Don’t get a shock if you recognise the next NRMA Motoring & Services patrolman that comes to your rescue. He could well be one of the stars of the latest advertising campaign running across eastern states media.
NRMA Motoring & Services Chief Executive Tony Stuart said the new television and print advertising campaign was the first undertaken in two years.
“Its purpose is to let our Members know that through our variety of new businesses, partners and investments – the new NRMA family – we can now help them in more places than ever before,” Tony said.
The NRMA family includes Travelodge, Thrifty Car Rental, Adventure World Travel, NRMA Holiday Parks, NRMA MotorServe and NRMA Safer Driving Schools.
“Members can now access greater services, benefits and discounts on a wider range of motoring and travel-related products and services,” said Tony.
“We can help them hire a car, book into a hotel, get their car serviced, teach their children to drive – even to arrange their family holiday.
“Our advertising campaign takes our friendly and helpful NRMA patrolman, with all the NRMA values he personifies, off the road and into the many other businesses and situations that NRMA is now beneficially involved in.”
The new NRMA Motoring & Services ‘More for Members’ campaign was officially launched during the telecast of the NRL grand final and will roll out at key points across the year reinforcing the message that, with so many products and services now on offer, there’s more to NRMA Membership than ever before.
Two of our real-life patrolmen got a taste of (or perhaps a taste for) showbusiness last month, starring in the print side of the latest NRMA advertising campaign.
For Charlie Varvaressos, 40, and Tate Healey, 23, it was a far cry from attending to Members in need on Sydney streets.
You might have seen father-of-three Charlie in newspaper or poster images carrying bags for an elderly couple at a Travelodge hotel, helping young campers to put up a tent, or cleaning the pool at one of our holiday parks.
Tate featured in a Thrifty ad helping a family get away safely in a hire car.
Charlie, an NRMA patrolman for 14 years, took to the assignment like a duck to water.
“A manager called and asked if I’d like to audition and I thought, it’s something interesting to do, something different; it might open up another door to another level in my life,” he told Open Road.
“I’m excited that they decided to use real patrolmen for the print campaign because it shows that we’re not just mechanics or auto-electricians, we’re multi-skilled people and we can do a lot more with ourselves out there.
“I believe all NRMA patrolmen have got star potential – to be a patrolman you’ve got to have a bit of character to allow you to deal with all kinds of people from different backgrounds and you’ve certainly got to be able to improvise and keep everyone happy in different situations.”
Tate, like Charlie, worries about teasing from fellow patrolmen but both agree that “big shoulders to carry the weight” are part of the job.
“I’ve never done anything like this before so it’s exciting,” Tate said. “My friends are excited and I’m just taking it all in my stride.”
