Genesis Energy and DraftFCB have laughed in the face of conventional filmic wisdom by choosing to work with animals (and even the children of animals) in a new TVC that shows its rather dextrous and “ever-popular pukeko stars” painting a pedestrian crossing to help keep the neighbourhood chicks safe *awwwww*.
The new TVC first aired on Sunday 30 January and Tony Clewett, creative director at DraftFCB, says it references New Zealand’s neighbourhood psyche. Genesis Energy, he says, is also aiming to be a good, responsible corporate neighbour by being conscious of its actions and looking out for others. So what better way to inspire neighbourliness than with some talented and resourceful native birds (check out the behind the scenes video to find out how you get a Pukeko to paint a crossing, switch on a light switch and pull a cord).
“Obviously working with animals brings its own set of challenges, but at least they don’t answer back,” Clewett says. “A lot of people think the birds are done with CGI but they are real pukekos and they actually do all the tricks. Warm fuzzy smiles all round when they get it right.”
Dean Carroll, general manager retail for Genesis Energy, says being neighbourly is a core brand focus and, as such, it has started a few neighbourly-focused initiatives to show their commitment to the idea, including Schoolgen, Brownie Points and the Genesis Oncology Trust. The Schoolgen project aims to teach children about solar energy in a fun way, by helping schools install solar panels at no cost so they can generate a portion of their energy from the sun, and Brownie Points works to give customers points for the things they do, not just what they spend.
*Warning, cheesy corporate quote ahead* “Like any good neighbour, we understand that through respect and working together we can make tomorrow a better place,” he says.
