Clampy, the wheel clamp, is chastising John with a brilliantly miserable spiel about why he has to work today. John has paid his vehicle tax. To add to his woes, Clampy gets peed on by a dog and misses his son’s birthday party.
The irresistibly humorous campaign is AMV BBDO’s first work for the UK’s Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). It’s a guilt trip par excellence.
Both campaign films end with the car owner coming into view and sighing with frustration when they spot the clamp, playfully dramatising the disruptive reality of forgetting or dodging vehicle tax.
The films, directed by Florence Poppy Deary through Biscuit, are running across social media including Meta and Reddit, YouTube and other online video platforms, supported by out-of-home, and audio until March 31. The campaign premiered on audio and out-of-home on January 26, followed by social and online video on February 10.
Daniel Wood, head of external communications at DVLA, stated, “This campaign brings a key enforcement route, clamping, to life in a relatable way. Most motorists tax on time, but when they don’t, the consequences can be significant, including having their vehicle clamped. The campaign highlights how quick and easy it is to tax your vehicle online – and paying by Direct Debit can help motorists stay on top of renewals and avoid meeting Clampy.”
Ben Edwards, executive creative director, AMV BBDO, added “We’re hugely proud that Clampy is our first campaign for the DVLA. Every person he’s met along the creative gauntlet has added something to him, until he became this funny, strange, slightly sad character we all feel incredibly fond of. Hopefully, everyone who sees him out and about feels the same as us and that he makes people think twice about risking not taxing their vehicle, and acts as a gentle reminder for those likely to forget.”
Credits:
Client: DVLA
Head of External Communications: Daniel Wood
Senior External Communications Lead: Lawrence Roche
Campaign Manager: Liberty Revah-Opacki
Advertising Agency: AMV BBDO
Creative President: Owen Lee
Chief Creative Officers: Nadja Losgott & Nicholas Hulley
Executive Creative Director: Ben Edwards & Guy Hobbs
Senior Art Director: Dom Nazeri
Senior Copywriter: Lizzie Baird
Senior Agency Producer: Rachael Clarke
Design Lead: Laura Nunn
Designer: Maria Kay
Retoucher: Dan Flavell
Managing Partner: Emily Whiteaway
Senior Account Director: Emily Leefe
Senior Account Manager: Charles Pendry
Head of Strategy: Laura Pirkis
Strategy Director: Lucie Newlan
Strategist: Lauren Jacobs
Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks
Director: Florence Poppy Deary
Producers: Marija Đikić & Vladimir Dudar
Founding Partner: Shawn Lacy
Managing Director: Rupert Reynolds-Maclean
Executive Producer: Hanna Bayatti
Head of Production: Emily Atterton
Production Managers: Ella Knight, Aca Mitrović & Petar Šapić
Production Assistant: Petar Pušić
Director of Photography: Joao Padua
Production Designer: Damjan Paranosić
Service Company: Shishmish Films
Editing Company: Shift Post
Editor: Adam Buckmaster
Executive Producer: Kirsty Oldfield
VFX Studio: Selected Works
Colourist: Nielsan Bohl
Producer: Angie Broomfield
Audio Post-Production: 750
ADR Mixer: Tristan Rose
Sound Design & Mix: Lucas Trigg
Producer: Carla Thomas
Music Supervision: Twelve Decibels
Composer & Arranger: Xiaotian Shi
