Who: Belairdirect and Sid Lee (creative), PHD Montreal (media), and OPC (production).

What: A new advertising campaign featuring Canadian ultimate fighting legend Georges St-Pierre (GSP).

When & Where: The campaign is running on TV and radio, as well as digital video and through social channels in Quebec, Ontario and B.C. starting this month.

Why: The goal is to showcase Belairdirect’s Automerit platform as a tool that can help customers save on their insurance.

What’s Automerit: A mobile app that measures driving behaviour to determine a safety score, which is then used to set insurance rates. The safer the driving, the less the driver pays.

How: GSP plays a fighter whose trainers use Automerit in ways that save them money on insurance, even if it means GSP’s training sessions aren’t as effective. When GSP goes for a run the trainers follow him in their car, but drive so carefully that they hold him back. “In the Boxer campaign, we’re demonstrating how we put control into the hands of our customers while having some fun with it,” said Humberto Valencia, vice-president marketing and digital strategy at Belairdirect.

What happened to the Knight? He’s there, but only in the back seat. The ads reflect the change in tone the insurance provider introduced in March, when it shelved the human knight and introducing a smaller animated version who plays a secondary role. “This year, we shifted our advertising direction to a more storytelling cinematic approach, tapping into the universal and emotional pain point of not being in control, a feeling that many Canadians have when it comes to their insurance premiums,” said Valencia.

Quote: “Partnering with a world-famous and adored Canadian athlete made sense to drive home the message that savings are at your fingertips and that insurance does not need to be complicated,” said Valencia.