With the country facing a cost of living crisis, MoneySuperMarket has enlisted the help of Dame Judi Dench, to star in a new campaign that sees her revive her role as head of intelligence. 

The cinematic campaign, titled The MoneySuperSeven has been created by New Commercial Arts and sees Dame Judi Dench take on one of her biggest assignments to date. With bills rising and the public’s finances squeezed, the campaign sees Dench assemble the squad to take to the tunnels beneath seven UK cities to race to save people money.

The hero film opens with Dench rallying her team. She remarks, “The sun is rising, but so is the price of everything. So Britain is counting on us.” Audiences see Dench leading the MoneySuperSeven from the MoneySuperMarket HQ as she gives orders to her team on how to save people money on ‘more than just their car insurance’. 

A dramatic soundtrack paired with moody lighting and fast-paced editing gives the campaign the cinematic spy movie feel, leaving audiences on the edge of their seats for the finale of a typical spy drop-off with a twist. The video ends with the team delivering tablets set to the MoneySuperMarket site to seven unassuming customers across the UK ready to save them some money. All in a day’s work for Dench.

The new film was shot by acclaimed film director John Madden, (the Academy Award winning Shakespeare in Love, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Operation Mincemeat) through Pulse Films & Tomboy Films.

The campaign is the brand’s latest work with New Commercial Arts and launches with a 60 second and 30 second TVC ad, supported by VOD, Cinema, OLV, OOH, Audio and Social, planned and bought by UM London. 

Amidst the cost of living crisis, the campaign maximizes on the power of celebrity and cinematic convention to strike a tone of both uplifting and impactful.

Speaking to the purchasing power

The cost of living crisis continues to impact audiences up and down the UK and women are often disproportionately impacted by economic crisis due to often taking on the lion's share of care responsibilities. Where women and particularly older women are repeatedly misrepresented in advertising, the MoneySuperSeven campaign utilizes Judy Dench to create a positive portrayal of women and strive for better, more accurate representation.

Where women make up half the population and hold significantly more than half of the purchasing power and household decision-making, by creating a campaign that includes rather than isolates, the brand is able to speak directly to both men and women effectively.

“We will continue to champion inclusivity in our advertising, and we were delighted to learn that the previous installment scored in the top 3% of ads for its positive portrayal of female characters1. Kantar’s research also highlighted that the range of characters inspires others. We hope our new campaign will inspire more people to get the best value deals for their household bills,” explains Lis Blair, Chief Customer Officer at MoneySuperMarket.

With an aspirational leading lady at the forefront and an engaging, fast-paced narrative, the campaign is able to tackle the cost of living crisis head-on, shunning messages of woe with clarity and advice. In difficult economic times, MoneySuperMarket is able to boast its cost-cutting abilities, championing the needs of customers in a fun manner but still acknowledging the hard times being faced.