Seen it all. Heard it all too. Why radio is the perfect vehicle for the AA’s latest advertising campaign

Maybe it has something to do with my own inability to give directions on the phone, but the recent AA radio campaign by adam&eveDDB certainly struck a chord with me. The campaign advertises the tools the company offers to help drivers in distress. In the campaign, we hear an assortment of humorous excerpts overheard in cars in moments of crisis, whether those involved have broken down, lost their keys or filled up with the wrong sort of fuel. “The last town we went through starts with a ‘c’ if that helps”…”There’s a red light flashing with what looks like a gravy boat”…”I am f****** f*****”. The struggle is real.

Breaking as part of the ‘We’ve seen it all’ campaign for the AA, these radio ads are wittily written and well-executed. An added plus point is that there is no attempt to directly replicate the TV on air, but the agency has created a suite of scripts that play to radio’s own comic strengths instead. Speaking to the team at adam&eveDDB, I learned that the talent (Lucy Montgomery, Kevin Bishop and John Culshaw), were accompanied by members of the agency and even the client. It sounds like a fun old recording session at Clearcut Sound, and that energy comes through in the performances.

The campaign is the largest marketing investment for the AA for more than 10 years. The fact that 61% of listening happens in car makes radio a natural media platform for the motor sector and its auxiliary services. Something that makes this campaign especially strong is its use of the medium for brand-building rather than short term tactical messaging. No shouty messages. No illegible terms and conditions. The IPA study ‘The long and the short of it’ advocates that 60% of advertising be assigned to long-term brand building. Sadly, radio is often over-used as an activation channel, meaning that pure brand advertising on radio is woefully infrequent. How refreshing to hear a campaign that charms and entertains as well as informs: it’s what radio was intended for.

Thanks, adam&eveDDB. AA+

Client: Ben Kaye, Head of Brand Communications
Chief Creative Officer Ben Priest
Executive Creative Directors Ben Tollett, Richard Brim
Creative Director/s: Aidan McClure, Laurent Simon
Copywriter: Rory Hall
Art director: Steph Ellis
Chief Strategy Officer: David Golding
Planner: Nick Hirst
Media agency: Starcom MediaVest Group
Media planner: Elspeth Spelzini
Sound studio: Clearcut Sound

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