Insurance Ad Oscars 2020 By Kim McNeil, Partner at The Lead Agency
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hich insurance ads hit the mark this year, and could they have been even better? It’s that time of year again where HR reminds us what is acceptable behaviour at the work Christmas function, we try to think of different excuses to get out of the number of end-of-year-event invitations, and Insurance News publishes its annual Insurance Ad Oscars. In keeping with the tradition of the Ad Oscars, we defer to the considerable expertise of insurance marketing consultants, The Lead Agency. Its team has looked at the insurance TV commercials that have run throughout the year, and awarded the insurers, brokers and underwriters that did it well with a critically acclaimed ‘Insurance Ads Oscar’. From Kanye West as presidential candidate, to the rise of Tiger King Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin, 2020 has been a year like no other. It began with state of emergency declarations in several states hit by severe bush fires, not to mention the destruction of millions of acres of land, homes and businesses. Still recovering, the country was then thrown into chaos as a result of the global pandemic COVID-19. Working and playing from home became the new normal, and thousands of businesses had to close, or significantly alter the way they operate to survive.
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We all had to pull together and find a way to stay alive and relevant in the face of so much uncertainty. Those in the insurance industry were no different. The shift in behaviour has impacted how insurers, brokers and underwriters operate and communicate with their clients and potential clients. This year insurance advertising had to look beyond the typical marketing tactics and find ways to resonate, and genuinely help the businesses that they work with – many of which were forced to close for a substantial part of the year. So, this year’s Ad Oscars are looking at the companies that have altered their marketing strategy to address the world around them.
The “Well That Was FireTrucked” Award Criteria: Awarded to the ad that tapped into consumer emotion to drive meaningful action to improve behaviour Winner: NRMA Insurance youtube.com/watch?v=RkrYxSuBZhM Emotion in advertising is something that NRMA Insurance often uses in their campaigns, winning last year’s award for “best use of emotion in advertising”. This year, NRMA Insurance focused on raising awareness around bushfire protection – an issue that rose in prominence for Australians.
