MetLife Auto & Home Unveils New Advertising Campaign
3 August 2000
Snoopy Helps Convey "That All Auto Insurers are Not the Same"WARWICK, R.I. - MetLife Auto & Home began airing a new television and radio advertising campaign featuring Snoopy to build awareness that "all auto insurers are not the same" and to promote its Coverage Plus and Deductible Savings Benefit programs. These programs include features not found in most insurance policies. "Consumers are often very surprised to discover that their auto insurer depreciates their vehicle and won't pay the full cost to replace the car if it is totaled," said John Rutecki, vice-president of marketing for MetLife Auto & Home. "Unfortunately, the importance of having the right insurance is not realized until a loss occurs. With the help of Snoopy, these ads draw attention to the fact that consumers need to be educated about some of the coverage gaps and unexpected expenses that they could be saddled with, and to emphasize that all insurers are certainly not the same," he added. The 30-second TV ad, entitled The Gift, is a tongue-in-cheek commercial featuring a woman in her garage wrapping a giant red ribbon on a new sportscar that she has purchased as a surprise gift for her husband. After she finishes tying the ribbon, her husband returns home later that evening and crashes right into the new car -- believing the garage is empty. At this point, the voice-over says simply: "New car totaled? MetLife Auto will replace it without deducting for depreciation and still save you up to $200 or more in premiums. Now that's insurance the way it ought to be..." Snoopy is one of the last images seen in the commercial, comforting the shocked husband and wife who will have their vehicle replaced because they have MetLife Auto & Home's Coverage Plus. "The Coverage Plus program, coupled with our other product differentiation strategies such as our Deductible Savings Benefit program, distinguishes us from our competition," said Rutecki. "We listened to our customers' concerns and found a way to provide an auto product that gives them greater peace of mind. Many customers don't realize that if they have an accident in their brand new car, their claim reimbursement may not fully cover the cost of a new vehicle because of depreciation, which could be thousands of dollars," he added. The Coverage Plus program features three main elements: -- No deduction for depreciation on total losses of new cars within the first year and/or 15,000 miles -- Replacement cost settlement on special parts such as batteries and tires on partial losses due to accidents -- Elimination of "hidden" costs in rental-car claims (such as loss of use to the rental agency and the agency's administrative costs) In addition, in many markets the company is using the Peanuts(R) characters in radio advertisements to promote its Deductible Savings Benefit feature. The Deductible Savings Benefit rewards customers with a $50 credit towards their deductible for every year of loss-free driving while insured by MetLife Auto & Home, up to $250. (not available in all states) The TV and radio campaign is airing in markets around the country and will continue through the Fall. The markets include Hartford/Danbury, CT; Gainesville, Panama City and Tampa, FL; Jackson, MS; Manchester/Portsmouth, NH; Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Westchester, NY; Cincinnati, Columbus, and Dayton, OH; Providence, RI; Knoxville and Nashville, TN; Salt Lake City, UT; Richmond, VA; Seattle and Spokane, WA; Madison and Milwaukee, WI. An affiliate of MetLife , MetLife Auto & Home is one of the nation's leading personal lines property and casualty companies with over 2.9 million policies in force. It provides insurance products for the auto, home, apartment, condominium, boat, vacation and rental property, recreational vehicle, as well as personal excess liability. MetLife Auto & Home is a brand of Metropolitan Property and Casualty Insurance Company and its affiliates, Warwick, RI