Connelly Partners picked up gold for their 123.ie ‘Handbrake’ commercial at the Sharks festival in Kinsale. The TV commercial positions the brand as insurance consumers can forget about. The TVC, directed by Ben Colwell and Conor Ryan for Rubberduck Productions, is part of a campaign developed by a creative team led by Steve Connelly (Boston), Eoin Welsh (Dublin), and included Barry Frechette (Boston), and Ronan Doyle (Dublin).
The ad takes a light-hearted approach to not letting insurance worries preoccupy people, to the extent that you forget to put the handbrake on the car when parked on a steep hill. The soundtrack, Simple Minds’ ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ emphasises the point. Vaunnie McDermott, MD of Connelly Partners Dublin, said: “It’s a real testament to the team here and in Boston. A glass will be raised here and a little later over in the States.”
Rubberduck shot four videos across Dublin in one day – amid beautiful sunrises, wind, rain, caffeine shortages and seagulls the size of small aircraft. 123.ie was launched by RSA Insurance in 2002 as the first company in Ireland offering quotes online. They now provide motor, home, travel, and health cover. Elaine Knowles is the company’s head of marketing. Connelly Partners is an independent agency with hubs in Dublin, Boston and Vancouver.
Watch the TV ad here
