NRMA in 1999 promoted their insurance services to Australians with a TV advertisement featuring insects in a rainstorm. Menacing clouds obscure the moon as thunder and lightning interrupts cicada song. A grasshopper struggles to keep its place at the top of the grass forest. An autumn leaf falls to the ground, narrowly missing a ladybird crawling through the grass. To the sound of choral voices and string orchestra ants scurry to their nest. Drops of water begin to fall, confounding a bronze beetle. A wall of mud comes pouring over the ground. The grasshopper leaps through the rain. The ladybird now is trapped, surrounded by flood water, and sent flying off a leaf and into the water, landing on its back. Finally, a child’s hand reaches down to rescue the ladybird, placing it back on a leaf. The next shot reveals the child in yellow rainwear, squatting in the garden. The voicover: “Every day we help more Australians with the good things in life. Their cars. Their homes. Their peace of mind. NRMA for HELP.”
Credits
The NRMA Ladybird ad was developed by a creative team at Saatchi & Saatchi Australia, Sydney.
NRMA ‘Ladybird’ was directed by Phil Meatchem at Film Graphics, Sydney, with producer Jo Jordan.
Visual effects were developed at Animal Logic by senior producer Jacqui Newman, technical director Zelko Dejanovi, 3D animators Rachel Ward, Justin Mettam, Ian Brown, Lindsay Fleay, Justin Robson, Ben Gunsberger, Pete Commins and Albert Hastings.
The spot won a D&AD Silver Award for TV and Cinema Crafts/Special Effects Category, along with ‘Best Visual Effects’ and ‘Judges Choice’ at Digital Media World 1999.
Thanks Duncan.
Why I believe bloggers rock
Another request
Do you have the Virgin Plastic card lauch campaign that featured Richard Branson as a plastic surgeon? I think the campaign was done by iLeo. It was the grand prix winner at Cannes in 2004
add me…