Animated Mick Hucknall pushes Virgin Media on-demand service

by Kate Langtry, Brand Republic 23-Jun-08, 15:35

LONDON - Virgin Media has released a cinema ad featuring animated versions of Simply Red singer Mick Hucknall and Sir Richard Branson, the first in a series of celebrity ads designed to promote its video-on-demand offering.

The tongue-in-cheek ad, created by Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe Y&R, is showing in Odeon and Cineworld Cinemas across the UK from Friday June 20.

It is set in KWACCS, a futuristic clinic in Switzerland. As Mick arrives at the clinic he is greeted by a burly female doctor who prescribes catch-up TV from Virgin Media in a bid to help him "Hold back zee years".

When Mick leaves the clinic, he is accompanied by an attractive blonde female night nurse to start his treatment, who turns out to be Branson in disguise.

Hucknall said of his animated character: "I think the ad looks great, it's just a bit of fun that I hope everyone will enjoy."

James Kydd, Virgin Media's managing director of brand and marketing, said: "Following on from the success of the Samuel L Jackson advertising, we are confident that these commercials will go down a storm."

The ad was written by Chris Hopkins and Pip Bishop at Rainey Kelly.

The next ad in the series, featuring a different celebrity, is slated to appear in September.

Comments

CHRIS ARNOLD - 24/06/2008

So who created it?

Daniel Farey-Jones - 24/06/2008

Rainey Kelly created the ad - apologies for missing them out earlier

Chris Hodgkiss - 26/06/2008

The name's Chris Hodgkiss, not Hopkins, but thanks for the credit. The real credit however, should go to the unsung heroes behind this campaign, So! Animation from NYC. Our lovely TV PA Katie Halil found them. They are a small animation company base in New York, and they are brilliant. Headed up by Lauri Salliday and Rob Cazin, with David McGrath producing. With a small team of animators, and a brilliant character designer (Joe), they have put their heart and soul (and blood sweat and a lot of late nights) into this, the first of three spots. Holding the fort back at RKCR/Y&R has been our fab producer Jody Allison. Check out their work on their site. Chris Hodgkiss RKCR/Y&R