'Serious' advertisers try to be humorous

Article Abstract:

Hartford Financial Services Group will advertise during the Super Bowl, but it won't be a fire scene or other tragedy to promote its insurance. Instead it will be slapstick humor that it hopes will give the company a warmer image. At $1.6 million for 30 seconds, it seems like an expensive chance to take. Some experts say humor is a tricky thing and when it comes from out of the blue from an insurance company, it might or it might not work, especially when the humor won't set Hartford apart, but instead makes it one of the pack. All the others that will use humor aren't taking quite the same kind of chance. Hartford's ad agency is Arnold Communications.

Comment:

Co. will use slapstick humor in its Super Bowl ads, a departure for an insurance company

Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers, Demographics, Hospital and medical service plans, Medical Care Insurance, Insurance industry, Super Bowl Game (Football), Health insurance, Hartford Fire Insurance Co., Arnold Communications Inc.

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VW throws in everything except the car

Article Abstract:

Sales are up and advertising memory of VW ads is strong, so Volkswagen is betting on its new teaser ads to work in its favor while the public has to wait to see the new product. The ads created by the company's Boston-based agency Arnold Advertising, feature a dog sitting in front of a fan, for example, to simulate what a dog does in a car with the window open, or in this case, what a dog will do in a new Volkswagen.

Motor vehicles and car bodies, Automobiles, Automobile Manufacturing, Campaign Launched, Consumer Attitudes, Design/Copy, Automobile industry, Volkswagen AG, Foreign cars, Automobiles, Foreign, Arnold and Company Inc.

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