DirectAsia aims to banish boring insurance advertising with help of Robin Hood

"We believe that advertising for the Hong Kong insurance industry has so far relied too heavily on traditional and boring, tried and tested imagery," said Nicolas Faquet, CEO of DirectAsia.com Hong Kong. "We're used to images of umbrellas to show protection, smiley happy people living perfect lives and impossibly good-looking families with good teeth."

It is hoped the gallant and chivalrous Robin Hood will accelerate and establish DirectAsia.com's standing among its competitors, as well as change people’s negative perceptions about insurance.

The use of a branded character to increase awareness of an insurance brand is relatively new to the Hong Kong market, but is itself a tried and tested method elsewhere. Previously, a meerkat was used for Compare the Market (UK); a bulldog for Churchill (UK) and a gecko for Geico Insurance (USA).

Faquet added that the Robin Hood character captures the ideal brand values for his company. "Robin Hood is straight-talking, honest and a challenger," he said. "He hates injustices and is protective of the rights of the man on the street. Our business model is similar. Our mission is to change the way insurance is done."

Bennett Leung, creative director of Alchemy Asia (Hong Kong), the agency behind the campaign, described how Robin Hood was made fun and engaging by modernising him and giving him an interesting personality with a rich backstory. "He’s not one-dimensional,” Leung said.

Robin Hood was introduced as a guy who loves to give money back to people, who imagines himself to be a suave, charming hero, but really is a little clumsy and endearing. In the TVC, the quirky hero swings triumphantly from car to car in the early morning hours as he tries to quietly leave cash under the windshield wipers of DirectAsia.com customers. He then accidentally slips, triggering a car alarm and waking a family.

Launched on 3 June, Robin Hood will feature heavily in the insurer's television commercial and cinema spot, which combine CGI animation and live-action environments. 

Next year, DirectAsia.com plans on releasing a second commercial that continues the tale of Robin Hood.

CREDITS

Client: DirectAsia.com
Agency: Alchemy Asia
Creative Director: Bennett Leung, Christopher Chan
Copywriter: Jason Chau
Art Director: Chip Yip
Director: Rob Shaw of BENT IMAGE LAB
Producer: Monique Lillicrap of TRIBE
Producer: Andrew Harvey of BENT IMAGE LAB