NRMA Insurance Drives Home Christmas Safety In Magical New Campaign via The Monkeys

NRMA Insurance has released the next instalment of its annual Christmas campaign, asking drivers to take extra care on our roads during the most hectic time of the year.
Titled ‘Don’t Drive Naughty, Drive Nice’, this year’s campaign by The Monkeys harnesses the power of kids in the back seat to remind us what Christmas time is really about – them.
The integrated campaign kicks off with a film directed by Marc Forster, who recently released Hollywood movie Christopher Robin, telling the story of a young girl who must find a way to get her stressed out dad to drive nice before it’s too late.
To reinforce this message while on the road, kids from around New South Wales and Queensland were asked to show us why adults should ‘drive nice’, with their answers becoming the hero out-of-home advertising creative.
On radio, a group of kids adapted the drive nice message to the tune of famous Christmas carols.
An across mobile, a Facebook augmented reality camera effect has been created that allows viewers to look like the brand film’s hero toy bunny and share the ‘Don’t Drive Naughty, Drive Nice’ message.
The campaign is also supported by a podcast platform titled ‘Are We There Yet?’ that includes Australian celebrities reading beloved stories.
NRMA marketing director Sally Kiernan said: “We know that Christmas is a time of the year when the importance of family is heightened, bringing with it a spirit of togetherness and connection.
“It is also one of the busiest periods on our roads, so it’s more important than ever to ‘Drive Nice’.”
The Monkeys co-founder and group chief creative officer Scott Nowell said: “Christmas holidays are a joyous time, but there’s immense stress around finishing work and getting the family on the road.
“NRMA Insurance wants to make sure that Australians are driving safe, bringing to light what is most important – family.”
This is the third major piece of work created for the NRMA Insurance brand in partnership with The Monkeys, part of Accenture Interactive.
CREDITS
Client: IAG
Brand: NRMA Insurance
Chief marketing officer: Brent Smart
Marketing director, NRMA: Sally Kiernan
Creative and innovation lead: Elizabeth Stokes
Creative and innovation specialist: Danielle Picker
Content director: Zara Curtis
Social media lead: Gerry Avalos
Creative and content development lead: Simeon Bartholomew
Integrated content producer: Vanessa Buckley
Creative agency: The Monkeys
Co-founder and chief creative officer: Scott Nowell
Co-founder and CEO: Mark Green
Managing director: Matt Michael
Chief strategic officer: Fabio Buresti
Executive creative director: Vince Lagana
Creative director: Ben Sampson
Innovations director: Jay Morgan
Art director: Tessa Chong
Copywriter: Max Rapley
Planning director: Michael Hogg
Strategic planner: Charlotte Marshall
Business director: Humphrey Taylor
Group content director: Katie Wong-Hee
Content managers: Katherine Kennedy and Sophie Finckh
Head of production: Thea Carone
Senior broadcast producer: Jade Rodriguez
Senior integrated producer: Sonia Eberington
Digital producer: Tamara Wohl
Producers: Tanith Williamson and Alex Watson
Digital design lead: Eva Goodney
Designer: Laura Ives
Digital designer: Lauren Elliott
Designer/finished artist: Lucinda Hansen
Front-end developer: Han Lee
Production company: Exit Films and Tool of Nth America
Director: Marc Forster
Executive producer, Tool of Nth America: Brad Johns
Producer, Tool of Nth America: Lee Trask
Executive producer, Exit: Leah Churchill-Brown
Producer, Exit: Karen Sproul
Director of production: Ginny Loane
AR camera effects production company: Alt.VFX
Post-production company: The Editors
Editor: Alexandre De Franceschi
Producer: Nicoletta Rousianos
Animation: Framestore LA
VFX supervisor: Michael Ralla
Post-producer: Rachel Mariscal Creasey
Sound design company: Song Zu
Engineer: Simon Kane
Producer: Katrina Aquilia
Music composition: Elliot Wheeler, Turning Studios
Latest News

Westpac Shows Optus How To Apologise
Westpac customers were rendered unable to access their bank accounts online for around eight hours yesterday and its crisis comms strategy should prove instructive for the likes of Optus. The bank began posting regular updates on X (you may know it better as Twitter) around 9pm AEDT yesterday through to around 5.15am this morning. The […]

Triple J Announces Hottest 100 2023 Dates
Voting in triple j’s Hottest 100 of 2023 opens next Tuesday, 12 December, at 8am AEDT. That means it’s time to pick out your fave songs of the year, submit your votes and join millions of people from across the country on Saturday, 27 January, as we count down the Hottest 100 songs of 2023, […]

A Professional Cheese Sculptor Stars For Wacky Ads For A University
An American university has launched a trio of ads that take a witty look at eccentric jobs as a backdrop to promoting its courses. Post University in Connecticut launched the national campaign to promote its online courses with the premise being that these are the types of careers not on offer at the University. The […]

Don’t Be THAT Perfectionist….Enter B&T’s 30 Under 30 Awards, Presented By Vevo, Now!
We’ve all met that one person who takes great pride in telling the world that they are a perfectionist. “I need things to be just right,” they say as they adjust the vignette settings on an Instagram post of their avocado toast (this rhyme was not intentional). As fabulous as perfection may be – who […]

We Are Warriors To Produce City Of Sydney’s Calling Country & New Year’s Eve Fireworks
Social Indigenous Enterprise We Are Warriors (WAW), supported by creative innovation studio R/GA Australia, has been selected to produce the City of Sydney’s New Year’s Eve Calling Country live performance as part of the 9pm firework show. Lead image L-R: WAW co-founders Ben Miles & Nooky. The performance will feature a special Welcome to Country […]

Data Is King. So How Can Marketers Survive Privacy Reforms?
Most marketers, agencies, and brands agree that data is king. Love it or hate it, there is no denying that data is a powerful tool for targeting consumers. Yet the world of data is facing several seismic privacy changes that will have huge consequences for the entire advertising industry. Marketing teams around Australia are now […]

Chery Launches New Tiggo 7 Pro In Australian Market With Creative Campaign Via Chello
Independent brand and creative agency Chello has created a new integrated campaign ‘I want Tiggo’ to launch automotive giant Chery’s new Tiggo 7 pro into the Australian market. ‘I want Tiggo’ features a short film depicting a young boy who sees his father getting in the car and driving off and shouts “I want to […]

Isuzu UTE Extends A-Leagues Partnership Through To 2026
The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) and Isuzu UTE Australia have announced an extension to their partnership, reinforcing Isuzu UTE’s commitment to Australian football. The two-year extension will see Isuzu UTE Australia remain as the Naming Rights Partner of the Isuzu UTE A-League Men and as a Major Partner and Automotive category partner of the Liberty […]

Seven Network Unveils New Advanced Advertising Division
The Seven Network has announced the launch of a new Advanced Advertising division to drive the development and launch of innovative new trading models across Seven’s national converged total TV ecosystem. The team has been set up to lead Phoenix, the world’s most advanced total TV trading system. Phoenix brings together the massive reach and […]

“Give an F About the Flags”: Surf Life Saving Australia Launches Summer Campaign Via Banter
Surf Life Saving Australia has launched a new campaign to fight drownings at the beach, featuring a cheeky approach designed to change behaviour. Every year, over 120 people drown outside the flags on Australian beaches, and that’s too many. So, Surf Life Saving Australia is calling on beachgoers to ‘Give an F About the Flags’ […]

Toyota & HCLTech To Appear On Aussie Cricketers’ Shirts This Summer
Toyota Australia and HCLTech have upgraded their partnerships with Cricket Australia (CA) to include displaying their global brands on the iconic Australian playing shirts. Toyota will be the men’s front-of-shirt partner and appear on the sleeve of the men’s and women’s playing shirts, while HCLTech will remain on the sleeve of the men’s playing shirt […]

G Squared Bolsters Paid Media & Search With Key Hires
Following continued new business growth, digital consultancy G Squared has made a number of senior appointments to further strengthen its paid media and search offerings. Lead Image: L to R – Steph Hasouros and Ishita Sehdev Steph Hasouros has joined as head of paid media, overseeing the paid media team and its growth. She will also […]

“Extinction Greenwashing”: Supermarkets Target Of ACCC Complaint Over Misleading Salmon Claims
Australia’s major supermarket chains have been accused of potentially false, misleading or deceptive conduct over sustainability claims on Tasmanian salmon products, according to a complaint lodged with the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC). Lead Image – ACCC Complaint (Image taken from Woolworths website20 on 4 October 2023 ) Acting on behalf of Living Oceans […]

Droga5 London Launches First Campaign For ADV New Motorcycle
In their first campaign since winning the global ADV business this past summer, Droga5 London has worked with Royal Enfield to launch their new motorcycle, the Himalayan. The bike was designed for the unpredictability of the Himalayas, and the new platform takes inspiration from the ‘change of plan’ mindset that is required when traversing the […]

Mediahub Expands Into New Zealand Market
Following ongoing growth in Australia, media agency Mediahub is launching in New Zealand as it looks to expand its reach, and provide a truly trans-Tasman offering to clients. Mediahub is part of the IPG Mediabrands network. With offices in both Auckland and Christchurch, Mediahub NZ will provide a market-leading and national NZ capability utilising best-in-class […]

It Takes A Village: Havas Drives Off With Avis Budget Group’s Media & Earned PR
The Havas Media Network and Havas Red have driven off with Avis Budget Group’s (ABG) media and earned PR accounts, respectively, following competitive pitches for both accounts. The two agencies were the incumbents on the account but, with ABG wanting to assess the value it was receiving, the accounts went out to pitch. ABG looked […]

Amazon Prime Secures Rights To Next Cricket World Cup
In a massive shift in the broadcasting landscape, Amazon Prime has secured the Australian rights to the next cricket World Cup alongside a range of other tournaments run by the International Cricket Council (ICC) until 2027. The deal means that Australian Cricket fans can only access the tournaments if they have a paid subscription to […]

Limited Tickets Still Available For First Ever Industry Pantomime
With just over 24 hours to go until the world premiere of Addy Lala and the Mood Tea Thieves, limited tickets are still available for the pantomime, which will run for one night only at the Everest Theatre in Sydney’s Seymour Centre on December 5th. All in the industry are encouraged to come along to […]

Palin Communications joins GlobalCom PR Network
Specialist Australian health PR agency, Palin Communications, has joined GlobalCom PR Network with a view to delivering meaningful, consistent, impactful, global health campaigns across a range of countries and regions.

Axe-Wielding Eric Andre Stars In Opera GX Campaign, Via Waste Creatives
Irreverent campaign for Opera GX, the browser for gamers, sees actor and comedian Eric Andre confronting people using “boring” browsers

Make it your way at Highpoint Via Cyclone Creative Agency
Highpoint is inviting Melbournians to embrace what makes them different, through their ‘Make it Your Way’ campaign via Cyclone Creative agency.

2045: A New Melbourne-Based Creative Agency Founded by Tim Evans and Nick Auditore
2045, a Melbourne-based creative agency founded by Tim Evans and Nick Auditore has just launched. The agency takes its name from the year futurist Ray Kurzweil predicted organic and artificial intelligence would converge. Lead Image: 2045 Team Evans was formerly a Partner and Executive Strategy Director at DT (now AKQA), before co-founding B.B.E in 2015. […]

Pengu Dances Their Way Through New Film by electriclime°
Production house electriclime° have linked up with Riot Games to create a new film to celebrate the launch of Teamfight Tactics Mobile (“TFT”) in Asia Pacific.

National Breast Cancer Foundation Announced as Charity Partner For NYE Sydney
The National Breast Cancer Foundation has been announced as the Charity Partner for Sydney New Year’s Eve. The Australian not-for-profit organisation is represented by the pink ribbon and raises money to fund world-class research towards its vision of zero deaths from breast cancer. Research that saves lives through a better understanding of how to prevent […]

Sunday TV Ratings: Brits Dominate With Annika, Joanna Lumley And David Attenborough Making Top 10
Sunday night strangely dominated by UK-made content. That said, Piers not getting a heap of love over at Sky.

Emporium Unveils Unique Christmas Campaign: “Every Tradition Starts Somewhere”
This holiday season, Emporium Melbourne has announced its festive creative campaign that celebrates and encourages the Melbourne community to embrace their personal ‘untraditional traditions’ – the unique traditions that make Christmas truly special for them, and their family. The campaign’s tagline, “Every tradition starts somewhere”, reflects Emporium’s commitment to embracing, inspiring and applauding diverse traditions […]

Stop Being A Water Waster! Sydney Schoolboy Urges Everyone To Save Water, Via It’s Friday
Planning a staff dunking booth this Christmas? Not too late to switch to 10-pin bowling with this water save campaign.

Reddit Updates Conversation Placement Ads Formats
Reddit has announced updates to its new ads placement with Carousel Ads and Product Ads. These new units, placed in the heart of Reddit discussions, provide an even more dynamic and compelling way for advertisers to scale to relevant audiences, deliver deeper value to users, and drive stronger, full-funnel performance among the hundreds of thousands […]

Full Throttle Into 2024: Drive.com.au Announces 12 New Products In 2024 Upfronts
Automotive Network Drive has announced its 2024 upfronts, its biggest in more than a decade, with a suite of more than 12 new products that underpin its vision to be the number one automotive network in Australia. Now in its 27th year and with a monthly audience of 2.45 million, Drive is leveraging its reputation […]

Journalist Tegan George Suing Network 10 After Being Left With “Trauma” From Bushfire Reporting
It's been a rocky road for many people & agencies in 2023; however, it's been all sunshine & rainbows for 10's lawyers.

As Big Spenders Flee, X Pivots To SMBs To Fill Ad Dollar Deficit
Elon's halo continues to slip. Joining Albo's, Harry's, Meghan's and Optus' similar downward trajectory.

Foxtel Group Extends Partnership With Mindshare For A Further Three Years
Mindshare Christmas bash upgraded from "house" to "spirits included" after Foxtel re-signs.

Sleeping Duck’s Cheeky Campaign Exposes Its Competitors’ Tricks
B&T unaware of the vitriol & acrimony between the online mattress companies. We were aware of it between News & the ABC.

The North Face Flies-In Jacket To Furious Hiker In The Marketing Save Of 2023
North Face continues to bat away a series of PR disasters. And not merely from Australian politicians being seen in it.

oOh!media Unveils 51 New Large Format Sites This Year
oOh!media continues to rapidly expand its large format digital network, launching seven new sites at premium locations across major arterials in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The latest large format digitals include another premium site in the exclusive Sydney suburb of Mosman. Positioned at the gateway of the lower north shore on Military Road, the high-impact […]

Bear Meets Eagle On Fire Unveils “Until Then” Mark II For NRMA
If there's a HOT agency at the moment, it has to be Bear Meets Eagle On Fire. Get your fingers burnt with this latest.