First there was Ben Kingsley. Now there’s William Shatner. What’s with the movie and television stars and insurance ads?
Dial Direct have ditched their ‘less yada yada, more ching ching’ ad in favour of a man who’s not afraid to go boldly where no man’s been before, William Shatner. The reason for the change, says brand leader Lynn Miller, is a shift to a “one touch solution that’s simple smart”.
So ad agency Joe Public was called in to convey this sentiment. Creative director, Xolisa Dyeshana, says they needed to tell the story “using a brand personality that could take on the giants and add a little Dial Direct wit to a traditionally ‘serious’ arena”.
“The campaign therefore uses the personality, charisma and chutzpah of well-known television icon William Shatner to add excitement and visibility to its market presence. Dial Direct is after all a maverick in its category that does and says things differently and it needed a brand spokesperson that reflected these same characteristics.
Miller adds that an interesting and future-focused aspect of the campaign is that a smart phone has been seamlessly integrated into the commercials, building on the concept of one touch, which strengthens the simple smart idea.
“This means that Dial Direct will be the first insurance company to own the smart phone as an insurance platform. It illustrates the fact that our products are so simple and smart to use that you can sort out all of your insurance needs at the touch of a button,” she says.
Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noTE4n604-A&feature=player_embedded
