AMV BBDO Takes Us to Estimation Nation for Smart Energy GB

AMV BBDO has created a campaign for Smart Energy GB that will run on national TV and online. The films have been running on VOD, and launched on TV on 2nd May, culminating in a 2 minute ‘Supermarket’ film that will run in Britain’s Got Talent’s final ad break on 28th May, accompanied by a social competition called the ‘Estimation Game’ that will run on Facebook and Twitter.

The campaign sets up the problem that the energy industry is broken and the notion of estimated bills is nuts – we don’t estimate our shopping bills when you go to the supermarket, so why do we estimate our energy bills. 

The films brings to life the idea ‘Why estimate when you can be accurate?’ through a suite of humorous and attention grabbing films that highlight the absurdity of estimated bills. The ‘Estimation Game’ will aim to amplify the ‘Supermarket’ film across social channels, driving social conversation and engagement with #WhyEstimate around the time of the film airing on the Britain’s Got Talent final ad break. 

Each film (‘Doctor’, ‘Runner’, ‘Bride’, and ‘Sat Nav’) begins with what appears to be a fairly normal everyday scene – from a GP seeing a patient to a bridal dress fitting about to take place – each containing an antagonist from whom the participants would usually be expecting accurate information to be provided. As the films progress though, there are signs that these normally reliable characters are only interested in completing their duties by providing estimated information. Based on excellent comic timing and some brilliant character acting they highlight the ridiculous nature of estimation, especially when it comes to our energy bills, by all ending with the line ‘Why estimate when you can be accurate?’, ‘Smart meters are coming. An end to estimated energy bills.’ 

The video for the ‘Estimation Game’ social competition will be a short 20 second piece of content designed for social channels offering the chance to win £1000 of groceries. It shows a conveyer belt with a combination of fake unbranded products and fruit and veg in super-quick time and the aim is to make a ridiculous attempt at estimating their worth by simply tweeting a £ and p answer including #WhyEstimate for Twitter or writing a £ and p answer as a comment below for Facebook.

Gavin Sheppard, Director of Marketing at Smart Energy GB comments: “The ridiculousness of estimated energy bills is not something that we’d accept in any other area of our lives, so bringing this to the minds of consumers in such an engaging way – including capturing real consumer exasperation to a supermarket estimating their shopping bills – has been an important step in our campaign. We’ve had excellent reactions to the films online so bringing them to a TV audience is really exciting.”

As the voice of the national smart meter rollout, Smart Energy GB are making people aware that by 2020 every home in Britain will be able to upgrade to a smart meter at no extra cost, changing the way we buy and use our Gas and Electricity, and bringing an end to estimated energy bills for good.