Hey Trev, you won't believe what my insurer's done now! George Kapiniaris RAA ads finishing after 11 accident-prone years Hapless George has been complaining about his insurance company for 11 years ... but now he's reached the end of the road GEORGE Kapiniaris is no longer yelling: "Trust, Trevor, trust! Who can you trust? After 11 eventful years the RAA has brought an end to the constant misery of floods, fires, car accidents and relationship bust-ups befalling the ever-cursed George. The born loser - hilariously played by the much-loved Aussie comic and star of Acropolis Now, Wogs Out Of Work, Flying Doctors and Underbelly - has hung up his insurance woes and moved on. "I finally got the letter from the RAA saying there'll be no more ads," Kapiniaris said. It was a bit sad but I can't complain, we've had an amazing run. We've actually done more than 70 ads over 11 years, enough to make a movie! Advertising agency ads have become a popular part of the Adelaide TV landscape, only rivalled in longevity by the Ultratune ads which have now been going for 16 years. "The first ad we filmed was in Scuzzi Café at North Adelaide which was owned at the time by Luke Dean, who played George's reluctant best friend Trevor," he said. Dean finished up his role last year, but Kapiniaris and his alter-ego George shared his outrageous misfortunes with new companions. "First they got rid of the best friend Trevor, then me," he joked. It was just a double act that worked, even if we only recorded new ads once a year. Kapiniaris said the ads had provided stability in the uncertain world of acting and comedy. "It was like winning Tattslotto 11 times," he said. I'd work for a day and get what you normally get for a year as an actor. They actually helped set up my wife and I as a couple. They paid for the engagement ring, the wedding ring, the suffer-ing ... and we now have two beautiful boys - Peter and John - who inspire a lot of my act, so we owe George and Trevor a lot. The ads also helped me quit drinking because the RAA once said to me, just make sure you're never picked up for drink-driving. That did it for me, now I drink tea! Kapiniaris will document the passing of George in a new one-man show called End Of Dark Days Trev, coming to the Rhino Room at the 2015 Adelaide Fringe from February 10 to 19. "It's a chance to bring some new stand-up and say goodbye to my RAA family," he says. I'll be talking about what I can do to try and replace the work, find a new job and make myself useful. And now RAA George has gone I'm open to new offers, so if there's an Adelaide business looking for someone to make ads for them for 11 years, here I am! RAA senior communications consultant Bridget Merrett said the ads had been successful because "they were fun and quintessentially South Australian." "After 11 wonderful years, and dozens of car crashes, floods and fires, RAA's George ads will no longer grace SA's TV screens," Ms. Merrett said. While all good things must come to an end, we are incredibly proud of the George ads. The humorous scenarios allowed us to highlight our core brand values while promoting our insurance product, one that can often be a grudging expense for many. Much of the success of the ads can be attributed to George himself, who has been an absolute pleasure to work with over the 11 years. The RAA has recently launched a new series of TV commercials that showcases the depth and breadth of services and products offered, to coincide with the recent changes to membership. KWP!"s managing director John Parker said the George and Trevor ads had been "one the best and most enduring campaigns we've produced." It had a good narrative and two personalities people could identify with. George was the great anti-hero that people loved to commiserate with and Trevor was the long-suffering voice of reason. It was a great comedic combination, they were the true odd couple of advertising. Baker said the RAA were a really good client because when we first presented it, they "got it."" You never start off a campaign thinking it will run for 11 years, but when it grew legs we made sure we kept up the variety, making keeping it fresh. Like an enduring sitcom we kept people entertained with new thoughts and ideas, and most importantly it sold a lot of insurance for the client. Strategic changes come but this campaign will be talked about for many years to come. Along with Coopers, the SATC and Ultratune it is like a calling card to show business what we can do here in Adelaide. Originally published as Hey Trev, you won't believe what my insurer's done now!