The AA Puts People First In Epic Hamster Rescue

The campaign by The Gate brings emotion and humour with the latest ad featuring It's Ok, I'm with The AA platform

By Creative Salon

17 August 2026

The AA, the UK’s leading breakdown service, today announces the launch of its new brand campaign, “Pinky,” developed created by The Gate, airing on TV from 17th August, with out-of-home activity following from 24th August, supported by social. The campaign marks the next step in the journey of The AA’s “It’s OK, I’m with The AA” platform also devised by The Gate, building on its hyperbolic, comedic roots with a new blend of emotion and humour.

“Pinky" follows a family whose car breaks down in a remote, epic landscape, with their young daughter desperate to get her ailing pet hamster, Pinky, to the vet. The film deliberately contrasts the vast scale of the situation and the drama of The AA's rescue with the smallness and fragility of Pinky, drawing viewers into real jeopardy.

Dad first reassures his daughter with the platform's signature line, "It's OK, I'm with The AA." Moments later, she repeats it to Pinky with complete sincerity - a trademark AA rug-pull that triggers the start of Pinky's recovery, as the AA Patrol arrives to save the day.

The campaign will run as a 30-second broadcast execution, supported by a 10-second cut-down, and is built around The AA's brand promise: to give drivers confidence, now and in the future.

OOH and social activity will extend the campaign's world, reinforcing the range of important journeys The AA helps members complete - from getting a hamster to the vets, to making it to that all-important gig.

"Pinky" demonstrates The AA's unmatched care for its members: fixing the people first, then the car. The film shows that The AA understands what matters most to its members in every journey, while never taking itself too seriously, delivered with the light-hearted nod that is trademark to the brand.

The approach is designed to occupy emotional territory rivals cannot reach, tapping into feelings of warmth, trust, relief and hope - emotions research consistently links to long-term brand effectiveness - while continuing to build on the humour that has defined "It's OK, I'm with The AA" to date. Unlike competitors' data-led or price-led advertising, "Pinky" puts The AA's own Patrol at the heart of the story, reinforcing the brand's caring, human reputation while still delivering clear, rational proof points on service and value.

The campaign sits under The AA's wider brand platform, "Always Ahead," reflecting the brand's promise to prepare and protect drivers with unmatched expertise and care.

The Gate worked with director Guy Shelmerdine, through production company Smuggler, to bring cinematic scale and drama to the ad. Guy captures both the epic and the intimate - the vast landscape and the tiny hamster at the heart of it. Bringing Pinky to life required a range of techniques, from a real hamster to a precision-made puppet created by Arch Model Studios enhanced with a light touch of CGI, reflecting the care and craft poured into the production.

The campaign launches across TV, Out-of-Home and Social, with the 30-second film airing from 17th August and OOH activity following from 24th August. The film was directed by Guy Shelmerdine through Smuggler.

Lucas Peon, Chief Creative Officer of The Gate, said:'It's OK, I'm with The AA' is an elastic idea with real emotional equity, and 'Pinky' shows just how far it can stretch. Working with a director of Guy's calibre gave us the chance to tell this story with proper cinematic ambition, while keeping the warmth and humour that people already love The AA for. We take that moment when help arrives and make it feel epic, which is exactly what The AA does for its members every day.”

Amy Gilbert, Group Marketing Director, The AA, said: “It's OK, I'm with the AA' has always been rooted in the confidence our members get from our unmatched care and expertise. The story of Pinky the hamster represents the thousands of real-life high stakes rescues our Patrols make every single day and how we understand what really matters to our members. With 'Pinky' we're putting our secret sauce, our Patrols, front and centre; we fix the member first and the car second.”