Kindness makes a difference in AMI Insurance’s latest brand platform via Colenso BBDO, NZ

For most people insurance is boring and a grudge purchase. That is until you need it. And then, you really appreciate it. AMI has launched a new positioning via Colenso BBDO, that centres on the emotion of insurance through the lens of kindness.

The work features a manifesto brand spot that shows various people confronted by moments when kindness can make all the difference. And introduces why an insurer, of all people, believe they can stand for kindness.

Says Steve Cochran, executive creative director, Colenso BBDO: “Insurance companies usually either promise, ‘we’ll put it right’ or use light-hearted hyperbole to say, ‘whatever happens you’re okay’. The chance to focus on the true feelings people experience around insurance was fresh and rich territory for us. The myriad of emotions that we all have when things go wrong. Anger, silliness, fear, shock, and despair. These are times when we need empathy, when we want to be treated with kindness. And as we know, kindness a powerful thing.”

Cynics will no doubt be quick to jump on examples where kindness is seemingly missing from insurance claims. But as IAG general manager of customer and marketing, Renee Milkop-Kerr explains, kindness is not always about doing the nice thing, but rather, doing the right thing. And even when dealing with negative issues, there’s always a kind way to do it.

Says Milkop-Kerr: “AMI has a long history of being a caring and people orientated brand. We’re the only insurer to have stores nationwide where you can have a chat face to face. So kindness has always been in our DNA. We’ve just now making the arguably brave move, to stand up and publicly say that we put kindness at the centre of who AMI is. This is not simply a marketing line but a position that our whole business is behind and embracing.”

The campaign introduces a interesting way of talking to kindness with playful use of the word ‘kinda’. You might say a ‘kinda’ language that helps give the communications consistency across visual and audio channels. At the same time, the brand’s look has been given a refresh with new art direction including the introduction of secondary colours to complement AMI’s yellow.

The films were directed by Ric Cantor of Scoundrel Films, with stills captured by Alistair Guthrie. The campaign is running across TV, online, OOH, newspaper and radio.

Client [Company]: IAG
Client: Valerie von Geldern, Marketing Manager AMI
Client: Divesh Bhula, Senior Segment Marketer AMI
Client: Diane Dickinson, Senior Customer Designer, IAG
Client: Peter Hall, Head of Consumer Marketing, IAG
Client: Renee Milkop-Kerr, EM Customer & Marketing, IAG

Agency: Colenso BBDO

Production Company: Scoundrel
Director: Ric Cantor

Media Agency: PHD

Any other partners:
Voice over artist – Ben Baker
Music composed by Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper, Franklin Rd