human.kind’s creative director, Matthew Cooper says, “The Hippo music video adverts that we initially created have worked really well in terms of brand awareness. We wanted to conceptualise something to accompany them that would break the monotony of the music video and achieve even better lead generation. The result is a set of 15’ ads that are fresh, sharp and single-minded in delivery. Also, as each involves Hippo speaking directly to the consumer, these stings showcase Hippo’s personality, allowing viewers to get to know him a little better than before.”

Animation studio, Luma was assigned to give the Hippo a makeover for the TVCs. Gerhard Painter of Luma said, “We did a substantial revamp of the Hippo’s anatomy and skeletal structure, to allow us to push his movements to the extreme and make his facial animation more believable. Even though our animator instinct was to go all out with this makeover, we had to keep him recognisable and true to the brand equity built over the years.” The Hippo’s revamped look was first revealed in the ad which articulated the brands fast turnaround time in getting an insurance quote delivered. Also, as a little treat for the naysayers, the ad featured Hippo being shot out of a cannon.

The TVCs accompany print and online adverts that have become widely recognisable, maintaining the message that we all still need the Hippo.