The new campaign for Maxol – its first in 20 years – lays out the forecourt brand’s new direction as stated by Brian Donaldson, its general manager and incoming group chief executive, “as a fresh foods business with fuel attached”. In the heartwarming 30-second spot, which will run throughout June, on TV and the less pricey video on demand (such as the RTÉ Player), a young girl and her dad, on the way home from a match drop by a Maxol for a takeaway drink and snack.
The girl who is wearing a sports jersey is sad because her team lost but is cheered up by the other friendly customers and staff in the service station, who clearly know her.
Not a drop of diesel or petrol is pumped. The ad was created by Maxol’s new above-the-line agency OwensDDB which won the business earlier this year after a competitive pitch. Media planning is by MediaWorks. It is the culmination of a rebranding project begun in 2012 by Neworld Associates which changed every aspect of the brand’s presentation. The ad according to OwensDDB account handler John Gildea “reflects the ethos of the brand’s community approach summed up by the strapline ‘At the heart of it’ ”.
A brand audit by Neworld for Maxol revealed a bias towards male customers and, says Gildea “it’s hoped that this campaign will generate positive perceptions amongst the female cohort too”. The ad – a quiet, charming message in a noisy football-dominated media space this month – is directed by Dermot Malone, with agency creative Donal O’Dea. It is an all-island campaign as the brand is expanding its presence in Northern Ireland.
