Meet the Colemans in a new soap opera by Ogilvy Auckland for Countdown supermarkets

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Meet the Colemans.jpegOgilvy Auckland has launched Meet the Colemans, a new prime time television soap opera, last Sunday night (17 October 2010). The series featuring the lives of the Coleman family – Dad Rob, Mum Nikki, with their teenagers Jess and Wills (plus a brand new baby) – is about to be regular viewing, especially for folks watching ONE News of an evening.

Focused on the Countdown supermarket brand, Meet the Colemans is the first real “soap opera” series of commercials since the days of the long running Anchor family ads in the late Eighties and early Nineties.

These commercials focus on the everyday adventures of the Colemans, a fairly typical Kiwi family. Nikki was a Countdown Assistant Store Manager until the surprise arrival of baby Joshie.

Wills, a university student, works part time in the supermarket and he, Jess and the rest of the family have to adjust the way they live to the demands of the expanded family.

Countdown supermarkets provide the background set for the extended series of ads that, over coming months, will track the lives, loves, mishaps and moments of occasional family mayhem that the Colemans encounter.

Progressive Enterprises’ General Manager – Marketing & Communication Elizabeth Ryley says, “Following the lives of a family like the Colemans gives us the chance to show, in interesting and engaging ways, how Countdown always has the smart solution for the everyday needs of Kiwi families.

What’s more – because of the nature of families and their needs – there are endless wonderful story lines, all of which provides us with entertaining and relevant ways to showcase how Countdown helps enrich our daily lives.”

Destined to run over several months, the saga of the Countdown Colemans was produced by Auckland agency Ogilvy with Progressive Enterprises Limited.

Executive Creative Director Damon O’Leary says, “The adventures of the Coleman family represents classic reflective advertising – which is ideal for Countdown – a brand that is part of the fabric of New Zealanders’ lives.”

In another twist, the Colemans soap opera occupies an exclusive slot 6.10 pm slot on TV ONE. Together with the existing Countdown Smart Shopper ad series, featuring top TV chef Richard Till, the Colemans have the entire two minute nightly ad-break to themselves. The series also runs across the daily ad schedule of the main television networks.

CREDITS

Clients: Elizabeth Ryley, Bridget Lamont, Jacques Losken, Denise Cohen (Progressive Enterprises Ltd)

Creatives: Damon O’Leary (ECD), Richard Loseby (Creative Group Head), Martin Hermans (Creative Group Head), Graham Dolan (Creative Director) and Billy Hawley (Senior Art Director)

Director: Chris Dudman, Robber’s Dog

Producers: Amanda Chambers and Anna Stuart (Robber’s Dog)

Suits: Amy Dufty (GAD), SIobhan Partington (COO) and Jessica Frankland (AE)

3D animation: Martin Spencer (Editor)

Stills: Sarah Palmer (Photographer) and Alice Pritchard (Photo Studio Manager)

Media: Samantha Osborne (Business Director) and Anna Gethin-Jones (Media Manager)

Studio: James Davison