iSelect ends reign of Mr iSelect as Leo Burnett shifts focus to Always Get It Right
Divers and talking earplugs now the face of iSelect
Insurance comparison site iSelect has dumped its quirky spokesman in favour of a new approach from recently-appointed agency Leo Burnett as it shifts its focus from its core of health insurance.
Leo won the account from incumbent AJF Partnership, which did not take part in the pitch, in September last year and the move immediately triggered speculation the long-running campaign, featuring actor Jason Geary, would be overhauled.
Executives for the brand said it needed to become more focused on the customers, to reflect a human element, and break from a single personality that was too closely linked to health insurance, leading to the shift in style.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orSH64NDeuM
iSelect debuted the new campaign last night, moving from the long-held line of Get the Facts, to a tweaked approach, Always Get it Right.
The work features a bumbling diver who, despite the flailing nature of his dives, nails a perfect entry every time.
The ads are voiced by a talking earplug in the diver’s ear, explaining that by diving into his needs iSelect helped the man buy the right car and health insurance as well as broadband service.
So now he’s in a place where he always gets it right,” the voice over states.
The ad ends with the man taking a less than flattering pose in his speedos next to the iSelect logo.
Kirsten Craven, head of brand and campaign marketing for iSelect, said the brand had been considering dumping the spokesperson model since 2014 as it looked to become more customer-centric.
“We have been talking about making a change for quite a while,” Craven told Mumbrella.
“I started at iSelect at the beginning of 2014 and it was even on the cards then. As much as we love Mr iSelect and will always be grateful for everything he’s achieved for our brand – he was so renowned for health – we are keen to be more in touch with our customers and to speak to them in a way that resonates.”
The new approach is also aimed at addressing trust concerns that came with using a slapstick approach to the brand. “We do expect it to be a gradual process,” she said.
Chief executive of iSelect, Scott Wilson, said the brand needed a complete refresh. “We’re a customer service business and we really needed to shift the focus of our brand to be more people-centric, more human,” Wilson said.
“Our competitive advantage is that we help match people’s needs to the right products. That’s our expertise. And our brand needed a complete refresh to help us unlock the growth opportunities in the broader financial services and utility categories.”
The new approach ends the five-year run of Geary as the spokesman for the brand, who appeared in unlikely places to explain how many people were missing out on important health insurance savings and options.
Credits:
iSelect
Scott Wilson – CEO
Kirsten Craven – Head of Brand and Campaign Marketing
Lauren Yildirim – Marketing Manager, Financial Services
Emily Hayden – Senior Marketing Manager, Health
Charlyn Dimasi – Marketing Manager, Life and General Insurance
Leo Burnett
CCO – Jason Williams
Art Director – Joe Hill
Copywriter – Garret Fitzgerald
CEO – Melinda Geertz
General Manager – Pat Rowe
Head of Integrated Strategy – Ilona Janashvilli
Senior TV Producer – Eliza Malone
Group Account Director – Kate Silver
Account Manager – Jacquelyn Whalen
Plaza:
Director – Paul Middleditch
Executive Producer – Peter Masterton
Head of Production – Megan Ayers
DOP – Daniel Ardilley
Edit – David Whittaker, The Editors
Post Production – Alt VFX
VFX Supervisor – Colin Renshaw
Sound –Sam Hopgood, Soundlounge
Simon Canning
It’s a nice try … and great soundtrack.
But, come back Jason.
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Wait, they’re getting rid of a personality, by bringing in a personality who seems to be a quirky version of youi?
Should have stuck with Jason.
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“The new approach is also aimed at addressing trust concerns that came with using a slapstick approach to the brand” a talking ear plug said as the bumbling flailing diver nailed his entry.
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“Hungry Jack’s Makes it Better” all over again?
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Newish marketing folk. Newish agency.
All want to see their fingerprints all over the brand rather continuing what’s there (or to the ego ‘what other people before us did’.) You can tell by the rationalisation (‘And our brand needed a complete refresh to help us unlock the growth opportunities in the broader financial services and utility categories.’) Who are you trying to convince with that one?
Look could work. But then again, could not work. I always loved the iSelect stuff and feel the brand has grown a lot over the last 5 years.
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Ewwww don’t like at all. The dude is creepy and who wants to even think of an earplug let alone look at it! Big Miss. At least the previous campaign had personality and humor and was unmissable as Iselect. Was always refreshing to see what came next in Jason’s adventures. New agency muscle flex is never pretty
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Who cares, I will NEVER even look at iSelect again after they bombarded me with repeated spam calls and then sold my email address to a bunch of spammers and scammers.
Give them your data at your peril people.
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This advert annoys the life out of me. I turn over as soon as it comes on.
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Hairy old man.
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Bring back the ‘stuffing stegosauruses’ girl. The original and the best.
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