HHCL/Red Cell pushes safety angle in Autoglass spot

by Jennifer Whitehead,, Brand Republic 22-Jan-04, 12:30

LONDON - A man is hunted down by his cracked windscreen in a new £3m advertising campaign for Autoglass created by HHCL/Red Cell, which warns drivers not to leave it too late to fix cracks.

The ad opens with a man in an underground car park shrugging off a tiny chip that he has noticed on his windscreen. As he exits his car, the crack comes to life and quickly grows to cover the windscreen. It proceeds down the car's bonnet and across the floor to a lift where the man is standing.

He desperately tries to escape but the crack chases him through offices and streets before catching up with him on a train. It spreads across his feet and up his body to his hands and the ad ends with the Autoglass strapline: "We fit safety as standard".

Autoglass has received backing for its overall safety campaign from the Department for Transport's Think! road safety unit for its role in promoting road safety.

Jane Wiley, marketing director at Autoglass, said: "The safety campaign and the coverage it has won have educated many drivers to appreciate that damaged windscreens are a safety issue. But as with any safety message you need to dramatise the story to remind people that it matters to them and those they care for."

A previous campaign for Autoglass featured the motoring journalist and television presenter Quentin Wilson. It was also created by HHCL/Red Cell.

The 40-second spot, which breaks on January 26, was written and art directed by Jonathan Thake and Lee Tan, under creative director Jonathan Burley. The ad was directed by Daniel Levi and produced by Independent Films. Media planning and buying is through Universal McCann, which was appointed by Autoglass last November.

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