Something old turned into something new -- and exciting

September 14th was the start date for a whole new campaign for American Family Insurance that included TV, radio, newspaper and magazines.

After a long run of policyholder testimonial advertising, the Blue Horse/American Family Insurance team turned to something radically new to be the cornerstone of our message:

The American Family Insurance logo.

We now pause to listen to the sound of thousands of foreheads being slapped by the open palms of struggling copywriters and art directors as they moan in unison, “why didn’t I think of that?”

Well, if you ever worked on Nike or Coca Cola or McDonalds, maybe you have.

Some brands are blessed with (or to put it another way, have earned) a high level of credibility which is expressed in the design of their logo. After a certain time, no words need to be spoken. It’s there. Whether it’s performance or refreshment or in this case, a 75-year tradition of service, a simple graphic element can play a starring role in the communication process.

The red roofline that promises “all your protection under one roof” seemed to us to be a very quick and memorable device to connect with consumers. Both the shape and the color are bold and positive and we’ve used them in pictures and language. The end result is a campaign that significantly strengthens the branding message. Additionally, we stressed the importance of having the personal attention of an agent – again a strength of American Family Insurance.

Another aspect that influenced our thinking was the increasing amount of comedy routines and low rate claims that have come to dominate the advertising in the category. No question these have been effective. But there are times when insurance is important on a personal and emotional level. Especially when families are concerned.

Sometimes, when others zig…

The new television was produced by Michael Rafayko. Direction was by Paul Hopkins. A new music treatment came from Yessian Music. Still photography was done by Jeff Salzer. And the marvelous visual effects were done by Digital Kitchen.

So far, response has been overwhelmingly positive. We'd welcome your comments.