Product: Energizer.
Title: T2 and Wedding.
Ad agency: DDB Worldwide Communications Group.
First impression: this battery is full of energy, but then again, that's the point of the ad. Thanks to a recent upgrade in its animation, from two-dimensional to three-dimensional, Mr Energizer possesses an even bigger personality and comes equipped with great martial arts skills (think The Matrix and The Terminator).
Idea/storyline: like any old-fashioned superhero, Mr Energizer is out to save a world that is quickly running out of energy. In Wedding, for instance, Mr Energizer comes to the rescue when the batteries in a photographer's camera fizzle out. He crashes into the reception, flies over the tables - scattering plates and food in the process - and executes a mid-air Scorpion Kick reminiscent of Carrie-Anne Moss' character, Trinity, in The Matrix, before replacing the camera's batteries. In T2, he survives a volley of bullets because Energizer batteries have a long life.
What the ad man/client says: Connie Cheung, business director of DDB Worldwide Communications Group, says: 'This battery character existed before we took Energizer on as our client, so we can't claim credit for that. But we have taken it to another level, making him more three-dimensional both technically and in terms of personality The rationale behind the animation is to breathe life into the Energizer battery. Sold as a commodity in the market, batteries are a low-involvement product that needs to have a high profile to raise awareness. So the brand needs a likeable and larger than life image/character that can be used in its long-term campaign.'