Gio Compario Gets Put through the Wringer in Opera-Less Ad for GoCompare

In the first in a series of TV ads, Gio Compario gets behind the wheel and re-enacts the circumstances that led to real-life car insurance claims, while Wynne Evans, the Welsh tenor who plays him, talks viewers through how having the right car insurance matters.

The campaign promotes a new offer from GoCompare where qualifying car insurance customers receive free excess cover worth up to £250 when they buy or switch insurance through the comparison website.

The campaign launches on Sunday 25th August with the TV spot ‘Tree’ and with sponsorship of weekends on Dave. 10-second idents announcing Gio’s return will be replaced by idents featuring his misfortunes and will run on the channel until the end of the year.

‘Tree’ was directed by Jeff Low through production company Biscuit, with a second spot to follow.

A wide-reaching static and digital out-of-home campaign will see a new, bold look and feel for the brand running on 14,000 sites across the UK. The outdoor activity includes contextual ads on petrol nozzles at petrol stations around the country, highlighting the frequency with which drivers put the wrong fuel in their car.

Droga5 London won GoCompare’s advertising account in March this year in a pitch against Anomaly and TBWA. Creative had previously been handled in-house. Hearts & Science handle GoCompare’s media planning and buying. 

David Kolbusz at Droga5 London said: “Some people love Gio Compario, some people hate him. But regardless of how you feel about Britain’s most ubiquitous tenor, you never forget him. And so our challenge was to take a valuable brand asset and imbue him with new meaning. Make him a lightning rod for customer pain points and a catalyst for change in the sector. Gio is no longer just a mouthpiece for the brand but a representation of the average Briton and a crash test dummy to boot.

“The new identity we’ve created, made manifest in a wide-ranging out of home campaign, uses playful design to demonstrate that you can scream from a poster site and still look good.”

Lee Griffin, CEO and founder at GoCompare, said: “We are proud to have built a brand which punches above its weight and is readily recognised by pretty much anyone who has turned on a TV or radio at any point over the last decade. But our sector has entered a new life stage where shouting loudest is no longer enough, and we want to do more to help people get a fair deal on insurance cover that really works for them.”

“People already know that we can help them save time and money finding insurance, but now we’re going to be there for them when they need us most, too. And our new campaign will help us spread the word.”