Churchill recruits Dawn French to replace Martin Clunes

By Alex Brownsell, marketingmagazine.co.uk, Friday, 01 February 2013 10:00AM

Comedian Dawn French is to replace Martin Clunes as the face of Churchill Insurance, and will star in a series of TV ads with its bulldog brand ambassador.

Dawn French: fronts Churchill campaign

The new campaign, created by WCRS, will see the former ‘French & Saunders’ star encounter Churchill while looking for a dog at Battersea Dogs Home. A series of four 30-second TV ads will follow how the relationship develops between the two characters.

Amanda Walker, marketing director at Churchill, said: "The new ads represent the first steps in what I expect to be a fantastic campaign for Churchill Insurance."

"The chemistry between Churchill and Dawn is brilliant and I am sure that viewers will enjoy watching the relationship develop."

The ad was directed by Dominic Brigstocke, with creative direction from Jo Moore and Simon Robinson. The production company was Tomboy Films, while media was handled by MediaCom.

The Direct Line Group-owned insurer dropped Clunes as the face of its ads in November after it was revealed the actor had been disqualified from driving for speeding offences.

To ensure it did not miss out on customers during the important New Year period, Churchill launched a series of 10-second TV ads featuring the nodding dog character, promoting products including guaranteed hire car and multi-car discount with its car insurance.

This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk