“A chocolate mishap is a familiar issue to many pet owners."
Chief is one of the most loved and recognised dogs in Australian advertising, having helped navigate numerous insurance mishaps since 2020 including carpark trolley trouble, an out of control leaf blower and a bath bomb gone wrong.
And now Budget Direct’s Chief, insurance detective Sarge’s canine companion, is taking centre stage in a debut Pet Insurance campaign via 303 MullenLowe.
Spearheaded by a new TVC, the Flashback campaign is the first pet insurance-specific work launched by Budget Direct, and leverages and forms part of the broader, highly successful Insurance Solved platform.
For several years Chief has an important role within Budget Direct’s Insurance Solved campaign, Budget Direct chief growth officer Jonathan Kerr said.
"We know Australians love seeing the super smart Chief help out in all sorts of situations, but we took this opportunity to show another side to her a relationship with Sarge in this latest spot,” Kerr said.
“A chocolate mishap is a familiar issue to many pet owners, so we have no doubt they’ll relate to this story as much as they have in our other Insurance Solved executions.”
Budget Direct’s Pet Insurance product has just swept Canstar’s 2024 awards for Outstanding Value Pet Insurance and 2024 Outstanding Value Pet Insurance with routine care.
The longevity of the Insurance Solved platform has also been recognised by the broader industry; the work is a finalist in both ‘Long Term Effects’ and ‘Brand Value’ categories of the 2024 Australian Effie Awards.
The ‘Flashback’ campaign starts its rollout initially in Queensland this week across TV and online.
Credits:
Client - Budget Direct
Chief Growth Officer, Growth Ops - Jonathan Kerr
General Manager, Marketing and Communications, Growth Ops - Warren Marsh
Senior Marketing Manager, Marketing, Media & Acquisition, Growth Ops - Katie Lansdale
Marketing Manager, Pet Insurance - Marketing, Media & Acquisition, Growth Ops - Tara Hudson
Agency - 303 MullenLowe
Production Partners
Production Company - Good Oil Films
Director – Taylor Ferguson
DOP – Crighton Bone
Producer – Catherine Warner
Editor – Josh O’Sullivan @ ARC
Post Production – Blockhead VFX
Music and Sound Company - Sonar Music
