By Rick Stanton
When our shop got the Sterling Health Plans account around 2004, there were two critical decision points that tipped the choice in our favor.
In the finals, we were pitted against a rather large Midwest agency that specialized in healthcare insurance. Its largest client was Humana, along with several other brands of about the same size.
When asked why Sterling should choose us over an agency with a pretty impressive “letterman’s sweater” in the category, my response was, “Given that you’ll be the smallest account they’ll have, do you think you’re going to get their next big idea?”
That got their attention.
And when asked what we might do to make Sterling stand out, my response was, “We need to see if there’s a way for people not to hate you. People hate insurance. It’s a grudge buy. They buy it hoping they’ll never have to use it and if they do need to use it, they’re predisposed to believing the insurance company will screw them over.”
Honesty, once again, was—and is—the best policy.
We did, in fact, discover and deliver a big idea, which was, very simply that their clients loved them and would tell the camera why, without a lot of prompting. The endorsements were heartfelt, personal and honest (with some occasional bad English, which we didn’t edit out).
Sterling sold in 2011 for the tidy sum of 350M.
My client and now dear friend, Jim Campbell, and I have gone on to do some very successful campaigns on other fronts since. Which leads me to the current esurance campaign, featuring Dennis Quaid.
You’ll hear him say things like, “Let’s be honest. No one likes dealing with insurance. It’s confusing. It’s a hassle. And it’s too expensive.” His un-actor-like manner makes him seem like one of us, instead of your normal spokesman. The Leo Burnett agency hit on the magic that is “the truth told well.”
When advertisers show that they really understand the consumer’s true feelings, connections occur. This campaign wins on just about every level. And it’s welcomed, because, as previously mentioned, I get kind of tired of being the get-off-my-lawn guy, complaining about all the crappy advertising we’re subjected to lately.
But this campaign is a great example of a perfectly cast, well-executed big idea. Finally.
https://www.esurance.com/commercials
https://www.thedrum.com/news/2018/12/14/esurance-offers-dennis-quaid-wrapping-paper-and-other-painless-holiday-gift-options