Virgin Money takes Funniest Home Videos approach to injury insurance
Virgin Money has launched a new ad campaign for its accident insurance policies featuring mishaps licensed from the America’s Funniest Home Videos clip library.
The pratfalls ad – created by ad agency The Works – promotes the message that accidents are funny until they prevent you from working.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGSVRt4syPk
The ad features the music track ‘Leaves’ by Cheers Elephant.
Virgin Money also turned to YouTube for a second ad to promote its life insurance, featuring a comedian dying on stage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBRORiRImw0
The original version of the video, posted two years ago, features comedian Mike Gamms taking part in a sketch where he is booed by a ghost.
Kevin Macmillan, creative partner at The Works said: “Virgin is a vibrant and disruptive brand. It’s natural that we should look for engaging ways to break with tradition and give people a smile. We’ve aimed to deliver a serious message with warmth and charm.”
Danielle Williams, GM of marketing at Virgin Money said: “Any thought about the prospect of sickness, injury or death in a family is not a pleasant one. Insurance providers often play to this, using fear or guilt to get people thinking about life insurance.
We prefer to take a more positive approach, hoping to give people a smile and a more light-hearted reason to have the important conversation about protecting their families.”
The spots will run on daytime TV and online.
Credits:
Client – Virgin Money:
- General Manager: Marketing: Danielle Williams
- Marketing Manager: Stephanie Pierce
Agency – The Works:
- Creative Partner: Kevin Macmillan
- Creative Lead: Nathan Bilton
- Art Director: Leighton Edridge
- Copywriter: Kiriana Wheaton
- Content Producer: Tristan Drummond
- Creative Project Lead: Leigh Bigelow
- Creative Project Manager: Cat Heaphy
Music: ‘Leaves’ by Cheers Elephant
Footage: Accident clips courtesy of Vin Di Bona Productions and Home Video Licensing and ‘Stand-up’ footage from Mike Gamms
Creative-using America’s Funniest Home Videos clips is terrific. I also know 9 uses America’s Funniest Home Videos clips on Australia’s Funniest Home Vidoes-so it’s nice to see Virgin Money use them too.
Fun DRTV. And on a Friday.
Actually accidents are rarely funny, they are often painful and /or debilitating, and should engender sympathy and deep concern, rather than laughter.
Home videos are many times fake, which almost brings them level with comedy, but not nearly level with Buster Keaton or Charles Chaplin.
Why do some people find humour in videos presenting a baby falling out of a high chair? a child falling off a bicycle? or a person falling over or being struck on the head with a plank of wood? Does the “Home Video” title, inferring that this accident actually happened, make it funnier?
I don’t get it, and I don’t trust insurance companies either.
Fat people are hilarious no matter what they’re doing.