What is it with insurance firms using animals in their marketing? Pacific Life has the whale. Mutual of Omaha had an entire wild kingdom, once upon a time. And now The Hartford is bringing back their buck with a magnificent rack. I don’t mind, I’m just wondering aloud.
From New York Times:
The Hartford Financial Services Group is so focused on wealthy baby boomers that it keeps a team of gerontologists on its staff to advise the Hartford marketing department.
The company’s print and television campaign to be introduced today will try to tap into the boomer market by starring the Red Hart Stag mascot that Hartford resurrected last year. In the TV spots promoting the Hartford’s retirement initiative, the deer appears while two baby boomers, driving a convertible, arrive at a party celebrating “The first day of the rest of your life.”
The campaign’s agency, Campbell Mithun in Minneapolis, part of Interpublic, is trying to stir up nostalgia and memories of childhood.
This includes their online and interactive media as well — handled by MRM Worldwide in Minneapolis.
There’s something retro and nostalgic here, yet it doesn’t feel right.
Contemporary advertisers will reintroduce iconic imagery and give it a modern twist (e.g., Burger King’s King — love him or hate him). But the stag just feels dated and irrelevant. And putting him in the foreground so prominently looks really wrong. The beast almost seems intimidating to the people. Though I’m sure the ad agency will insist research says folks love seeing Bambi’s dad.