Farmers Insurance "Dog Bites"

Farmers Insurance, one of the country’s leading insurers, unveils its latest advertising campaign, “It’s Smarter to Have a Plan,” with the first TV commercial "Dog Bites" (above).

Designed to help consumers become smarter about insurance by showing a number of important and practical insurance tips, the new campaign also reinforces Farmers Insurance’s position as a strong and experienced company with knowledgeable and industry-leading agents.

“At Farmers, we’re committed to making our customers smarter about insurance. We believe that knowledge is power and that we can help make consumers more confident about their insurance decisions,” said Mike Linton, Head of Enterprise Marketing for Farmers Insurance. “Our new campaign continues to place Farmers Insurance agents as the best-trained agents in the industry, ready and able to provide expert insight to consumers.”

The campaign, developed by the insurer’s agency of record, RPA, is a clear evolution of its current “University of Farmers” campaign, which features well-known actor, J.K. Simmons, as the clever and quirky Professor Nathaniel Burke.

In the new campaign, Professor Burke acts as a proxy for actual Farmers agents, helping consumers get smart about insurance, everyday risks and offering practical solutions. In an evolution from the current campaign, Burke will leave the confines of the University of Farmers campus to the real world where insurance meets the customer. Burke will walk with customers through a number of settings and will point out risks that a consumer might not have previously considered. In a departure from much of the industry’s current advertising, the focus of the Farmers campaign will be on helping consumers avoid problems. Rather than concentrating on price of coverage explanations, the campaign will feature helpful tips to empower consumers.

The TV spot that launches the campaign is called “Dog Bites” and features Professor Burke. He reminds consumers about the significant impact every day events, like dog bites, can have on their lives and the need to be adequately insured. For example, industry data shows that dog bites account for one-third of all paid homeowners insurance claims, while leaving empty boxes by the curb may be a sign to would-be thieves that there are new and expensive targets for them to burglarize inside one’s home.

As the campaign continues, additional spots will share relevant facts, preventative tips and interesting insights – demonstrating in a witty and approachable manner that Farmers Insurance and their University of Farmers-trained agents are committed to making consumers smarter about insurance.

Credits:
Client: Farmers Insurance Group
Spot Title: “Dog Bites”
Agency: RPA
EVP, Chief Creative Officer: Joe Baratelli
SVP, Group Creative Director: Pat Mendelson
VP, Creative Director: Tom Hamling
Art Director: Ben Tolbert
Copywriter: Chris Juhas
Art Director: Katie Carlile
Copywriter: Seth Prandini
SVP, Executive Producer, Content: Gary Paticoff
Senior Producer: Selena Producer
Assistant Producer: Ryan Radley
Production Company: Uber Content
Director: Fred Savage
Director of Photography: Peter Deming
Executive Producer: Preston Lee
Producer: Mark Hall
Editorial Company: Spot Welders
Post Production Company: The Mill
Telecine Company: Company 3, Santa Monica, CA
Audio Post Company: Lime Studios
Music Company: Elias Arts, LA