Hippo.co.za campaign provides insight into better spending habits

The lead advertisement shows the Hippo mascot defeating monsters through a series of over-the-top sequences.

Creating the advertisement

Vera Nagtegaal, head of marketing and culture at Hippo.co.za, said, “The Hippo mascot is our most powerful brand asset, and the hero in the new campaign. We reintroduced the character to the market in 2018 and its grunt has been a reminder for consumers to compare quotes on Hippo.co.za before committing to any product. After almost three years, it was time to expand the Hippo character’s universe. We looked at the psychology of decision-making and the idea that our regrets follow us around like little monsters. To us, there is no better hero than Hippo to help consumers fight their #RegretMonster.”

Darren Kilfoil, senior copywriter at FoxP2, said, “Creating the puppets was a collaborative process as we worked to find the right balance between scary, but not too scary, and loveable, but not too loveable.” According to Kilfoil, their biggest challenge was bringing the nemeses of Hippo to life in the form of monsters. The biggest question going forward was how they can make puppet-on-puppet combat compelling.

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The combination of digital effects and real-world puppets provided a unique challenge to puppet fabricator Rob Carlisle and his team. “The director wanted to honour the medium of puppetry as much as possible,” he said. “The project became a stunning infusion of modern and classical, with the digital-centric workflow of CFX Digital, allowing the creatives to visualise the characters in-depth.”

The aim of the campaign

Hippo.co.za is using the campaign to engage with audiences through brand storytelling.Through this, the hope is to detail informed and improved spending habits for South Africans.The 'Regret Monsters' featured in the campaign don’t reference any specific regrets, but rather speak to the universality of regrets in general.

CEO of Hippo.co.za, Bradley Du Chenne, said, “At a time when household budgets are tightened, South Africans are especially conscious of their spending (and saving). Our trusted partners also rely on us to add value to both their business and their consumers. The 'Regret Monsters' are representations of all our bad financial and life decisions. Our Hippo character plays its role in enabling consumers to make better, more informed choices every day of their lives.”

The brand’s free online platform enables South Africans to compare deals on insurance, medical aid, personal loans, travel and fibre internet deals. This in conjunction with detailed prices and benefits allows consumers to make more informed decisions about their spending.

The campaign is being launched on all major platforms and will feature innovative audience engagement moments throughout its rollout.

Watch the Hippo.co.za 'Regret Monsters' advertisement here, and behind the scenes action here.