ZED - "The Smart Credit Card"

Launched by the ANZ Bank in New Zealand, the Zed credit card features new technology which allows faster and safer shopping on the net. To promote the card a series of TV and newspaper ads were run featuring Brains. The TV ads ran during prime time and most major New Zealand newspapers ran full page ads - everyone knew Brains was back. Posters and cardboard Brains characters are also featured in the banks.

The great thing about the Zed campaign is that it is a New Zealand made production ­ only the puppet and the puppeteers where English. The Brains marionette was an original from the Thunderbirds 6 movie (hence why he looks a little more modern than the TV series version) and is owned by the puppeteers in the UK. He is now safely back in Britain until his next International rescue mission.

The shoot was over three and a half days in various Auckland locations. Brains stunning lab set was designed and built in New Zealand by art director Rick Koefed and filmed in a studio in Henderson. Other locations were around Chancery in central Auckland, and Coast Bar on the waterfront. The ads were written by M&C Saatchi New Zealand creatives Corey Chalmers and Jason Ross, produced by Susie Douglas and directed by James Holt, both of Luscious International.

For reasons of flexibility M&C Saatchi searched for a New Zealand voice artist to be the voice of Brains. After a long, painful audition process, they were extremely fortunate to find him in Wellington ­ local actor and writer Paul Yates. His audition was sent to Carlton, who own the rights to Brains and all Thunderbirds related merchandising, who approved it promptly ­ a real coup!