Capital monument for XL
Insurance - XL Capital is among the world's largest total risk management insurers - but few know it. McCann-Erickson, Zurich, wants to change that.
Insurance - XL Capital is one of the world's largest total risk management insurers - but few know it. McCann-Erickson, Zurich, wants to change that.After critically reviewing its bancassurance strategy, Credit Suisse Group refocused its insurance business on its core European market in 2001. Among the divestments was Winterthur International. This insurance arm had become famous primarily thanks to the multiple award-winning "Experts" campaign by McCann-Erickson, Zurich.The buyer of Winterthur International, XL Capital, domiciled in Bermuda, wanted to profit further from this appearance. So during the two-year brand-equity migration, the new owner pushed a new squadron of testimonials, but they continued to carry the Swiss insurance company as the sender. A "stealth campaign," so to speak.
That deadline has now passed, necessitating a stand-alone presence. Since its founding in 1986 by broker March & McLennan, J. P. Morgan and 68 Fortune 500 firms, the company has experienced rapid growth. President and CEO Brian O'Hara attributes its success in a tough market to efficient capital management, prudent underwriting, conservative reserving and strategic acquisitions and joint ventures. Not least, however, to the 68 Fortune companies that failed to find coverage in higher insurance areas at the time.
Lamentable awarenessWith a good 3,000 employees in 30 countries and a market capitalization of over 14 billion dollars, XL has now also gained a foothold in the reinsurance and financial services sectors. All the more surprising is the gap that opens up between the size of the company and the awareness of XL Capital. Measured against the company's vision and culture, XL's external communications have been a wallflower, a fact confirmed by a survey conducted in Europe and the U.S.: XL performed miserably in terms of awareness. "On the other hand, it achieved very good image values among people who know XL," explains Urs Jaermann, the person responsible at McCann-Erickson.
However, the good asset must also be communicated. After all, the technical business is gaining in importance again in view of the stock market and financial crisis. To this end, XL had the logo developed by Futurebrand and the first global brand campaign by Zurich-based McCann.
Under the XL Capital master brand, the Insurance, Re and Financial divisions are joined by subbrands covering other areas of expertise. The challenge now was to build an integrated communications concept that embraces all disciplines and strengthens the brand.
"In our research, we found that classic advertising is also the driving force in creating awareness in the B-to-B market," says Jaermann, explaining the choice of strategy. Daniele M. Isenegger, Head of Corporate and Marketing Communications at XL, adds, "Although it's broker business, we now need to be highly visible to decision-makers first. Only then will product-related information follow."
The agency strategists singled out financial and know-how strengths as the USP for the campaign. "Since 'XL' means a dress size and not the scope of risks XL Capital insures, we wanted to turn the disadvantage into an advantage," Jaermann says.
Difficult shootings with stone "To emphasize the strength, the XL is symbolized with the help of the material stone," emphasizes AD Charles Blunier. And Isenegger adds: "We had the thing built, we didn't just want to put a template there." Not an easy thing to do: "Because that made the shootings and the transport more difficult," Blunier knows.
The first of these was the symbolically striking XL "monument" in the US national park Monument Valley, reminiscent of the computer-animated Pro 7 trailers for its blockbusters. Although thematically divided into landscape, city and industrial motifs, the ads are intended to function across all segments.
In the more competitive TV spot, the people concept comes to the fore. In it, an XL employee defines his job - unlike the competition - with a focus on the customer: "I help leading companies achieve their business objectives," he says, after which a vertical tracking shot from a bird's eye view reveals the roof of a skyscraper whose floor plan consists of an XL. We don't want to reveal the secret of whether this skyscraper was also built especially for the campaign.
Set in stone: XL stands in prominent places for the size of the US insurance company.
XL floor plan: The XL consultant in the TV commercial does everything for his customers to achieve their goals.
In the previous campaign - still under the sender Winterthur International - star photographer Richard Avedon put celebrities from Gianni Agnelli to Desmond Tutu in front of the lens and had them philosophize about risks. International awards reaffirmed its creators, and countless copper campaigns confirmed the advertising concept.
Luca Aloisi
That deadline has now passed, necessitating a stand-alone presence. Since its founding in 1986 by broker March & McLennan, J. P. Morgan and 68 Fortune 500 firms, the company has experienced rapid growth. President and CEO Brian O'Hara attributes its success in a tough market to efficient capital management, prudent underwriting, conservative reserving and strategic acquisitions and joint ventures. Not least, however, to the 68 Fortune companies that failed to find coverage in higher insurance areas at the time.
Lamentable awarenessWith a good 3,000 employees in 30 countries and a market capitalization of over 14 billion dollars, XL has now also gained a foothold in the reinsurance and financial services sectors. All the more surprising is the gap that opens up between the size of the company and the awareness of XL Capital. Measured against the company's vision and culture, XL's external communications have been a wallflower, a fact confirmed by a survey conducted in Europe and the U.S.: XL performed miserably in terms of awareness. "On the other hand, it achieved very good image values among people who know XL," explains Urs Jaermann, the person responsible at McCann-Erickson.
However, the good asset must also be communicated. After all, the technical business is gaining in importance again in view of the stock market and financial crisis. To this end, XL had the logo developed by Futurebrand and the first global brand campaign by Zurich-based McCann.
Under the XL Capital master brand, the Insurance, Re and Financial divisions are joined by subbrands covering other areas of expertise. The challenge now was to build an integrated communications concept that embraces all disciplines and strengthens the brand.
"In our research, we found that classic advertising is also the driving force in creating awareness in the B-to-B market," says Jaermann, explaining the choice of strategy. Daniele M. Isenegger, Head of Corporate and Marketing Communications at XL, adds, "Although it's broker business, we now need to be highly visible to decision-makers first. Only then will product-related information follow."
The agency strategists singled out financial and know-how strengths as the USP for the campaign. "Since 'XL' means a dress size and not the scope of risks XL Capital insures, we wanted to turn the disadvantage into an advantage," Jaermann says.
Difficult shootings with stone "To emphasize the strength, the XL is symbolized with the help of the material stone," emphasizes AD Charles Blunier. And Isenegger adds: "We had the thing built, we didn't just want to put a template there." Not an easy thing to do: "Because that made the shootings and the transport more difficult," Blunier knows.
The first of these was the symbolically striking XL "monument" in the US national park Monument Valley, reminiscent of the computer-animated Pro 7 trailers for its blockbusters. Although thematically divided into landscape, city and industrial motifs, the ads are intended to function across all segments.
In the more competitive TV spot, the people concept comes to the fore. In it, an XL employee defines his job - unlike the competition - with a focus on the customer: "I help leading companies achieve their business objectives," he says, after which a vertical tracking shot from a bird's eye view reveals the roof of a skyscraper whose floor plan consists of an XL. We don't want to reveal the secret of whether this skyscraper was also built especially for the campaign.
Set in stone: XL stands in prominent places for the size of the US insurance company.
XL floor plan: The XL consultant in the TV commercial does everything for his customers to achieve their goals.
In the previous campaign - still under the sender Winterthur International - star photographer Richard Avedon put celebrities from Gianni Agnelli to Desmond Tutu in front of the lens and had them philosophize about risks. International awards reaffirmed its creators, and countless copper campaigns confirmed the advertising concept.
Luca Aloisi
