Simplicity, irreverence and a liberal dose of the absurd has made Kwik Fit’s latest commercial the winner of the latest Thinkboxes award for TV advertising creativity.
In the 60-second “Reasons why you’ll drive away happy every time”, Kwik Fit staff members’ superior knowledge and customer service are demonstrated, deadpan, alongside absurdities.
“TV is really important to Kwik Fit,” says head of retail marketing Tom Gentle. “It allows us to be distinctive, [to] separate ourselves from the pack and be remembered when people may next need us.”
VCCP’s brief was to give drivers more reasons to trust Kwik Fit as the best place to go for motoring maintenance. To this end, the VCCP team set out to convey the brand’s personality, and the personable approach of its highly trained staff, using humour.
The solution it came up with, which marked a tonal shift from past spots, was to use TV to entertain, so people would remember Kwik Fit with a smile.
“We wanted to land a lot of reasons why Kwik Fit and their technicians are who you should rely on and land our ‘drive away happy every time’ strategy,” says VCCP’s assistant creative director Drew Haselhurst.
Simply telling the nation that Kwik Fit technicians are best could have been dull. Besides, it had been done before, over the years. What was needed now was a fresh and distinctive creative vehicle that Kwik Fit could make its own.
The idea of having a Kwik Fit technician land a list of proof points while lying on his back as he slid from scene to scene was just that. And, along with the second technician rolling in a tyre, it helped the spot stand up to repeated viewing. It also gave the brand a highly original, ownable visual.
Finding the right director was the next step. “When it comes to comedy, Harold Einstein is one of the best directors out there,” says Dipesh Mistry, assistant creative director at VCCP.
“We’ve been trying for over 15 years to land an idea with him. He has this American approach to humour where he doesn’t shy away from the client brief. He embraces the challenge and sets out to deliver in the funniest and simplest of ways. What we loved is how he applied his world to an iconic British brand.”
Haselhurst agrees, describing working with Einstein as “an eye opener”. “Sometimes ‘top’ directors can create a distance between themselves and the client and even the agency, thinking they’re protecting the work,” he explains. “But Harold was the opposite. He welcomed our clients into the process.”
Einstein was also closely involved in shaping the tone. “We sat down with Harold and discussed many styles and approaches, but we all agreed that a brand like Kwik Fit should be down to earth and non-flashy in any way,” says VCCP creative director Tony Hector. “This tone reflects how Kwik Fit is as a business – not flashy, just good at what it does.”
Casting that reflects both the real human people behind the Kwik Fit network and the breadth of its customers was also super-important. Along with the deadpan humour, it’s one of the reasons why, since its launch in October as part of an integrated campaign, “Reasons why you’ll drive away happy every time” has been well-received.
“Senior leaders within the business were really impressed with how we met the brief and how it allowed us to showcase what our people do so well,” Gentle reveals. “The centre staff also loved it, being able to relate to the ‘staff’ that we showcased within the ad.”
Looking back, Haselhurst says he is most proud of the film’s “nonsense”.
“Too many TV ads these days are ‘correct’ – they make too much sense. and it feels like looking at wallpaper. It’s about the right answer proven in testing and has had all the playful edges knocked off,” he explains. “The reason this ad has been received well is because it’s irreverent, I think. There’s a bloke in a tyre just because it’s funny. It doesn’t really make sense. That’s what makes it memorable and funny. In short, it’s right to be a bit wrong.”
And Hector’s analysis of the key to the ad’s success? “Keeping it simple: a simple idea, simple process and simple execution. And, of course, a trusting client that lets us do our thing.”
Second in the September/October Thinkboxes was "Clocking off” by Saatchi & Saatchi for EE. “Beyond techspectations / IRL” by AMV BBDO for Currys was third. Also shortlisted were “The window” by Saatchi & Saatchi for John Lewis and “Open for fun” by Meanwhile for Tombola.
WINNING AD
Agency: VCCP Creative team: Mark Orbine, executive creative director; Tony Hector, creative director; Dipesh Mistry and Drew Haselhurst, creative directors Client: Tom Gentle, head of retail marketing Production company: Outsider Director: Harold Einstein
The Thinkboxes, in association with Campaign, are the only bi-monthly awards that celebrate the UK’s world-beating TV ad creativity, in all its forms. They are judged by the Thinkbox Academy – advertising and marketing luminaries who have been involved in award-winning creative work for TV.
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Thinkbox is the marketing body for commercial TV in the UK, in all its forms. Its shareholders are Channel 4, ITV, Sky Media and UKTV. Thinkbox works with the marketing community with a single ambition: to help advertisers get the best out of today’s TV.
