Financial services giant the Hartford started using a mature male deer in its television advertising in the 1970s, but the majestic mascot dropped out of sight a decade ago.
Now a brand update and a new agency have brought him back and given him a voice for the first time, via several just-launched commercials targeting small businesses.
The campaign is part of a broader effort for the Hartford that bucks the trend, so to speak, of wacky insurance ads that feature freak accidents (a la Farmers Insurance “Hall of Claims” and Allstate’s “Mayhem”), over-the-top sight gags (Geico) and full-on Kraken attacks (Mercury).
The Hartford, which has revamped its website and other marketing with the umbrella tagline “The buck’s got your back,” aims to put its purpose-driven foot forward with a serious (though not weighty) tone that, at this point, could make it stand out in the category.
The company has also rolled out a new mission …