Canine calm glides through new Churchill spot

Think of UK insurance company Churchill and you're most likely to conjure the image of a jowly-cheeked British bulldog and the phrase (*adopts broadly northern English accent*) "oh yes!".

But this new campaign for the company, created by ENGINE, ushers in a rebrand that keeps the famous canine companion but leaves you with a feeling of calm contentedness. The spot was directed by Nicolai Fuglsig through MJZ, and aims to reasserts the brand’s appeal to a modern, busy audience, inviting them to ‘Chur-Chill’.

The original ‘nodding dog’ mascot has been given a full makeover, replaced by a completely fresh CGI incarnation of Churchie, as he is called. In the spot Churchie is seen effortlessly gliding through life on a skateboard.

The all new, life-like Churchie has been brought to life by the visual artists at Untold Studios, who conducted extensive character exploration before they set out building a fully CGI version of the dog. 

"Churchill is one of the nation’s most loved brands. But brand love can slip into overfamiliarity if you’re not careful," said Paul Jordan, Executive Creative Director at ENGINE. "ENGINE was determined that no one should take Churchill for granted. So, we’ve given Churchie a complete makeover. Goodbye nodding dog. Hello lean, mean Chill machine.”