Budget Direct makes splash with space tourism parody

Budget Direct is taking aim at celebrity space tourism in its latest brand campaign, using satire to celebrate a decade as insurer of the year.

Created with long-time agency partner 303, the new 'Splashdown' campaign marks the latest chapter in the insurer's long-running Insurance Solved platform.

The work follows a group of celebrity space tourists whose dramatic return to Earth ends with a crash landing in a suburban backyard pool, before Budget Direct's familiar detective duo, Sarge and the team, arrive to reassure homeowners they've got it covered.

The campaign also celebrates Budget Direct's milestone of winning Money Magazine's Insurer of the Year award for ten consecutive years.

"Our goal with 'Splashdown' is to better engage with more Australians, bringing our Insurance Solved proposition to life in more engaging and innovative ways," said Jonathan Kerr, chief growth officer at Budget Direct.

"We also wanted to extend the campaign's reach into the social media world. Recent celebrity space missions were such an iconic cultural flashpoint that was perfect to have some fun with."

Kerr added that creator Nikki Osborne was brought into the campaign to help extend its reach across social media.

303 chief creative officer Bart Pawlak said the campaign continues Budget Direct's strategy of tapping into popular culture while reinforcing its insurance proposition.

The campaign launched today across television and radio, with activity extending to cinema, BVOD, SVOD, out-of-home and social media.