Budget Direct were a low-cost, Australian insurance company with a problem. They were so cheap that many consumers assumed they must be cutting corners. They were also outspent in marketing many times over by big insurance companies, so they needed a campaign with cut-through.

This campaign blitzed all the usual mainstream channels. The launch spot was the most watched YouTube ad at the start of 2015. But it also had something extra. Something that money alone cannot buy. People loved Captain Risky. They welcomed this anti-hero into their hearts, their homes and their Facebook feeds. It meant that Captain Risky could pull off the biggest stunt of all – jumping from ‘advertising world’ into the real world. His catchphrase, “Kick it ‘n’ rip it” quickly became part of the Aussie vernacular and his character part of cultural landscape. He appeared on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, popped up on Centre Court at a live tennis tournament, walked the red carpet and brightened the day of sick kids in hospital.