“Make Me A Sheila Star” Women Car Insurance Campaign 2007 “Make Me A Sheila Star” Women Car Insurance Campaign 2007 Sheilas’ Wheels

“Make Me A Sheila Star” Women Car Insurance Campaign 2007

“Make Me A Sheila Star” Women Car Insurance Campaign 2007

Sheilas’ Wheels Sheilas’ Wheels

“Make Me A Sheila Star” “Make Me A Sheila Star”

• Campaign: a national competition to find 30 ordinary women to guest star in two television adverts.• Objective: reach a broader and slightly older market than the norm in car insurance.• The campaign involved online entries, audition, and two 30 second TV advertisements.• February 2007: launch of the campaign.• May 2007: adverts aired on TV

Anouk Robert, 8 February, 2007

TV advertsTV adverts

• Stretched Sheilamobile • Wobbly Pyramid


http://www.ilovesheilas.com/ILS/Downloads/SubDownloads/iloveadverts/stretchAdvert/index.htm

http://www.ilovesheilas.com/ILS/Downloads/SubDownloads/iloveadverts/stretchAdvert/index.htm

http://www.ilovesheilas.com/ILS/Downloads/SubDownloads/iloveadverts/WobblyAdvert/index.htm

Quick Growth Of The Campaign Quick Growth Of The Campaign

• Memorable jingle TV adverts by freelance creatives

Chris Wilkins and Sian Vickers.

• Ads Aired next to shows such as Charmed, CSI and Grey’s Anatomy

• Posted on YouTube, forwarded to friends via email and social networks and blogged about over the web.

• Creation of a fan website ilovesheilas.com with music, lyrics, photos, adverts and screen savers downloads.


http://www.ilovesheilas.com/

http://www.ilovesheilas.com/

FactsFacts

• “The brand has been to places that other insurers fail to reach. It has spawned over 50 YouTube emulations, and there are over 10 active groups for Sheilas' Wheels on Facebook”.

Facts from carpages.co.uk


“within 3 months, the campaign was generating awareness figures of 75%”.

Chris Bowden, head of marketing for Sheila’s Wheel


With a fashion brand behavior and two glamorous TV ads, Sheilas’ Wheels adverts became:


Commercial with best recall in any single week in 2007Commercial with best recall in any single week in 2007

Fact reported by bananarepublic.com


New EyeVibeNew EyeVibe

• The new EyeVibe is a conjuction of Goodbye 3’s SeeMeTV and O2’s LookAtMe.• A mobile user generated video platform.

• Like YouTube, it offers cash for it’s most popular clips, gives users the possibility to vote and leave insightful comments for others.• Users of EyeVibe will be able to post videos, comments and use messaging regardless of whether they are customers of O2 or 3


EyeVibe is all set to become the country’s biggest mobile video community and Sheilas’ Wheels could be part of it.



Click on phone to reach EveVibe website

Benefits for Sheilas’ WheelBenefits for Sheilas’ Wheel

• Sheilas’ Wheels campaign could grow from web to mobile swarming.• Sheilas’ Wheel could reach more people with EyeVibe.• Sheilas’ Wheels could be with the target market all the time (mobile phones are a necessary accessory for many women today).• The videos could provide useful tips for safer driving or spread the latest “Sheila News”.

• “hair to die for” - fringes could be dangerous.


Benefits for the Target MarketBenefits for the Target Market

• With a simple push of a button on their mobile phones women could film themselves and post questions about car insurances.• Women could also participate in Sheilas’ search for solutions against women’s discomforts when driving by posting daily problems they encounter. In the next slides are examples of what Sheilas’ Wheels have thus far accomplished.


• A “Buddy On Demand”, an inflatable doll, a presence for women to feel more comfortable when driving alone at night.


• The S-Clip, an “S” shaped device that makes the seatbelt adapt to women’s curves.


• “Sheilas’ Heel”, a high heel shoe that flattens with the push of a button for safer driving.



Digital Exposure ImpactsDigital Exposure Impacts

• Hard to control the swarming.

• Many fans express their love for the brand and ads.

• Many others voice strong opinions against the brand with negative outcomes.

• With repetition the ads become annoying. • Sheilas’ Wheels was nominated 11th most irritating ad of 2007 (fact reported by bananarepublic.com).


“We took a risk, didn’t worry about going over the top and pushed the whole thing to the max”.

Chris Bowden, head of marketing for Sheilas’ Wheels


ConsequenceConsequence

• an increasing divergence between the glamorous advertising visuals and the services and products Sheilas’ Wheels have to offer.


“It’s sometimes easy to forget that Sheilas’ Wheels is actually a car insurer”.

Chris Bowden, head of marketing for Sheilas’ Wheels


A Result Of In-house Advertising?A Result Of In-house Advertising?

• I believe an Ad Agency would have been able to streamline the information and media better than Sheilas’ Wheels did on its own.

• Advertising Agencies provide:• More control over PR and media.

• A global vision of the Advertising Industry and the potential of a campaign.

• An objective perspective.


Comparison With Agency WorkComparison With Agency Work

• with Halifax bank 2007 TV advert “Switch To Current Account” (Agency: DLKW)

Entertainment with singing and dancing about Halifax.

Last frame: Important information and a sum up of the message.


Comparison With Agency WorkComparison With Agency Work

• with the award winning Cadbury Dairy Milk 2007 TV advert “Cadbury’s Gorilla Advert” (Agency: Fallon)

Entertainment with a gorilla playing the drums.

Last frame: brings the spectator to the product.


Difference In A Sheilas’ Wheels AdvertDifference In A Sheilas’ Wheels Advert

• Sheila’s Wheels 2007 TV advert “Stretch Sheilamobile” (In-house)

Entertainment, invitation to sing along (karaoke style).

Last frame: still in entertainment mode, chaotic, hard to read and no important contact information.


ConclusionConclusion

• I am impressed with the success of the campaign. With its unique glamorous image Sheilas’ Wheels clearly differentiates itself from its competitors. The catchy jingle adverts are memorable and have become popular tunes. Sheilas’ Wheels turns out to be a topic of many discussions. However throughout the campaign, I believe Sheilas’ Wheels’ communication has lost its focus and has diverted from selling its products and services. Sheilas’ Wheels makes its target market more interested in becoming a celebrity then subscribing to a car insurance which could have negative impacts on the brand image in the near future.


Fun Sheila FactsFun Sheila Facts


• There are 782 Sheilas’ Wheels policyholders called Sheila.• The oldest Sheilas’ Wheels policyholder is currently 81 years old.• The average age of a Sheilas’ Wheels policyholder is 41.• Only two Sheilas’ Wheels policyholders drive pink cars.


Documents

“Make Me A Sheila Star” Women Car Insurance Campaign 2007 “Make Me A Sheila Star” Women Car Insurance Campaign 2007 Sheilas’ Wheels