Notorious little pest, Louie The Fly, is back. With a bounty on his head. Havas Host & Reckitt have unleashed a Flyhunt across Australia in partnership with Havas Red. The Louie The Flyhunt campaign has transformed billions of pesky flies into flying ads for Mortein. Australians are invited to participate in a unique experience that combines traditional manhunt tropes with cutting-edge technology as Australia’s fly season begins.
Wanted posters featuring Louie, now Australia’s most wanted, have been distributed across the nation. The key visual for the campaign, crafted by a specialist FBI sketch artist, heightens the excitement as Australians are challenged to be the first to eliminate Louie the Fly.
Havas Host has developed an interactive app to facilitate the Louie The Flyhunt experience. The app guides participants to scan flies which they have killed, and if Louie is successfully killed, a substantial bounty of $10,000 awaits the skilled fly hunter.
The campaign also features an innovative use of Reckitt’s wider media. A news-style ticker tape featuring Louie the Fly’s mugshot will be integrated into other Reckitt brand VOD ads for added reach and engagement. Short 6-second social videos will show an animated Louie playfully goading users with phrases like “you couldn’t find a bread loaf in a bakery”. And traditional manhunt tactics will come to life using fly posters across Sydney.
Influencer-led activity takes centre stage with the appointment of Chief Fly Hunter, Luke Falzon, a social media sensation, renowned outback expert and seasoned fisherman. Falzon will create content on how to catch Louie, putting Mortein at the centre of the story calling for people to join the nationwide hunt.
Justin Ruben, executive creative director at Havas Host, stated, “The Louie The Flyhunt campaign is a fusion of creativity and innovation. We’ve turned annoying flies into our own media, by blending traditional elements with modern technology such as putting a ticker tape across existing Reckitt ads, promoting the hunt. This campaign was designed to give Aussies the chance to finally kill Louie for themselves, all they need is a can of Mortein.”
“Innovation has always been part of Mortein’s DNA, and the Louie The Flyhunt campaign is another testament to our commitment to pushing boundaries,” added Ilaria Lucheschi, category marketing manager at Reckitt. “When Havas Host approached us with this culturally impactful idea, we saw a great opportunity to leverage a distinctive brand asset to engage our audiences in what is typically a low engagement category. Placing our beloved Louie the Fly at the heart of the campaign makes him more relevant than ever, even to younger audiences.”
The campaign is running for three weeks from December 4 across radio, social, VOD & OOH.
Credits:
Client: Reckitt (Mortein Australia)
CX Manager: Montoro, Sudhyvanne
Marketing Director: Florence Paoli
Category Marketing Manager: Ilaria Lucheschi,
Creative Agency: Havas Host
PR Agency: Havas Red
Media Agency: Zenith
Digital Production Agency: T&DA
