By Rick Stanton
I can remember the discussion years ago like it was yesterday. My agency partner, Jon Njos, and I were talking about the insanity that was Geico’s creative. Its next TV commercial had nothing to do with the previous one.
From cave men (glad that one went near-extinct) to lizards to camels to a piggy that goes wee-wee-wee all the way home, what were these morons doing? What they were doing was creating one of the most enduring, likeable campaigns for a category that people hate—insurance.
I have to admit now, I got that one completely wrong.
The genius is in their inconsistency becoming consistency, punctuated by more consistency in the message about saving 15% or more on car insurance.
Now, along comes Liberty Mutual, who at least until now had a recognizable, repeatable message based on the premise of standing behind its customers, even if they have an accident.
It featured all the experiences most of us have encountered with insurance companies, bad and good. Cancelling you after one fender bender. Telling you that your problem isn’t covered in your current policy. Or surprising you with the news that, because you have Liberty Mutual insurance, you’re actually getting your totaled car replaced.
Now what are they doing? Imitating Geico.
There are two likely scenarios that led to this marketing mistake: A bad client who wants the notoriety Geico gets for its goofy, disarming work, or a bad agency that panders to the bad client.
Result: Liberty Mutual is doing wacky badly.
There’s the bicyclist with Popeye calves, the guy whose witness-protection cover is blown and the newscaster who comes out of nowhere for no reason to take over the ad. And the worst of them all, the newest spots featuring the LIMU EMU!—the birdbrained answer to the Geico Gecko.
If you haven’t seen those spots, they feature an actual emu dressed up like an agent—which only underscores the notion that if you don’t have an idea, try stealing someone else’s.
As I’ve stated here many times, advertising is suffering today. This shift in creative strategy from standing for something to standing for nothing is the latest victim—and proof that brand also is well on the way to standing for nothing, as well.
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