RAC repositions with documercial launch

The RAC’s pounds 4 million push to reposition itself as a journey

management group rather than a simple roadside repair service broke new

ground this week with an unscripted two-and-a-half minute

’documercial’.

The film shows a series of interviews with a selection of technological

gurus including Ken Perlin, the director of New York University’s Centre

for Advanced Technol-ogy, about what the future holds. The talking heads

are interspersed with futuristic images.

The concept came from the creative directors of BDDH, Simon Green and

John Dean, who invited Mark Harrison, the documentary film director, to

make his debut in commercials for the campaign.

The Media Business, which bought all media, persuaded ITN to shorten its

commercial breaks by 30 seconds to ensure the ad would run by

itself.

Initially scheduled for three screenings this week, the ’documercial’

will be followed by 30-second cutdowns and a series of ten-second ads

promoting various products.

TV advertising will be backed by national press ads, three posters and

eight tube- card executions.

The repositioning was the brainchild of the RAC’s group strategic

director, Jan Smith, who set up a ’virtual agency’ for the campaign.

Client of the week, p16

This article was first published on Campaign