MetLife's "If" campaign

(OK - Disclaimer to begin with: Yes, I am currently employed by MetLife; but that has no bearing on my opinions below - I speak as just another soul who MetLife talks to with its new campaign)

I just love the MetLife "If" campaign: it captures a really profound message in a single word, "if". I remember the first time I saw an as a little girl, for a company that was selling Life insurance. The ad was black and white; it had a despondent widow with a really scared looking pair of children in it. The headline obviously talked to the main (typically male in those days) breadwinner of the family. The message was simple - will your family survive after you? It was effective, I'll give you that... but as a 10-yr old, it scared the living daylights out of me! You see, it made me picture the loss of my Dad - and that possibility simply traumatized me... I was too young to ponder the 'how will we survive' bit, but I was really upset with the notion that something might happen to my Dad...

Through the years, I've seen variations of that theme used by various names in the Insurance world. Fear was the key... And then finally, last year I saw the "If" series from Met. Wow, what a difference a simple change in the message can make!

My verdict: 6 out of 6 stars!
Undoubtedly, this campaign really resonates with how I - and I am sure most of us, would like to handle life... It focuses on the uncertain and capricious nature of life still... but by asking "if", it emphasizes the need to plan, in stead of triggering panic. It acknowledges that "if" is a(n unavoidable) part of "life" yet it takes away the fear of uncertainty... It effectively tells you that you have control. Also neat is that "if" is a part of the name of the company, "MetLife". It really all fits!

Another aspect of the campaign that I love - almost every person will find one ad that they can identify with. No longer is the Target audience the male and often sole earning member of the family... it is truly inclusive of everyone who needs to plan for the uncertainties in life. Whether it be retirement, a new baby, a marriage - whatever the if in one's life...

And finally - there's Snoopy :-) Did I mention somewhere that I love dogs???