The other day, I have asked you to give me some feedback, comments, or some topics that you would want to hear what I have to say. Despite the selfish request, there came some response already. Thanks you very much.
Today, let me pick up a question from PO-san.
“That is a very nice piece of commercial. I like it.”
“Me, too. That touches my heart. But which Company’s is that?”
“What? Well… I don’t remember. Maybe an insurance company or some sort?”
Typical conversation that you would hear often or you may often be a part of.
For example, that popular advertising in which you see slide-show of nice pictures of family (and especially kids) one after another with a heart-warming song by Kazumasa Oda, a famous Japanese singer-song-writer.
Which Company/Brand is that for?
No clue.
Topic today is about the one that you must have viewed various versions on TV. The one that “Cat and Duck work together”.
I like the advertising.
Before anything, that lovable song.
The cat somehow makes me smile with its strange movement and expression.
There are lots of good things in that.
Among others, if I have to pick up a few essentials, they are: 1) The fact that it coveys lots of things with exact balance within the limited time/space (while one could argue it is covered by its high media spending). And 2) the fact that it is almost only one that is establishing a “Brand” in the industry or category, life-insurance, where being distinctive is of a tough job.
Given tough economy, commercial communication tends to be loaded with lots of tasks. It is almost a thing of the past that being popular is everything, all you need is to get awareness, or just to improve images of the brand. Recession forces TV advertising, of which media is losing it power day by day, to be multi-tasked.
It is always the best to focus only one thing to communicate to be a great advertising.
This may already have become a dream of naïve creators from 20th century.
I don’t know. But at least, I can say that it is a dilemma, and it is not easy to communicate lots of things at one time.
This campaign of “Aflac’s Cat and Duck” succeeds to communicate or at least leave an impression of its new service to cover super-advanced medical treatments, while TV is a media of emotion and senses. And it has done it in a way that is not heavy, and is light and casual (without being too much so), through its lovely song. Good Job #1.
Each piece of the campaign features insightful life moments/events to make you think, or re-consider your life insurance package. Good Job #2.
This leads to eye-opening paradigm shift from “insurance being a fall back option to be ready to happenings” to “insurance blessing your life”. In general, advertising of life insurance tends to use “threat”, like “what if you suddenly pass away or get seriously injured”. (Even that commercial with gentle voice of Oda-san uses this “threat” approach behind the nice pictures.) On the contrary, this Aflac’s campaign is blessing you/your life. (No wonder they have Christmas and New Year versions as well.) Good Job #3.
Their previous campaign, featuring true stories of cancer patients, contributed to wiping out too funny an image of “Why a duck? Are you trying to fool me around?”, and it was certainly distinctive in the category. Yet, it was within an arena of “threat”. This new campaign elevated the brand to the level of “blessing” by re-defining “what is life insurance for”. As a result, in the category where every (Japanese) company has been trying hard to be nice, not specific/tangible, not impressive, or when it is impressive, look like government/public advertising, Aflac became a “Brand”, only one in the market. Good Job #4.
Aflac, please hung in there, be persistent about what you are doing.
Japanese friends in the life insurance, get out of the box otherwise you will be left alone.
Well, after talking this much, at the end of the day, what’s too good is that song. It goes on and on in my mind, and cannot be stopped.
“O.”
