Financial institutions have been making a habit of trying to connect with consumers on a more human level, and the new campaign from Lincoln Financial Group is no exception. The Radnor, Penn.-based firm unveiled its "The Responsibility of Love" campaign March 7—its first work from FCB New York, which won the account last August.
A 30-second black and white spot features a series of expressions of love, like a mother blowing on the too-hot food of her child, or a father helping his son tie his neckwear. The ad is set to the song "Love Me Tender." The campaign strives to reinforce the importance of protecting and providing for loved ones, according to the company.
"We designed every element of this campaign to evoke genuine emotion and connect with consumers in a personal and motivating way," said David Wozniak, VP and head of advertising and sponsorships for Lincoln Financial, in a statement.
The new campaign, which will include a national TV, radio, print and digital push, replaces "Chief Life Officer," which had been created by Gyro.
The brand, which provides retirement, insurance and wealth protection services, declined to disclose how much it is spending, though recent years have shown that Lincoln Financial's measured media spend is on the decline. The company spent $11.3 million last year, less than half of the amount of 2014, according to Kantar Media.
The lack of humanity and personal attention in finance has become something of a punchline of late—a recent spot from Nationwide, for example, features a man ignored by a bank teller until the clock strikes 5 p.m., when the teller window closes. Many banks and insurers are seizing the opportunity to talk up their own customer service—a trend that began years ago with campaigns like TD Bank's "Bank Human Again" in 2012. Last month, Bank of Montreal introduced its "BMO Effect" campaign, which is designed to bring a more personalized touch to its services. In one spot, a customer mistakes a human for an automated robot on the other end of the phone.
