Advertising spices up sleepy insurance with comical “what ifs”

Taylor-Thomason needed an intriguing campaign to get people to think positively about insurance. Billboards with “What’s this button do?” and “I’m sure we thought of everything” entice Tacoma to think about their insurance needs.

Bad things will happen
Recognizing that most businesses and individuals don’t like to think about insurance unless they have to, Taylor-Thomason Insurance Brokers, previously Tom Taylor Insurance Brokers, had to remind people the value insurance—but without boring them.

Opening doors and minds for a sales call
We’ve all said “famous last words” when someone is overconfident that nothing can go wrong. JayRay’s ads teased people with thought bubbles containing famous-last-words phrases, such as “What’s this button do?” and “I’m sure we thought of everything.”

Before the messages were posted, some billboards had a thought bubble containing only quotation marks and a line space to prompt people to fill in the blank. That idea continued in PowerPoint presentations, on the company’s Web site and at business networking events, where people were encouraged to get involved by giving their famous-last-words ideas.

Creating talk in the town
“And there’s you and me snoring,” is what Dan Voelpel, business writer for The News Tribune, said on the subject of insurance in his story about this campaign. The remedy; comical, intriguing what-ifs got people to realize risks and reevaluate their need for insurance. Voelpel said, “If you saw the billboards, I’ll bet your mind started spitting out ideas. Just like mine, ‘… Do you think this will break if I jump on it?’”

Changes to the TTIB Web site, direct mail pieces and other marketing elements are being made to continue the idea.

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