Npower reveals Wallace & Gromit TV ad

Npower’s first television campaign to feature Aardman Animation’s characters Wallace and Gromit launches on Saturday (28 March).

Npower is using the character to help with its positioning of energy efficiency as “fun and approachable”.

The 30-second commercial will include an embarrassing moment for Wallace when his shower runs cold and he appears naked. The inventor is spared his blushes by Gromit, who also calls Npower’s hometeam to replace the boiler – with a more energy efficient one.

An Npower spokesman said Wallace and Gromit’s “cosy personas and have a go approach to energy efficiency” would help people realise what a big difference small changes can make to their energy bills.

The duo will star in a number of ads over the next two years. The ads have been put together jointly by ad agency Beattie McGuinness Bungay together with Npower and Aardman’s creatives.

The TV campaign follows on from an online campaign launched just over a week ago to promote Npowers’ microgeneration scheme.

The company has launched a series of interactive videos, produced by HowTo.tv, to show how consumers can save energy by installing technologies such as solar power.

The videos, hosted by interior designer and TV presenter Oliver Heath, feature interviews with the Energy Saving Trust, as well as case studies of test homes, with a live webcast to be broadcast on sites including Tiscali.

Wallace & Gromit have been used in other brand campaigns including Yorkshire Tea and Kingsmill.