Driving dog: post-Vince Martin, Beaurepaires unleashes a new, more hirsute mascot

DDB and Dynamo were recently appointed as the lead agencies for Beaurepaires after a pitch, relieving Clemenger BBDO of its duties. The company’s new owners, Beau Ideal, promised the brand would move in a different creative direction, meaning the long-serving Vince Martin would be put out to pasture. And that’s exactly what it’s done, with a canine mascot talking up—literally—its offer and categorising different types of New Zealanders based on their vehicle choices.

The company’s marketing manager Katherine Rushbrooke said in a release at the time of DDB and Dynamo’s appointment that “We know this team will light the creative fire and reinvigorate the Beaurepaires brand … [DDB and Dynamo] have big boots to fill after 30 years of Vince, but we absolutely believe they’re the team for the job and we’re excited to embark on this new journey, into the next chapter of the brand.”

And that next chapter is titled: ‘we fit tyres to people’.

Anthropomorphised animals are a classic advertising conceit, with everything from the PG Tips chimps to the Sorted spokesrodent to birds with arms for Asus to defecating bears for Aldi and many, many more inbetween. Undoubtedly the most famous talking dog in New Zealand advertising history featured in Toyota’s controversial (to the prudes, at least) Bugger spot. But it’s been something of a theme at DDB this year, as it also riffed on the classic ‘dogs playing poker’ painting for Lotto NZ’s Keno campaign.

Watch this video on YouTube

Watch this video on YouTube

UPDATE: Rushbrooke, says in a release: “After 30 years of Vince Martin, the time had come for Beaurepaires to recruit a new hero who cared as much about tyres as we do. It was also important to capture the youthful energy of the brand and its cheeky humour, while ensuring we remained real and Kiwi. It was a bold move stepping away from Vince, but we’re thrilled with the new campaign, and our new spokesperson, Mate the dog.”

DDB creative director Mark Lorrigan adds: “It was hard to find someone as expert in tyres as Vince, but we did. He may be a little bit hairier, but he’s loyal, dedicated, and knows a good tyre when he sniffs one. And the best thing, he’s all Kiwi, just like Beaurepaires.”

The brand launch consists of a TVC, POS and retail campaign.

According to Nielsen’s AIS figures for rate card ad spend, Beaurepaires spent $1.72 million on advertising in 2012. Last year, this dropped to around $1.05 million, which is largely attributable to the change of ownership. And up to August this year, the company had spent only $299,000 on advertising. But that will no doubt grow as it pushes this new campaign.

As for Martin, he became to the automotive industry what ASB’s Ira Goldstein was to banking or what Tammy Wells (the Briscoes Lady) was to retail. And the Dutch-born Australian actor garnered a significant following of fans for his often quirky performances over the years.