You may have noticed a big production ad campaign featuring Bruce Willis, Elle McPherson, Ringo Starr, Macaulay Culkin and others. Yes, Norwich Union feel the need to tell us they're now called Aviva in a big way. You' be forgiven for thinking some financial services providers must still be raking it in to afford such self indulgence.
Don't get me wrong, the company's "Happy" campaign is pretty good. Irritating possibly - but good, yes. It's product advertising promoting specific benefits in a memorable way.
However, the "building our business around you" re-branding campaign is a diamond dusted dog turd reminiscent of Abbey's "turning banking on its head" catastrophe.
The two ads so far have:
1. Compared the corporate name change to the impact of actors' stage names. Irrelevant.
2. Announced a bunch of overused and empty brand values that no-one really believes anymore.
Incorporating the re-branding into the "Happy" campaign would have made a stronger association in my opinion. It would have cost a truckload less money too.
What's more, with the running of financial institutions currently under close media scrutiny, such a wasteful and pointless campaign is a potential PR disaster. Particularly as Aviva have just announced they're cutting 1,100 jobs in the UK. It's obscene. Grrrr!
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