Birla Sun Life Insurance: Batting for insurance

Birla Sun Life Insurance, which belongs to the Aditya Birla Group, has roped in four cricketers — Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma — to endorse its wealth and protection solution plans.

The ads are set within the realistic framework of a candid interview where the cricketers are seen answering questions about the high and low points in their careers. The communication uses the insight: “Jab tak balla chalta hai, thaat chalte hai, Jab balla nahi chalega toh... (Till the bat rules, you rule. And when that stops, then…)” According to JWT, the agency behind the campaign, the ads were shot with the real responses of the cricketers.

“Once we had that idea in place, we decided to use cricketers not as celebrities but as real people in their true down-to-earth form,” says Birla Sun Life Insurance Chief Marketing Officer Ajay Kakar. According to him, cricket clearly underscores the fact that though you could meet with success today, there is no guarantee that you won’t fail tomorrow. And the campaign drives home the need to take cover against failure or lack of form.

The insurance sector with its low penetration of 15 per cent has about 22 players operating in this space. Any new campaign, therefore, needs a clear differentiator if it has to leave an impact. Considering that, the objective of Birla Sun Life’s advertisement was to trigger provocation without being harsh. “At the same time, we needed to be honest and credible,” adds Kakar.

The choice of the celebrities, according to Kakar, was equally important. Thus, the company picked two seasoned veterans like Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag who have both tasted success and faced failure. At the same time, the company wanted two players who are still basking in success. Hence, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma were picked. Says JWT Executive Creative Director Tista Sen: “The use of cricketers goes beyond just brand endorsement. That life is uncertain and we should be prepared for any eventuality is highlighted even further when we hear it from the very cricketers we admire and emulate.”

A full 360-degree campaign has taken off and the ads will air for a year. One more ad is expected to release shortly featuring all the four cricketers.