Sheilas' Wheels
Encyclopedia
Sheilas' Wheels is a UK car insurance brand that targets its insurance products to women, although it also sells to men. The brand was launched in October 2005 by Peter Wood
, and is part of Esure
, the insurance group he founded with HBOS
in 1999. The brand has achieved fame through its advertising featuring three Sheilas clad in pink sequinned dresses who sing a variety of jingles promoting Sheilas’ Wheels (e.g. “For bonzer car insurance deals, girls get onto Sheilas’ Wheels”), often from the seats of a bubblegum pink convertible – sometimes referred to as “The Sheilamobile”.
(Shane Connor) of Neighbours
can be seen.
The Sheilas
themselves are all accomplished singers and performers who began performing as The Sheilas during 2006 at gigs in the UK – often at gay club
s and student venues – they are Cathi Ogden, Carly Romain and Emma Robbins. Ogden is the only true Australian of the three; Robbins is sister to Ted Robbins
, Amy Robbins
and Kate Robbins
and is married to Simon Shelton who plays Tinky Winky in the Teletubbies
and is a second cousin of Paul McCartney
.
In the TV adverts the girls usually appear with Romain on the left, Ogden centre and Robbins on the right (with dark hair).
, including a song by the Amateur Transplants
.
The Sheilas’ Wheels car in the advert is a ‘shell’ and not a working car. It was created by heavily adapting the body of an old American car. There is a second working car, which is similar to the one in the advert that is used for promotional purposes. It is a 1957 Ford Mercury Monterey
convertible that the company bought in 2007 on eBay
and restored. The car lives in a warehouse of a specialist company in Surrey
who rent out and sometimes sell American vehicles.
The music for the Sheilas’ Wheels adverts was composed by John Altman, arranged by Jeff Wayne
Music and sung by Ayse Tezel
.
advert, which is often cited among the most memorable ads of all time.
The Sheilas' Wheels car insurance product introduced a number of female-focused benefits that differentiated it from competitors, such as enhanced cover for handbags in cars, female-friendly repairers and a free counselling service with its comprehensive cover.
In 2007, Sheilas' Wheels ran a competition for members of the public to appear in their TV adverts – Make Me a Sheila Star - which attracted over 11,000 applicants including babies, boys, girls, men and women, with the youngest being 18 months and the oldest 98. In the end, 30 members of the public appeared in two adverts – one featuring a 12 person pyramid of women on the back of the Sheilamobile, and one featuring them in a stretched version.
In January 2008, Sheilas' Wheels began sponsoring the ITV National Weather, with a series of clips showing the Sheilas in a variety of weather conditions. Prior to sponsorship by Sheilas' Wheels, the ITV National Weather had been sponsored by e-On (formerly Powergen) for 18 years – the longest running sponsorship deal in UK television history (as well as the first).
In 2011 European Court of Justice ruling stated that price discrimination based on gender breaches EU rules on equality. A spokesman from Sheilas' Wheels parent company Esure stated that "premiums will rise drastically for young female drivers and that the ruling was unfair".
Peter Wood (businessman)
Peter Wood, CBE is an English entrepreneur, most notable as the founder of the Direct Line and Esure insurance companies. He is the 438th wealthiest person in Britain with a personal fortune of £120 million, according to the Sunday Times Rich List 2009, and his repeated successes in the past...
, and is part of Esure
Esure
Esure is an internet and telephone based insurance company based in Reigate, Surrey, England. It also has offices in Manchester and Glasgow...
, the insurance group he founded with HBOS
HBOS
HBOS plc is a banking and insurance company in the United Kingdom, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Lloyds Banking Group having been taken over in January 2009...
in 1999. The brand has achieved fame through its advertising featuring three Sheilas clad in pink sequinned dresses who sing a variety of jingles promoting Sheilas’ Wheels (e.g. “For bonzer car insurance deals, girls get onto Sheilas’ Wheels”), often from the seats of a bubblegum pink convertible – sometimes referred to as “The Sheilamobile”.
The Sheilas
Sheilas’ Wheels and the three Sheilas themselves have been the subject of much media attention and have regularly featured in polls of irritating but effective advertising. In one of the early adverts set in an Australian outback bar, Joe ScullyJoe Scully
Joe Scully is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Shane Connor. He made his first on-screen appearance on 20 October 1999, along with his family.-Casting:...
(Shane Connor) of Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
can be seen.
The Sheilas
The Sheilas
The Sheilas are a pop girl group who found fame with Stock Aitken Waterman, after they were featured in an advertising campaign for the car insurance company Sheilas' Wheels.The Sheilas are Emma Robbins, Carly Romain and Cathi Ogden...
themselves are all accomplished singers and performers who began performing as The Sheilas during 2006 at gigs in the UK – often at gay club
Gay bar
A gay bar is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender clientele; the term gay is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBT and queer communities...
s and student venues – they are Cathi Ogden, Carly Romain and Emma Robbins. Ogden is the only true Australian of the three; Robbins is sister to Ted Robbins
Ted Robbins
Ted Robbins is an English comedian, actor, broadcaster, radio DJ, radio personality, voice-over artist and television personalityRobbins currently presents a morning show on BBC Radio Lancashire from 9am - 11am on weekdays....
, Amy Robbins
Amy Robbins
Amy Robbins is an English actress best known for her role as Dr. Jill Weatherill in the British television series The Royal. Prior to her current role she played Police Sergeant Rachel James in the BBC One hospital drama Casualty for one series...
and Kate Robbins
Kate Robbins
Katherine Robbins is an English actress, comedienne and singer.-Biography:Robbins is a first cousin once removed of Paul McCartney and older sister of Amy Robbins . She attended Wirral Grammar School for Girls and won the Drama Prizes each year, notably with her monologue "All this glitters is not...
and is married to Simon Shelton who plays Tinky Winky in the Teletubbies
Teletubbies
Teletubbies is a BBC children's television series targeted at pre-school viewers and produced from 1997 to 2001 by Ragdoll Productions. It was created by Ragdoll's creative director Anne Wood CBE and Andrew Davenport, who wrote each of the show's 365 episodes. The programme's original narrator was...
and is a second cousin of Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
.
In the TV adverts the girls usually appear with Romain on the left, Ogden centre and Robbins on the right (with dark hair).
Sheilas' Wheels adverts
Since their launch, the Sheilas’ Wheels adverts have grown over 100 video tributes, parodies and imitations on YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, including a song by the Amateur Transplants
Amateur Transplants
Amateur Transplants are a London based, British parody musical duo consisting of medical professionals, Dr. Adam Kay and Dr. Suman Biswas , who came to prominence in 2005 with a song about the London Underground, parodying the Jam song "Going Underground"...
.
The Sheilas’ Wheels car in the advert is a ‘shell’ and not a working car. It was created by heavily adapting the body of an old American car. There is a second working car, which is similar to the one in the advert that is used for promotional purposes. It is a 1957 Ford Mercury Monterey
Mercury Monterey
The Monterey was introduced in 1950 as a high-end two-door coupe in the same vein as the Ford Crestliner, the Lincoln Lido coupe and the Lincoln Cosmopolitan Capri coupe. The reason was to offer a more luxurious coupe as the FoMoCo still not had any hard top. The Mercury line got a styling redesign...
convertible that the company bought in 2007 on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
and restored. The car lives in a warehouse of a specialist company in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
who rent out and sometimes sell American vehicles.
The music for the Sheilas’ Wheels adverts was composed by John Altman, arranged by Jeff Wayne
Jeff Wayne
Jeffry "Jeff" Wayne, born in Forest Hills, Queens, New York, is a musician best known for Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds, his musical version of H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds...
Music and sung by Ayse Tezel
Ayse Tezel
Ayşe Tezel is a British actress who made her debut on the New Zealand television show 'Shortland Street' in 2002. She is best known for her roles in Meet Me in Miami and Court of Lonely Royals .- Biography :...
.
The Sheilas single
In October 2007, The Sheilas released a single, (I’m So) Happy Happy (You’re Mine), produced by the legendary production team Stock, Aitken and Waterman.History
The brand was originally conceived by copywriter Chris Wilkins and his creative partner and wife, Sian Vickers. The two had previously worked with Peter Wood during the 1990s. Wilkins was the copywriter of the famous Cadbury's Smash MartiansSmash Martians
The Smash Martians were the stars of a series of 1970's and early 1980's TV advertising campaigns for Smash instant mashed potato in the UK. They were a family of Martian robots who would watch humans laboriously preparing mashed potato the traditional way on TV...
advert, which is often cited among the most memorable ads of all time.
The Sheilas' Wheels car insurance product introduced a number of female-focused benefits that differentiated it from competitors, such as enhanced cover for handbags in cars, female-friendly repairers and a free counselling service with its comprehensive cover.
In 2007, Sheilas' Wheels ran a competition for members of the public to appear in their TV adverts – Make Me a Sheila Star - which attracted over 11,000 applicants including babies, boys, girls, men and women, with the youngest being 18 months and the oldest 98. In the end, 30 members of the public appeared in two adverts – one featuring a 12 person pyramid of women on the back of the Sheilamobile, and one featuring them in a stretched version.
In January 2008, Sheilas' Wheels began sponsoring the ITV National Weather, with a series of clips showing the Sheilas in a variety of weather conditions. Prior to sponsorship by Sheilas' Wheels, the ITV National Weather had been sponsored by e-On (formerly Powergen) for 18 years – the longest running sponsorship deal in UK television history (as well as the first).
In 2011 European Court of Justice ruling stated that price discrimination based on gender breaches EU rules on equality. A spokesman from Sheilas' Wheels parent company Esure stated that "premiums will rise drastically for young female drivers and that the ruling was unfair".
External links
- Sheilas' Wheels website
- Sheilas' Wheels YouTube channel (featuring television adverts and ITV weather sponsorship)
- Sheilas' Wheels FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
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