Xero - "Marathon"

Engine UK

Engine UK London, United Kingdom

10457

Brand: Xero
Country: United Kingdom

Advertiser: Xero

Title	Marathon
Agency	Engine UK
Campaign	Healthy Business
Advertiser	Xero
Brand	Xero
Date of First Broadcast/Publication	2021 / 5
Business Sector	IT Solutions & Professional Networks
Philosophy	Xero, the global small business platform, demonstrates how its products can help small businesses master the overwhelming task of doing their business finances, in a major UK advertising campaign, which stars comedian Rhys Darby, best known for his work in Flight of the Conchords. The campaign has been created by ENGINE Creative. It is the agency’s first campaign since being appointed to handle the UK advertising account earlier this year, following a competitive pitch, to create a distinct brand identity. The strategy is built on the insight that accounting and bookkeeping isn’t something to be ‘boshed’, ‘done’, or ‘smashed'. It’s at the heart of any business, and crucially important to have control over if you want a healthy business. At its heart of the creative is a TV ad in which we see Rhys Darby in a series of tongue-in-cheek analogies about how difficult running a business can feel. We see Darby taking part in what seems like a normal marathon. But as he talks about how it can feel for small business owners to keep up, we realise it is anything but. Rhys suddenly finds himself running through a desert and then sucked into quicksand. But with Xero in hand (literally, as a smartphone app) the feeling of being overwhelmed is replaced with that of ease and control. Rhys is suddenly in a fun run, on roller-skates, followed by taking off in a jetpack. He reminds us to search ‘Xero with an X’ followed by the new brand positioning of ‘healthy business’ is 'beautiful business'. The over-the-top analogies are continued in out-of-home and digital ads, colliding the worlds of health and business in a distinctive way.
Media Type	Television
Length	30 seconds
Market	Canada
Sound Design Company	Wave Studios
Media Agency	December19
Marketing Director	John Coldicutt
Head of Brand	Rob Foulkes
Brand Marketing Manager	Sam Daniels
Advertising Manager	Emma Roddy
Advertising Manager	Flaka Jasari
Chief Creative Officer	Billy Faithfull
Creative Director	Steve Hawthorne
Creative Team	Jack Tibbs
Creative Team	Michael Arthey
Designer	Paul Kennelly
Designer	James Blakeborough
Designer	Elif Gurbuz
Chief Design Officer	Matt Fenn
Client Managing Director	Louise Hayward
Business Director	Eve Bui
Account Manager	Dom Kocur
Production Director	Bradley Woodus
Assistant Producer	Henry Davies
Integrated Project Director	Austin Vernon
Integrated Project Director	Liz Boothby
Chief Strategy Officer	Gen Kobayashi
Strategy Director	Nicola Dyball
Senior Strategist	Alpesh Patel
Production Company	Smuggler
Director	Benji Weinstein
Producer	Barty Dearden
Editor	Aaron Dark
Editing Company	Saints Editorial
Post Production	Untold Studios
Sound Designer	Tony Rapaccioli
VFX Executive Creative Director	Neil Davies
Executive Post Producer	Ian Berry
Post-production Producer	Ellie Joseph
Post Production Assistant	Jordan Malonga
VFX Supervisor	Alex Gabucci
VFX Lead	Sebastian Caldwell
VFX Artist	Cindy Libbrecht
VFX Artist	Clara Malleviale
VFX Artist	David Ince
VFX Artist	Florent Sanglard
VFX Artist	Greta Kossowska
VFX Artist	Lee Matthews
VFX Artist	Luke Massingberd
VFX Artist	Marcel Ruegenberg
Grade	George Kyriacou
Grade	Black Kite Studios
Director of Photography (DOP)	John Toon
Talent Consultant	Melsie Bourne
Talent Consultancy	The Bourne Consultancy
Actor / Celebrity	Rhys Darby