With uncertainty looming every day the COVID-19 pandemic continues, even things as simple as daily routines can feel debilitating. However, they don’t have to. Western & Southern set out to prove this by educating consumers about their financial options, demonstrating that no one has to settle for uncertainty thanks to Western & Southern’s 100+ year history of financial strength and stability.
Research showed that the overwhelming majority of our target audience, adults 35-64, were not planning adequately for retirement, nor for the financial fallout of a potential major life event. And with the COVID-19 pandemic in full force, uncertainty regarding both finances and the future was at an all-time high. With these findings, we uncovered a unique path forward for the brand and positioned the financial tools and protections of Western and Southern as ways to make an unpredictable future a little more predictable.
With a clear vision for combatting an unclear future, we created the “Look Ahead” campaign which positions the road ahead as something to embrace, rather than something to fear. We launched the campaign at the Western and Southern Open (one of the first televised sporting events to occur since the U.S. postponed sports due to COVID-19), and used print, TV, CTV and social as ways to offer a targeted message of hope to all of those feeling gripped by the financial uncertainty of the present moment.
24.5 million digital impressions, 7.3 million video completions and 22,700 visits to the Look Ahead landing page showed that our target audience was eager to leave the unknown behind. And with our TV, print, and online print delivering 1.9 million impressions, the path to future success through present certainty was made crystal clear for both our target audience and Western & Southern alike.
