In a world of geckos, wacky humor and price-based advertising, consumers don’t view car insurance as anything other than a commodity. Yet real differences exist between insurance brands. This sobering direct response campaign definitely got the customer’s attention. And it helped Allstate get out of a price war and reestablish itself as the category leader.
Results: “Be Prepared” became Allstate’s unbeatable control for several years. It exceeded response goals, created positive momentum in brand tracking and set off a chain reaction of “me-too” car crashes in competitive campaigns.