It’s not all rainbows and butterflies in the Sharma cinematic universe, the family made famous by the British series Bridgerton. And a new cinema advertising campaign for the Australian New Zealand Banking Group created by TBWA\NZ highlights takes advantage of this. In fact it's high-drama, and there is no better place for drama than the cinema, with this Hoyts cinema-exclusive spot running as the switch off your phone prompt.
In the 30-second spot, Claire Sharma, small-business owner and ANZ app champion, is seen running away from the family home and a disheveled looking Ravi. She then jumps onto the back of a bike ridden by a rather dashing leatherjacket wearing motorcyclist and cruises off into the distance.
But why isn’t exactly clear. In the place of any dialogue the audience instead hear the classic 90s ringtone, managing to be both nostalgic and irritating all at the same time and so serving as a handy reminder to turn off your phone.
“There is a lot of interest and intrigue when it comes to the Sharmas,” says Shane Bradnick, CCO of TBWA\NZ. “Media found an interesting opportunity for ANZ to take up the cinema sponsorship, so we wanted to bring some drama and some fun if ANZ was going to do this. Having such a recognizable family like the Sharmas allows us to start to play with the universe they live in.
“We wanted this short cinema spot to have intrigue and an amusing moment of drama while serving as a reminder to turn off your phone. We don’t yet know how it will all finish but I'm looking forward to hearing all the fan theories. They really are New Zealand’s favorite banking family.”
“The cinema turn-your-phone-off spot is a unique opportunity and with a captive audience it requires something special to make it work. A touch of drama with the Sharma family and I'm pleased to say the spot absolutely achieves that” added ANZ general manager of marketing, Matt Pickering.