“Risk is the clue that our dreams are both real and great.” – Craig D Lounsbrough
When you think of life insurance commercials, what comes to mind first? Think about the most recent commercial you’ve seen and have that image in your mind. What did you see? What was spoken?
For many, the answer to that question may be a montage of videos focusing on individuals or couples mostly in the later stages of adulthood. They are interacting with kids and potentially even grandkids. They might be tossing a baseball in the backyard, cooking together in the kitchen, or playing a heavily staged board game full of canned emotion. Words like strength, preparation and security are spoken or even flashed on the screen. Sound familiar?
Even worse, I didn’t only describe a life insurance commercial to you, but most bank and credit union marketing campaigns that are on the air today. The fact is, in industries in which we evaluate others’ risks daily, we often over-evaluate our own.
That’s why it’s so exciting when we see a commercial that’s outside the norm, that’s serious about helping people, that’s displaying their value proposition in a unique way! You may not be able to recall the company name of the most recent life insurance commercial you’ve seen or even the most recent bank commercial, but I sure can!
Ladder Life Insurance decided to go another direction. You may have heard friends joke saying, “I’m worth more dead than alive.” This is a deprecating joke at the expense of good life insurance, but is it really?
Ladder Life’s marketing team didn’t think so. In fact, their research is built around a unique consumer insight that 1 in 2 couples with life insurance joke about “taking each other out” for the payout. Their commercials show a naïve, happy-go-lucky father arriving home from work. With each frame, he faces a dangerous situation from various booby-traps laid in the house by his family who will benefit from his life insurance payout.
Their tagline – Life Insurance So Good You Might Wish You Didn’t Have It.
“So Good” is the central theme of their campaign in which they refresh their tagline with each new commercial or ad spot.
The end results? A commercial, value proposition, and name that sticks with you long after the viewing. Don’t believe me? Check it out for yourself here.
The payoff? An increase in revenue growth of 4.5x in 2021, the same year this campaign was launched.
Check out what happens when Your Marketing Co. clients get real!
We see daily that the credit unions taking on greater risk reap greater rewards. From those that step outside their comfort zones, the ones that lend heavily to B, C, D, or even E credit, the ones that give people second chances or the education to succeed, and the ones brave enough to give a crazy idea a second thought.
Next time you’re considering commercials, ads, or radio spots – go for the idea that’s so crazy, it just might work! And if your credit union needs a hand, we’re here to talk.
