2022 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

Some advertising categories are naturally compelling and generate high interest. Insurance is not one of them. That indifference is the reason many Canadian consumers pay considerably more than they need to for coverage. The RATESDOTCA launch was designed to shake people out of their complacency, creating an expectation of more-competitive car insurance rates.

The company is an insurance aggregator with a robust online platform that simplifies the process of comparing rates from multiple providers. In some countries, 40% of insurance is bought through aggregators, while in Canada, only 5%. The objective was to launch RATESDOTCA as an insurance disruptor, encouraging people to compare rates. They aimed to increase web traffic by 50% year over year, increase quotes by 10%, and increase conversions by 2%.

RATESDOTCA’s target is money-savvy, responsible individuals hitting significant life milestones, such as purchasing their first home. They appreciate brands that enable them to save both time and money. Ironically, their research uncovered that most of them don’t apply this thinking to insurance. They think insurance is expensive but put no effort into seeking a better rate. At renewal, most passively accept the rates they’re offered by their providers, rarely questioning if there’s a better option.

A Leger study commissioned by RATESDOTCA confirmed fewer than 25% of Ontarians bother to shop around for more-competitive premiums. This is costly. The same study confirmed that when people do shop around and switch providers, many save more than $600 annually. The contrast between the small effort required to find better rates and the size of the savings available led to the insight: the most expensive part of insurance is your own complacency. What cures indifference? A jolt. One that could overtly challenge consumers’ inertia.

That jolt came in the form of the “Don’t Get Milked” campaign. Embracing a common metaphor for overpaying, it provided not just the language to define the problem but also a vivid symbol: a sack of cow udders. Large, pink and unapologetic. They recognized this would be polarizing, and they embraced it as a key strategy to rouse people out of their inertia. The campaign included TV, OOH, social and digital executions. All working to make people recognize their complacent behaviour and drive engagement by continuing the metaphor of getting milked in a highly involving manner. The final aspect was the RATESDOTCA website. The campaign call to action directed people to the site to compare quotes and save on their rates. Results Getting people to recognize the cost of complacency set RATESDOTCA on a path to be a game changer in the
Canadian insurance landscape.

“Don’t Get Milked” immediately drove a 22% increase in quotes generated, compared to the same period a year ago. The campaign generated a 180% increase in web traffic compared to 2020 and a 4.5% conversion rate. Insurance is a tough category in which to generate attention, but “Don’t Get Milked” spurred a lot of talk online. Detractors’ favourite descriptors were “gross” and “ridiculous,” while supporters preferred, “these commercials crack me up” and “udderly amazing.” And that willingness to embrace polarization to put RATESDOTCA on the radar? It’s working.

Credits

Agency: Zulu Alpha Kilo
Chief Creative Officer: Zak Mroueh
Group Creative Director: Ian Simpson, Catherine Allen
Art Director: Michael Siegers, Manali Kulkarni
Writer: Jonah Flynn, Dylan Verwey
Head of Design: Stephanie Yung
Designer: Ryan Booth, Vince Rozas, Omar Morson, Zoe Kim
Account Team: Lisa Sousa, Nina Bhayana, Chris Rosario
Strategic Planner: Tim Hopkins
Client: RATESDOTCA Group Ltd.
Clients: Igal Mayer, Leonie Tait, Flora Cheung, Lydia Ku
Agency Producer: Revital Grunberg, Houng Ngui
Media Agency: OMD
Media Team: Garrett Mitchell, Christine Wilson, Peter Venus, Alston Lobo, Ben Aydin, Arthur Hsueh, Dwayne Mataseje
Production House: Untitled Films
Executive Producer : Peter Davis
Line Producer: Kelly King
Director: Francois Lallier
DOP: Francois Gamache
Casting Director: Steven Mann Casting
Post Production: Zulubot
Editor: Max Lawlor, Jessie Posthumus
Online Artist: Alex Boothby
Post Producer: Mariya Guzova
Transfer House: Alter Ego
Colourist: Eric Whipp
Producer: Jane Gearrah
Music House: Eggplant
Audio Director: Adam Damelin
Sound Design: Peter Pacey
Producer: Nicola Treadgold
Engineer: Dan Horton, Ben Spiller
Studio Artists: Pavel Petrycki, Jenny McCracken
Developer: Kyle Collins