“All technicians featured in our ads are real O'Brien^® employees. So when we saw Nat’s audition tape in response to a call-out to our branches for anyone keen to be part of the campaign, we knew she’d be a natural in front of the camera” Claudia Johnston, Marketing Manager at O'Brien^® said.

We recently sat down with Nat to get to know the newest face on Australia’s TV screens.

Nat, tell us a little about yourself.

Hey, I’m Nat. I’m 28 years old and I’m an Auto Technician at O'Brien^® AutoGlass at Tuggerah.

I grew up in Maroubra, before moving out to the Hills District when I was 9, and then eventually I moved up to the Central Coast a few years ago. I love it up here, being so close to the beach again.

On a typical day, my partner Ashlee and I take my dogs Benny and Indie for a sunrise walk, before going to the gym and then heading off to work. I’m a huge animal lover and if I could spend all my time with animals, I would.

I am pretty active. I like heading down to the beach on a sunny day for a swim. I also do MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) twice a week. I’d love to do it more, but I also really love my job, so I often do a lot of overtime and weekend work.

I also have a diploma in Music, I’m a qualified carpenter and I love cars. So, I guess you could say I like many different things!

What does a typical weekend look like for you?

When I’m not working on the weekend, I spend time with my partner and our dogs and take them to the park to run around.

I’m a pretty social person, so love to catch up with friends at the local when I can. But I also love curling up in front of the TV on a Saturday night just as much too.

So, you’re in a number of the new O'Brien^® TV commercials. How does it feel knowing you’re going to be on TV screens around Australia?

It’s great! I haven’t managed to catch it on TV yet, but all my friends keep sending me photos every time I pop up on their screens.

It’s funny, I wasn’t nervous about it at all at first. In fact, I was stoked when they asked me. I always look for opportunities to grow and I like trying new things, so I was super excited to give this a go.

But the night before filming, I got so nervous! It took me a few takes the next day before I started to calm down and really get into the rhythm of it and enjoy it.

What was the experience of filming the commercials like? Is it something you’d love to keep doing with O'Brien^®?

Of course! Bring it on!

As I said, the first couple of takes were really awkward and I was full of nerves, but the crew were great, and they supported me and calmed me down. After that, I had so much fun.

I didn’t think it was going to be as hard as it was, to be honest. On the first day, I think it actually took me about 20 takes to get the very first scene right, but it did get a lot easier as the day went on.

Although the weather was a bit temperamental, luckily it held out just long enough for us to get the scenes done and wrap up for the day.

The second shoot day was much more relaxed!

All in all, it’s been a pretty cool experience. I’d happily give it another go.

Catch Nat in the latest O'Brien^® ad below. And keep an eye out for more of Nat coming to TV soon!

If you have a windscreen that needs repairing or replacing, make sure you reach out to O'Brien^® – book online or call 1800 059 829.

You never know, it may be Nat (or any one of our other ‘celebrity’ auto technicians) that responds to the call.

The post Meet Nat – The Auto Technician Star of Our Latest Ads appeared first on O'Brien.

Proving what a quick learner he is, just this month he had a crash course in show biz and is the new face in the latest O'Brien^® TV ad about windscreen cracks and our Cal-Tech^® ADAS Recalibration service.

Ed decided to put himself out of his comfort zone and volunteer to be part of the ads when the marketing team put a call out looking for technicians to be part of the campaign.

“I decided I would send a quick audition video to the marketing team as a bit of a laugh. I wasn’t expecting to hear back but clearly, my hidden talent shone through.”

Ed who describes himself as quite reserved said the experience in front of the camera was a change from his day to day job as a technician. He expressed that he was certainly out of his comfort zone being in front of the camera but that was also the major reason he decided to go for it.

Ed enjoyed his day on set and was incredibly humbled by the experience commenting that he hadn’t given professional actors enough credit in the past as it was a long and tough day.

The marketing team was happy with his genuine, laid back professionalism. “We love casting real technicians in our advertising,” said Vivian Oppl, group marketing head, O'Brien^®. “They lend a certain credibility, authenticity and professionalism to what we are trying to convey to our customers about the friendly and expert service they can expect when they bring their car to O'Brien^®.”

The new O'Brien^® ad is all about educating car owners that when a windscreen cracks in a vehicle that has ADAS technology, like auto-braking and lane detection, they will need to have their front-facing camera recalibrated as well. The O'Brien^® Cal-Tech service is state of the art and is performed just after the windscreen replacement so customers can drive away with confidence knowing they can still trust those safety features.

While Ed enjoyed his time on set, he was equally happy to go back to his day job.

“The thing I love most about working for O'Brien^® is the independence that being a mobile technician brings and knowing that I’m providing a unique essential service. I enjoy meeting lots of different and interesting characters and seeing their happy expression after a successful windscreen replacement or repair.”

Outside of TV shoots and work, you’ll find Ed enjoying the outdoors.

“When I’m not at work I’m usually on the south coast bushwalking, swimming and eating good pub food, working out or tinkering with my cars.”

If you have a windscreen that needs repairing or replacing, make sure you’re in touch with O'Brien^® and it may be Ed (or any one of our famous auto technicians) that responds to the call.

Click below to view our latest Ad featuring Ed!

The post Meet Ed Finlay – The Star Of Our Latest TV Ads! appeared first on O'Brien.