Captain Energy and Broadband Girl return in Trustpower’s latest campaign via Gunroom

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Screen Shot 2015-09-10 at 10.02.44 am.jpgCaptain Energy and Broadband Girl have returned to screens this week in the latest stage of Trustpower’s “$49 Unlimited Data Broadband” campaign via Gunroom.

This campaign, which first launched in March, gives customers unlimited data broadband for $49 a year in the first year ($79 in the second year) when they sign up for power and broadband on a 24 month term. The success of the campaign to date has established Trustpower as a serious competitor to the major telcos.

Trustpower’s success in shaking up the energy and telco sectors was recognised at the recent Deloitte Energy Awards where they won the Consumer NZ Energy Retailer of the Year award. At the awards ceremony Chris O’Hara, Trustpower’s general manager of commercial operations, said: “To those of you who are involved in energy and telecommunications retailing and may be feeling a little uncomfortable about what we have been up to – this is just the start.  And you ain’t seen nothing yet.”

Trustpower’s reinvention started in November 2013 with the launch of its new branding and new positioning as a multi-utility service provider, offering great value bundles of power, gas, phone and broadband. In April 2014 the company launched its retail services in Auckland, Wellington and Hamilton after an absence from the metro markets of 10 years.

The $49 offer has been highly effective in repositioning Trustpower from an energy company who also offer some telco to a fully integrated multi-utility retailer.

Says Carolyn Schofield, marketing communications manager: “Since the beginning of this year our awareness as a telco provider has increased by over 200% and our consideration by over 300%.  This is translating directly into sales.  We’re acquiring hundreds of new phone and broadband customers each week.  Last year around 20% of our new power customers also switched to Trustpower for phone and broadband, now over 60% do.

“Our objective with the first TVC featuring Captain Energy and Broadband Girl was to tell a story, create a strong emotion and communicate the $49 unlimited data broadband offer.  Although the initial brief was not for an ongoing series of ads, the characters have really resonated with viewers and since the campaign launched in March I’ve been asked constantly, including by the Chairman of the Trustpower board, ‘What happens next?’ Our Customer Experience Advocates regularly receive phone calls from customers for no other reason than to ask when the next part is coming. So we’re giving people what they are asking for and continuing the story.”

The campaign was developed by Daniel Crayford from Gunroom and directed by Chris Dudman from Robber’s Dog. It launches with a 60s TVC, supported by billboards, online and direct marketing.

Client: Carolyn Schofield, Marketing Communications Manager, Trustpower

Agency: Gunroom

Creative: Daniel Crayford

Account Director: Nick Sampson

TV Production: Robber’s Dog

Director: Chris Dudman

 Producer: Mark Foster

Animation: Teaspoon

Original Music: Liquid Studios – Peter van der Fluit

Media: Independent Media NZ – Mark Reekie