Ford car insurance

Project: Ford car insurance
Client: Ford Motor Company
Description: Print and TV ad concepts for Ford’s entry into the car insurance business. Ford wished to portray itself as a traditional, comfortably familiar brand venturing into new territory. The ideas and concepts build on humor, visuals, empathy, and icons of pop culture.

CONCEPT: Taking the pain out of life
Visual: A dental patient in the chair, the dentist holding an oversized, spooky-looking syringe, the attractive nurse at his side. All are ludicrously happy, sides splitting with laughter, joy written on their faces. It’s an incongruous scene.

Caption: Open wide for a big surprise. We can’t take the pain out of going to the dentist, but we can help you with the next-worst thing: finding the right insurance program. Let our friendly agents help you save as much as $350 on your next policy. It’s free, it’s easy, it’s quick, and it’s painless. Pass the cash, hold the novocaine.

Other similar, incongruous situations: A courtroom scene with defendant and plaintiff; a traffic cop and speeding driver; man or woman on an operating table, with surgeon and specialists hovering about.

CONCEPT: Rites of passage profile

Visual: Older, rugged male

Caption:
You have met life’s challenges head on.
You made it from grade school to high school, then graduated to the school of life.
You learned to beat others at their own game.
You met your loves, true and false, then found your life mate.
You created your place in the world, and have tried to make it better for others.
You raised a good family. You want your children to have it easier than you did.

Now it’s time for yet another challenge: find the right insurance company.

This time, do yourself a favor. Take a load off, and let us help you. You’ve earned it. Ford Insurance Services steps up to bat for its customers and finds the best deal for every Ford owner. It’s quick, it’s easy, it’s free, and you can wind up with a savings of up to $350. That’s a sound investment in a lot of ways.

Other possibilities: Adapt this example to single men and women of all ages, and married couples of all age groups.

CONCEPT: The weight of the world, using a mythical figure

Visual 1: Atlas, exhausted, is stooped over, bearing the weight of the world on his broad shoulders. He reads an insurance policy at his feet.
Caption: Weighted down by that heavy insurance policy?

Visual 2: A smiling Atlas with the globe beneath his sandaled foot, the insurance policy in his hands.
Caption: Take a load off. Let us handle it for you.

Other possibilities: Other mythological figures, such as Samson, Hercules, Thor, Zeus.

CONCEPT: Positive outlook on life

Note: This series is potential Photoshop heaven, using saturated, perhaps polarized light, and other visual effects towards creating idealized, ethereal landscapes—maybe à la Maxfield Parrish or the feature film, What Dreams May Come.

Visual: An idealized landscape, with the profile or silhouette of husband and wife in the foreground. They gaze at the idyllic horizon. OR: Head-shot profile of a man or woman in the foreground, looking on.

Caption: Making the move to a new insurance provider can make all the difference between a good day and a bad day—or a good year and a bad year. Let Ford Insurance Services help you make the transition smoothly and quickly, without cost, while putting a savings of up to $350 in your pocket. Let us help you make the world beautiful again.

CONCEPT: Nostalgia and pop culture; matchmaking
(A potential series using popular movie motifs)

Visual: A B/W film noire look. A tough-guy Bogart-like detective in a trench coat puts the moves on a Lauren Bacall-like moll.

Caption: In this topsy-turvy world, it’s nice to know there’s somebody you can rely on. Ford Insurance Services is always there when you need us. When it’s time to find a new provider, you know where you can turn for free and immediate advice. And with as much as $350 that you might save making the switch, you can always have Paris.

Other possible pairings: Faye Wray and King Kong, Robin and Marian, Tarzan and Jane

CONCEPT: Headache of making choices

Visual: Two piles of paper on a desk. One is four feet high. One is one sheet of paper. They are labeled, respectively, THEM and US.

Caption: Who’s got the time? When you’re looking for new insurance coverage, sifting through the details can be a mountainous task. Let Ford Insurance Services help you cut through it and match you with the right choice. It’s free, it’s quick, and it may well save you over $300. That’s a pile of dough.

CONCEPT: The impact of needless stress and worry

Two paired visuals: 1) Attractive woman with hair that looks unkempt and lousy, and so does she; 2) Same woman looking radiant. At first glance we assume this to be a hairdo or beauty-supply ad. The paired photos are labeled, respectively, BEFORE and AFTER.

Head: The 30-minute makeover

Caption: Mary was a mess the more she worried about switching insurance companies. She wasn’t getting the benefits she needed, but it was even more of a hassle finding the right provider. Then she decided to trust the same dealer from whom she had purchased her car. Ford Insurance Services came through in just half an hour. Their efforts were free, easy, and saved her over $300. What a change relief can make. Saving money never goes out of style.

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