The insurance ad oscars
It’s time for our annual look at the industry’s best promos
By Emily Vale, lead consultant at The Lead Agency
Ads – they’re kind of our thing. But we know not everyone is as advertisement-obsessed as we are. So, we’ve scoured the industry to bring you only the best of the best.
Earlier this year, we again opened submissions for the Insurance News and Lead Agency ad oscars – then we called on a panel of industry judges to select their favourites across TV, print and digital.
And, as is becoming tradition, we added a new element to the awards this time: we had participants vote on the most creative ads and those with the best use of emotion. The results revealed an interesting pattern (more on that later).
The you can count on us award – TV
Comedy is king. Traditionally, that’s been the case, at least – outlandish situations where an insurer is there at just the right time. We saw it last year, when both our top-voted ads leaned into humour.
And while there was no shortage of comical ads this time around – they made up most of the shortlist – our two winners took a different approach. Heart-warming, hopeful, and clear in their message: you can count on us.
Runner-up: NRMA for Lighthouse
Judge’s comment: “NRMA was super creative … loved the lighthouse concept.”
We are there when you need us. It’s not an uncommon theme in insurance ads, but it’s the first time we’ve seen it communicated in this way.
A lighthouse, there to provide the guiding light people (and a sheep) needed in the moment.
It’s an ingenious metaphor that was executed beautifully, with a story, aesthetic and backing track that worked together to reel you in effortlessly.
Winner: Allianz for Care You Can Count On
“I think the Allianz ad creatively stands out by subverting the typical insurance category’s ‘problem-solution’ formula, instead using a high-production, cinematic metaphor of a large eagle protecting a small finch to emotionally communicate its brand promise of ‘care’.”
It was an ad that ruffled some feathers. We follow a mother finch as she weathers the storm to protect her egg. As the situation turns dire, an eagle soars in to guide her home safely.
Directed by an award-winning filmmaker best known for movies such as The Greatest Showman, the cinematic ad is a creative depiction of Allianz’s care as you navigate the uncertainties of life.
Whether you loved the concept like our judges and (spoiler) The Lead Agency marketers, it’s an ad that you almost certainly remember seeing on your screen.
Avril Lavigne’s I’m With You, the emotional appeal and compelling slogan all came together to make it one we won’t forget any time soon.
The right on target award – print
Print ads may not have the music and movement of our TV category, but they can still be just as memorable and impactful when done right.
What does that look like? For our winners this year, it was bold branding with an intriguing design element – something a bit different – and considered copy that goes beyond a standalone slogan.
Runner-up: UIG for Experience the Difference
“UIG demonstrated precision, stability and something a little different.”
People love a clever visual, and UIG’s dartboard is right on target. The dart in the bullseye says “precision” without needing to spell it out.
Paired with the intentional use of their bold brand orange, it stands out immediately.
Winner: Arch Insurance for Partner with Arch
“It creatively uses a powerful visual metaphor, transforming its $US20 billion achievement into city skyscrapers to instantly and confidently communicate its scale, financial strength and stability.”
It’s easier to grasp the scale of a big milestone when you can picture it.
Turning $US20 billion into a skyline gives the achievement real weight and makes it instantly impressive. The clean, confident design draws the eye while keeping the message sharp. Brilliant idea, beautiful execution.
The show don’t tell award – digital
Digital placements often give you only a line or two to garner interest.
You need to hook people quickly while still delivering a message that feels relevant enough to make them think, “This is for me.”
Our winners this year nailed that balance. They used strong, purposeful imagery and concise text to complete the picture at a glance.
It’s exactly what this medium demands, and for these standout ads, it paid off in spades.
Runner-up: Xceedance for We’ve Got Your Back
“Maybe it’s because I have an animal thing going on. But probably the pun, and it’s a good pun: it focuses exactly on what they do (back office technology) while providing a positive and uplifting statement about what they do and deliver.”
Who doesn’t love a cute dog? The visual of the dog gently holding the child’s shirt is a warm, memorable way to show support and protection, a light-hearted nod to “having your back”.
It’s complemented by a clear tagline that anchors the creative to its offering: back office technology.
Winner: CGU for Property Cover
“Creative and eye-catching. Makes your eyes go down the page.”
No overexplaining, no clutter. The growing S-XXL typography creates an instant visual cue that different levels of cover are available.
It’s a clean, intuitive way to communicate flexibility that makes sense the moment you see it.
How our favourite ads stack up
We mentioned the new voting criteria earlier: the ads that were most creative and those that had the best use of emotion.
We found almost every one of our winners and runners-up – voted for by our industry panel and The Lead Agency – also placed in the top positions for creativity and emotion.
If you keep up with our articles each year, this might not come as a surprise. We talk a lot about emotion, and often rave about the ads that gave us something new and unexpected.
But seeing the correlation so clearly, not just across our votes but those of our industry panel, really drove it home. We love clever ads that tap into our emotions, whether they make us laugh, cry or something in between.
Interestingly, for the second year in a row, our marketers and industry panel chose the same TV category winner.
Beyond that, there were only a few similarities, and just one other overlap in our top results.
The marketers’ perspective: our final take
After nine years analysing the industry’s ads, you’d think we’d have seen it all.
Yet there’s still no shortage of fresh thinking – clever, creative work that looks at insurance through a new lens.
Last year, we spoke about emotional fatigue. The top ads expected nothing of our emotions. They were light-hearted, often through humour.
This year, it shifted. Our winners still used emotion, but in softer ways that felt warm, human and grounded. The standouts weren’t loud or cluttered. They were practical and impactful.
They told clear stories through simple, smart ideas, without adding to the overwhelm people are already living with. And if our results are anything to go by, they’re what resonated most with audiences.
Thank you to all the businesses that submitted their work and to our judges for their insights. And, of course, congratulations to this year’s winners.
