One Weather’s introductory ident has been given a makeover—and it comes with a monobrow so seamless that omnichannel marketing campaigns would applaud it. And the blame for the introduction of these hairy aesthetics can be squarely placed on the shoulders of Toyota.
Rather than simply running into the weather report with the usual “proudly brought to you” phrase, the car manufacturer, with the creative help of Saatchi & Saatchi, has instead opted for a quirkier activation of its sponsorship deal with TVNZ by having the pie-loving protagonist from the elaborate 2011 Hilux ad introduce the daily weather report.
This quirky move will see Kiwi audiences treated to a series of different clips of the hirsute gentleman coming to terms with the challenges of sharing his meteorological insights on a daily basis. Toyota has already 10 videos to its YouTube channel, each featuring a different skit that loosely manages to tie a Hilux into the weather.
Interestingly, the weather seems to be an area where brands are particularly willing to let their hair down and embrace a more satirical approach to their sponsorship agreements.
In the UK in 2012, ITV London’s evening weather report was sponsored Virgin Holidays, and M&C Saatchi London used this as an opportunity to introduce the weather via a collection of hilarious meteorologists from various parts of the world. During the campaign, fictional weather reporters from all the warmest sections of the world appeared on TV sharing weather outlooks, which in contrast to consistent UK downpours, were always sweltering.
And once the public became familiarised with the new weather reporters, ITV also released a series of behind-the-scenes satirical interviews with each weather reporter, giving viewers a chance to learn more about the characters.
The premise of this tongue-in-cheek campaign was quite reminiscent of a an episode of The Fast Show (which ran between 1994 and 1997) in which a weather reporter simply identifies the weather as “scorchio” throughout the country. Given the popularity of this skit, there was also follow-on in which national shock and outrage was depicted when a single cloud dared to appear in the sky.
Here in New Zealand, the cheeky weather shenanigans also extended into the online domain last year during Shark Week, when MetService featured a series of shark fins on its website in an effort to draw attention to the shark-related programming that was set to feature on the Discovery Channel. And this wasn’t a bad move by Sky, given the MetService had the sixth most-visited website in the country at the time.
So why is the weather presenter the brunt of so many jokes and why are people so happy to laugh at the expense of all things meteorological?
Well, perhaps this has something to do with the fact that they so often get it wrong or perhaps it’s the residual effect that Anchorman’s Brick Tamland has had on an entire generation. Alternatively, the answer might also be found in Nicolas Cage’s monologue in the trailer for the film The Weather Man:
“My job’s very easy: two hours a day basically reading prompts. Every couple of months someone throws something at me. I receive a large reward for pretty much zero effort and contribution. The shakes and stuff are a reaction to that, I think.”
But whatever the reason for the continuous stream of weatherman satire, it’s unlikely to abate any time soon. Let’s just hope Kiwi weather presenters don’t decide to take up archery any time soon.
Credits for Hilux spots:
Creative Directors: Corey Chalmers & Guy Roberts
Art Director & Copywriter: Charlie Godinet & Phil Hickes
Director: Corey Chalmers
Motion Graphics Designer: Tomas Cottle
Producer: Anna Kennedy
Business Director: Paul Wilson
Account Director: Susie Darling
Senior Account Manger: Amanda Brittain
Client: Andrew Davis & Susanne Hardy
Production Company: Gorgeous Films
Production Company producer: Edwina Monaghan
Audio: Liquid Studios
