With bushfire season looming, this insurer wants Australians to be ready

As someone who keeps a close eye on the state of the environment and of fellow creatures in the wild, Ad Nut found the events that unfolded in Australia late last year and in early 2020 most distressing. On September 5, 2019, the first bushfire ignited in Australia, beginning a chain of such events that would eventually lead to nearly half-a-billion dollars in insurance claims, a billion animals of all sizes killed, 13 million hectares affected and around 12 million people put in harms way.

Unfortunately, for Australia, these fires aren't a novelty, rather a dreaded expectation during the searing, dry summer months. Ad Nut yet gets misty-eyed when memories of Aussie friends lost in these blazes come rushing back. 

If those fires were tragic, the only way to ensure history doesn't repeat itself is to be prepared. With the smoke- and fire-filled memories of last summer barely faded, the country's largest insurer, IAG-owned NRMA Insurance, wants Australians to be more prepared this time around.

In a gripping 90-second video, the insurer showcases the grim reality for these firefighters over the past six decades. To help them, NRMA Insurance and CHE Proximity are launching a purpose-driven brand platform called 'First Saturday'.

Created in partnership with NSW Rural Fire Service, NSW State Emergency Service and Australian Red Cross, First Saturday calls on Australians to dedicate the first Saturday of every month to helping first responders by doing one small task to make their homes safer. 

The video, launched on August 16, re-enacts four volunteers responding to a rural bushfire. To back this up, a 360-degree integrated campaign will roll out in the lead up to September 5, which is the first Saturday in the year-long effort. The campaign includes radio spots, task-based films, social activations, newspaper spreads, OOH and other touchpoints.

CREDITS

IAG
Brent Smart - CMO
Sally Kiernan – Director, Brand Marketing
Zara Curtis – Director, Content & Customer Engagement
Caroline Hugall – Director, Group Brand Strategy
Luke Farrell – Director, Marketing Operations
Sam McGown - Creative & Innovation Lead
Elizabeth Stokes – Creative & Innovation Lead
Mahsa Merat – Creative & Innovation Specialist
And thanks to the entire IAG marketing team.

CHE Proximity
Ant White – Chief Creative Officer
Chris Howatson – Chief Executive Officer
Holly Alexander – Director of Production
Glen Dickson, Wesley Hawes – Executive Creative Directors
Gavin Chimes – Creative Director
Mark Tallis – Senior Art Director
Cameron Dowsett – Senior Copywriter
Katie Dally – Client Partner
Charles Todhunter – Senior Account Manager
Nick Andrews – Director, Brand
Darren Cole – Head of Design
Vanessa Saporito – Designer
Reece Lawson – Digital Design Lead

Media Agency
Mindshare

PR Agency
Thinkerbell

Production
Director – Justin Kurzel
Managing Director/Executive Producer – Michael Ritchie
Executive Producer – Pip Smart
Producer – Serena Paull and Ian Iveson
Director of Photography – Sam Chiplin
Production Designer – Pete Baxter
Editor – Jack Hutchings
Post Production – Heckler
VFX Supervisor – Tom Corbett and Jamie Watson
Executive Producer – Bonnie Law
Colourist – Olivier Fontenay
FX Artist – Mark Chataway
Senior Compositor – Maxence Pellion
Senior Flame Artist – Brad Smith
IO & Edit Assist – Dan Page
Sound and Music Company – Sonar Music
Music Composer – Antony Partos
Mixer – Andy Wright
Sonar Music Executive Producer – Sophie Haydon
Stills Production Company – The Pool Collective
Photographer – Matthew Thorne
Producer – Christiana Roberts
Post Production, Stills – Iren Skaarnes

Ad Nut is a surprisingly literate woodland creature that for unknown reasons has an unhealthy obsession with advertising. Ad Nut gathers ads from all over Asia and the world for your viewing pleasure, because Ad Nut loves you. You can also check out Ad Nut's Advertising Hall of Fame, or read about Ad Nut's strange obsession with 'murderous beasts'.