Straight talk

Abundant references to reincarnations and re births in our mythology notwithstanding, as a nation, we remain largely squeamish about the subject of death.

Any references to the probability of death are considered bad omens and draw awkward pauses. While taboo topics of live-ins and homosexual rights are being discussed in our living rooms through the platform of media, death remains a risqué subject even for media.

Advertising for life insurance also has had a circuitous relationship with the subject of death. We were introduced to life insurance by the “Mr. Sharma” ad which stated the bald truth of the after-life of a widow after the wage earner’s death. This ad was forceful enough to makes its presence felt in consumer groups, years after its release.

With the liberalization of the insurance sector, ICICI Prudential put a positive spin on this stark approach by symbolizing the long life of the husband through vermillion. In the hindsight, this wasn’t a paradigm shift it appeared to be; in effect it was a step away from having a direct conversation with the consumer.

The tone was thus set for the entire category’s communication to be a tight rope walk. The balancing act would be talking about death in euphemisms and avoiding any offence to the sensibilities of the consumers.

The category quickly spread itself to meet the needs of pensions, children plans, ULIP of a market savvy insurer who wanted growth in a booming economy. Death moved further away from our collective consciousness and we acquired a new vocabulary of growth, responsibility, self sufficiency and bright future to assure ourselves of being infallible.

Max New York Life shook our cultivated senses with a direct reference in “Sanju” but quickly toed the line to talk optimistically about” kar lo zyada ka iraada”. HDFC’s recent communication has dared to raise the notch higher. The category needs bolder efforts that will challenge and transform the closeted approach towards death. Thought leaders should come forward to address the core benefit of insurance and shake the category from its reverie by some straight talk about the need of insurance.

(The author is National Creative Director, Leo Burnett)