Who: Belairdirect, with Sid Lee for creative; Merchant Studios for production; Fort York VFX for colour; SNDWRx for audio; PHD Montreal and Rocketer on media; Hill & Knowlton on PR.
What: “Safety On My Mind,” a new campaign from the insurance provider anchored by a music video that draws inspiration from ‘90s and 2000s R&B hits to deliver a message about the savings enjoyed by safe drivers.
What: “Safety On My Mind,” a new campaign from the insurance provider anchored by a music video that draws inspiration from ‘90s and 2000s R&B hits to deliver a message about the savings enjoyed by safe drivers.
When & Where: The campaign is primarily focused on digital and social, airing on YouTube Premiere, with the single available on Spotify and support across Instagram and TikTok. On TikTok, the brand is inviting creators to participate through the Branded Mission platform to share safety-related “green flags” that a partner displays, including unplugging appliances at home, and checking to make sure doors are locked at night.
The campaign will be supported by OOH efforts outside of Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena on February 5, 7, 13 and 14, when a branded truck will drive around the venue to capture the attention of Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors fans before parking to play the song.
Finally, because of the “very high potential” the campaign has been showing online, the brand has added a significant broadcast buy to its mix, said vice president of distribution marketing and digital strategy, Mari-Pierre Leclerc.
Why: Belairdirect is aiming the campaign at an audience that prefers “less traditional advertising,” said Leclerc. It is attempting to build a strong and beloved brand, and in order to do that, it has to find ways to stand out—not only among insurers, but among every brand competing for viewers in digital spaces.
“Customers are bombarded with thousands of brands trying to talk to them every day,” she explained. “We needed to differentiate ourselves as a brand and find a clever way to stand out and capture their attention.”
By tying the brand’s messaging to a timely moment—in this case, Valentine’s Day—and executing in an unorthodox way through the music video, Leclerc said, Belairdirect hopes to surprise its 18 to 34-year-old target audience “with something that’s truly unique.”
How: The campaign takes the shape of a two-minute music video featuring Canadian comedian Big norm and singer Osé that pays homage to the R&B chart toppers of the 90’s and 2000’s. It features Big Norm as what Belairdirect describes as "a lovestruck beau driving headfirst into the world of romance."
The silky smooth ballad highlights several ways in which drivers can practice safe driving and save money by insuring their vehicles with Belairdirect. The lyrics include "I grab the wheel at 10 and two and signal right/second out the driveway, I let my blinker light the night" and "When you put your phone on silent mode/it sends shivers down my spine."
The video is rolling out with a heavy focus on social, where it can be targeted specifically to the core audience. On such platforms, “people are looking to be entertained,” said Leclerc. That plays to Belairdirect’s strengths, she said, because “innovation is really part of our DNA. The more relevant and tailored you can be for the audience you’re trying to reach and connect with, the better.”
The brand has been working on TikTok specifically for the past two years, said Leclerc, who said it has been “a great channel” that has performed well for Belairdirect.
“We partner with creators to help expand our reach, because speaking in our own voice is one thing, but when you ask creators to speak to their own audiences in their own way and give them the opportunity to play with the brand, it gives it quite a bit of power,” she said. “People do recognize we are partnering with the creator, but they appreciate that the creator is doing it in their own way.”
And we quote: “We want to build our brand awareness and consideration, and because we need to do so across age groups, using our brand and making it relevant during a cultural moment like Valentine’s Day is one way to help us achieve our goal. By making it entertaining, we can succeed at grabbing consumers’ attention.” — Mari-Pierre Leclerc, vice president of distribution marketing and digital strategy, Belairdirect
