Thrifty is putting Australia’s strongest man and the national Tetris champion inside real moving trucks this week, turning the brand’s product promise into a service people can actually book.
The idea
Through CampaignLab, Thrifty has launched Moving Champs. Bradman Houston, Australia’s Strongest Man 2026, and Fura, the Australian Tetris Champion, will join a professional crew on real household moves in Sydney from 16 to 18 October.
The pairing is deliberately literal. Moving has two unsolved problems: heavy lifting and impossible packing. Thrifty hired a national champion for each.
The research that shaped it
The campaign is built on consumer pain points, not just a fun cast. Research found:
- 37% of Australian movers have injured themselves on moving day
- 62% couldn’t fit everything in their van
- 50% had a moving-day argument that caused lasting tension
Those numbers give the stunt a reason to exist. Thrifty is answering the exact moments that make moving miserable, not just adding a celebrity face.
“Moving doesn’t have to be the most stressful thing you do all year.”
That’s Damien Shaw, Vice President at Thrifty APAC, and it’s the strategic spine of the campaign.
Why it works
Most truck rental advertising talks about vehicle size and price. Thrifty is selling the outcome: a move that doesn’t wreck your body, your relationships or your weekend. The strongman makes lifting feel solved. The Tetris champion makes packing feel solved. The truck and crew make the whole thing real.
It’s brand utility. The free Moving Champs service is the ad.
The framework
Marketers can borrow the structure in three moves: name the specific pain, split the product promise into two skills customers lack, and cast credible experts to demonstrate each one. A real stat becomes the hook, and the promotion becomes a usable service rather than a film people simply watch.
Bookings open for Sydney moves from 16 to 18 October at the Moving Champs page. For everyone outside Sydney, the tips roll out across website and social, giving the activation an after-life beyond the three-day event. The campaign will run across PR, social, influencer marketing, website and paid channels.
Source: Campaign Brief
