U.K. Auto Insurer's Ad Is Basically 60 Seconds of Whistling. Yay?

You know how to whistle, don’t you?

A tuneful spot from car insurance marketplace Confused.com and Leo Burnett U.K., uses Roger Whittaker’s “Finnish Whistler”—a jolly-folksy ditty—as its soundtrack. 

We watch all sorts of folks pucker up and lip-sync: mountaineers, corporate drones, weekend soccer players, stock traders, swimmers and lifeguards (but not lifestyle guards).

Ah, such brand-building whimsy! Slightly annoying, but not the same old song. Any confusion clears up in the end. It’s an oddly hypnotic approach that shows how sound design can help shape messaging and keep viewers tuned in.

“Creative platform ideas are always stronger and stickier when they’re simple,” says agency CCO Mark Elmwood. “‘Just Used Confused’ is one of those truly simple answers that sticks in your brain instantly.”

“We’re celebrating the feeling of saving money with Confused.com with a little whistle. From AV to TikTok, we’re going to be whistling—feel free to join in.”

Along with the hero film and edits plus radio spots, social activations will provide support. These include Instagram and TikTok filters that add whistles to users’ faces. 

“Our objective was to create something that is relatable,” says Maria Howell-Jones, head of advertising at Confused.com. 

“Insurance is one of those life admin tasks that comes around each year and it takes time to find the right coverage and price,” she says. “But when you do, it’s such a relief. In using Confused.com, finding your insurance is simple and in the end satisfying, and we want people to know that. This campaign depicts this perfectly.”

​CREDITS

CLIENT: Confused.com
HEAD OF ADVERTISING & SOCIAL MEDIA: Maria Howell-Jones
ADVERTISING AGENCY:  Leo Burnett UK
CCO: Mark Elwood
EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Andrew Long, James Millers
CHIEF PRODUCTION OFFICER: Emily Marr
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Gareth Butters
COPYWRITER: Conrad Swanston
ART DIRECTOR: Alex Bingham
DESIGNER: Rupert Knowlden
PLANNER: Nicola Willison
BUSINESS LEAD: Lauren Martin
ACCOUNT TEAM: Rebecca Dickens, Nicola Kuan, Zainab Raji
AGENCY PRODUCER:  Helen Choonpicharn
MEDIA BUYING AGENCY: Zenith
MEDIA PLANNER:  Ingrid Leddin, Jade Holmes
PRODUCTION COMPANY: MJZ
DIRECTOR: Matthijs van Heijningen
EDITOR: Russell Ike @ Whitehouse
PRODUCER: Donald Taylor
POST-PRODUCTION COMPANY: Black Kite
AUDIO POST-PRODUCTION COMPANY: Sam Robson @ No8
PHOTOGRAPHER: Tom Cockram
PHOTOGRAPHY PRODUCTION: Prodigious