This month, American Family Insurance is debuting the newest evolution in its “Insure carefully, dream fearlessly” platform.
The platform, which has been a hallmark of American Family advertising for years, has helped differentiate the brand within a category landscape dotted by mascots and humor.
The brand refresh, titled “Life’s Better,” is a new twist on this timeless positioning which is anchored in the company’s ethos – that American Family doesn’t just provide insurance. It protects dreams. The campaign is centered around the idea that, “when you feel totally protected, you’re free to enjoy the dreams you’ve worked so hard to achieve.”
And it uses the brand’s red roofline as a visual representation of dream protection. The red roof, embedded in the American Family logo, has been an unwavering symbol of protection, safety and inspiration for nearly 100 years. American Family believes the home is where dreams begin, and the roofline is literally the physical protection.
American Family is standing tall, leveraging its heritage as a beacon of proactive protection for dreamers.
The multimedia campaign will launch with video advertising (in :30 and :45 lengths), to be followed by print, out-of-home and digital, It is being led by Elite Media. Advertising is aimed at the under-40 population, which is largely multicultural and also the growth target for insurance. The first two films in the campaign debut this week:
“Newborn” captures an intimate moment between a father and his child, feeling safe and secure knowing they have the red roof hovering over them. It is accompanied by an instrumental version of Lean on Me by Bill Withers.
“Better” tells the story of a car enthusiast, Carlos, who gets caught in a hail storm but is able to make it out safely because he is covered by comfort and protection he receives from the roof and the support he received from his agent along the way. In the background, we hear “The Good Life” by Devon Gilfillian.
REELated:
Both films use mixed reality as a contemporary device to resonate with its intended younger audience.
Noted Sherina Smith, Chief Marketing Officer at American Family Insurance, “‘Life’s Better’ reminds our audiences that they can enjoy the dreams they have worked so hard to achieve when they have peace of mind and are protected under our roof,” adding, “We want to cement American Family’s red roofline as an iconic brand element that reinforces our brand promise to inspire, protect and restore dreams.”
Added Christopher Crawford, Founder of Elite Media, “Through ‘Life’s Better,’ American Family Insurance is disrupting the advertising space and creatively redefining itself. We look forward to seeing how the brand’s evolution will resonate with the customers it cares so deeply about.”
The new work is scheduled to appear on network programs such as Abbott Elementary. There will also be digital, out-of-home, cinema, print and sponsorship events. Down the road, additional video spots are planned, along with an ASMR soundtrack as part of a multisensory online brand experience called “The Soundtrack of Protection.”
CREDITS:
CLIENT: AMERICAN FAMILY INSURANCE
- Elicia Azali – Enterprise Chief Marketing Officer
- Sherina Smith – Chief Marketing Officer
- Ryan Anderson – Director of Advertising
- Ann X Poulose – Director of Media and Audience Engagement
- John Valadez – Marketing and Advertising Manager
- Lindsey Maier – Marketing Consultant
- Nick Baillies – Marketing Consultant
- Tracy Siemion – Marketing Consultant
- Jacki Witkowski – Integrated Content & Design Consultant
- BethAnn Meier – Director, Field & Product Marketing
AGENCY: ELITE MEDIA
- Chris Crawford – Chief Creative Officer
- Jindai Joseph – Creative Lead
- Mo Alsadi – Art Director
- Adam Glickman – Creative Director
- Craig Feigen – Creative Director
- JD Williams – Executive Producer
- Epiphany Washington – Associate Producer
- Steve Centrillo – Engagement Director
- Charles Hall – Account Director
- Terrie Cammarata – Account Supervisor
- Jackie Crockwell – Project Coordinator
PRODUCTION COMPANY: THE CORNER SHOP
- Peter Thwaites – Director
- Adam Arkapaw – Director of Photography
- Anna Hashmi – Founder/Exec Producer
- Jay Shapiro – Exec Producer
- Mini Bhogal – Head of Production
- Ahnee Boyce – Producer
- Brock Houghton – Production Designer
NZ SERVICE PRODUCTION COMPANY: FINCH
- Rebekah “Bex” Kelly – Exec Producer
- Duncan Bernard – Producer
- Chris Sisarich – Still Photographer
EDIT: WORK
- Editor – Jono Griffith (“Newborn”)
- Editor -Bill Smedley (“Better”)
- Alejandra Alarcon – Executive Producer
- Erica Thompson – Managing Director
- Chris Delarenal – Head of Production
- Samara Kelly – Senior Producer
- Elizabeth Pyle – Assistant Producer
- Audrey Weiner – Senior Cutting Assistant
- Joey Tuzzolino – Senior Cutting Assistant
VFX AND COLOR: THE MILL
- Gavin Wellsman – Exec Creative Director
- Eva Kuehlmann – VFX Supervisor
- Chris Connolly -Executive Producer
- Sally Wnek – Senior VFX Producer
- Ashley Phillips – VFX Producer
- Kyra Hendricks – VFX Producer
- Lauryn Jackson – VFX Associate Producer
- Karthi Gnanasekar – VFX Production Manager
- Renato Carone and Ruairi Twohig – 2D Lead Artist
- Graeme Turnbull – 3D Lead Artist
- Paul Yacono – Colorist
- Denise Brown – Executive Producer, Color
AUDIO: Sonic Union
- Michael Marinelli and Rob Ballingall – Sound Designer/Mix Engineers
- Macey Estes – Assistant Engineer
- Justine Cortale – Audio Post Producer
SOUND DESIGN: Henryboy
- Bill Chesley – Sound Designer
- Kate Gibson – Exec Producer
MUSIC: Beta Petrol
- Nathan Ehrenfeld, Brent Asbury – Producers
- Greg Chun, Chris Crawford, Jindai Joseph – Composers
- Song: “Lean On Me”, written by Bill Withers, courtesy of Songs of Universal, Inc.
MUSIC SUPERVISION: Q Department
- Song: “The Good Life”
- Artist: Devon Gilfillian – Artist
- Written by Gilfillian, Devon Randall [ASCAP] Ran Jackson (BMI | Secret Road) / Nicolas Balachandran (ASCAP | Secret Road)
- Publishing: 33.33% Ran Jackson (BMI | Secret Road) / 33.33% Nicolas Balachandran (ASCAP | Secret Road) – Total 66.66% (Remaining Shares: 33.34% Devon Gilfillian (ASCAP | Kobalt)
- Admin by Kobalt Songs Music Publishing/Secret Road
- Master Owned by Universal Music Group
