Sq1 War Room

The basic promise of any insurance company is that when things go wrong, their company can set it right. But while scare-tactic commercials (“what if you’re in a car accident?”; “what if someone steals your identity?”) may convince you to buy insurance, they don’t create the kind of emotional connection that makes you buy the advertised brand.

In 1998, Travelers Insurance merged with Citicorp. In 2002 that union was dissolved, and Travelers set about re-establishing their independent identity. (Click here to read a fascinating article about how they reclaimed their umbrella logo.)

Travelers launched a set of fanciful, storytelling commercials that were ownable, memorable, and formed the kind of emotional connection that distinguishes one brand from another. It started with an ad called “Delivery,” in which a bespoke older gentleman travels the countryside with a 35-foot umbrella, helping people in trouble. In the ad’s final scene, he gazes out over a city sheltered and protected by a network of identical umbrellas. It’s the pinnacle of insurance’s emotional promise.

One of Traveler’s more recent ads (“Prized Possession”) depicts a dog worrying over a favorite bone. Though he tries hiding it in a plethora of secure locations, he can’t seem to relax until it is protected by Travelers.

Every product offers rational benefits — low premiums, low deductibles, great customer service — but ultimately it’s brand recognition and emotional attachment that drive customers to you, not the other guy.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 at 1:19 pm and is filed under advertising. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.