Vauxhall "Lifetime Warranty" TVC

Challenge 

Vauxhall faced an unusual creative problem - how do you get people genuinely excited about a new warranty? It was a major commercial commitment, but on paper it risked feeling functional and forgettable. The challenge was to transform a dry product promise into something emotionally compelling - and to do it in a way that felt bold, innovative and unmistakably Vauxhall.

Solution

So I came up with the idea of focusing on Vauxhall’s rich history of innovation – with the warranty just the latest in a long line of winning ideas that have won the hearts of the British public.

This idea was reinforced by getting the brilliant Bill Nighy to do the voiceover – plus a killer music track from Welsh rock stars Feeder.

Working with Vauxhall Motors and agency partners McCann London / Deeper Blue, we mined Vauxhall’s extraordinary archive - restoring original film negatives, resurrecting long-lost material and in one case finding a key shot on a dusty old can of film in a basement.

This was the first in a series of TV commercials I wrote and directed for Vauxhall, establishing a distinctive tone that used their proud brand history to springboard into innovative new products.

Impact 

Sales increased by 400%, starting immediately after the ad dropped. It first ran on Saturday night Prime Time – and by the Sunday the dealerships were feeling the difference.

Vauxhall Marketing Director Peter Hope also said this was his favourite Vauxhall Ad ever!

Agency: McCann London / Deeper Blue

Role: Creator, Writer, Director