 3.3% response rate, and a 30% conversion rate.
Our Thoughts
Watching creatives from ‘above the line’ agencies judging DM is always fascinating. They look at a pack the way they do at a press ad. If they don’t get the idea in two seconds, it gets rejected. I mention this because as we were reviewing the work for this issue, I did the same. Looked at the cover of the brochure, thought it looked pretty dull. Into the ‘No’ pile. Then I was made to look at it again by one of the editorial committee and it moved across into the ‘Yes’ heap. As I spent time with the idea, I began to get it and to really enjoy it. Maybe I’m the target audience, in the second flush of youth and parts of the brain eroding rapidly, but what they’ve done is bring to life the pleasure of a new car through reminding us how baffling a new car will seem after the old one.
Incidentally, this insight may have started in mail media but it would make a good proposition for a TV ad or an online video.