Auto insurance company The General has launched a new campaign that brings together a trio of pop culture icons: NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, Grammy-winning artist T-Pain, and beloved Transformer Bumblebee.
This star-studded collaboration, developed in partnership with creative agency Energy BBDO, aims to deliver a simple message with a humorous twist: everyone deserves a break.
T-Pain pokes fun at his own public image in “Break From AutoTune.” Meanwhile, in “Acting Up,” Shaq is seen struggling with a new ride, only to be bailed out by Bumblebee.
Here’s what iSpot’s Creative Assessment platform revealed on actual viewer response to the campaign.
The Details:
- The new :30 “Acting Up” was a bonafide hit with American consumers, boasting above-norm resonance across all age/gender segments and sparking a 47% purchase/visit intent rate, +10 pts over one-year auto insurance benchmarks:
- Breakthrough (Attention and Likeability) and Watchability were the ad’s strengths; however, this :30 ranked in the 90th percentile or higher across a range of creative performance metrics. While still besting norms in Information, this aspect of the spot was the weakest link.
- The characters (Shaq, The General, and of course, the Bumblebee Transformer) stood out to viewers at a rate nearly 4X that was seen for the average category spot, with The General unaided recall also above average.
- Breakthrough (Attention and Likeability) and Watchability were the ad’s strengths; however, this :30 ranked in the 90th percentile or higher across a range of creative performance metrics. While still besting norms in Information, this aspect of the spot was the weakest link.
- Second-by-second trace reflects the success “Acting Up” achieved in grabbing early engagement across all ages, and boosting it throughout the ad; namely, when Shaq was clearly seen and again, at Bumblebee’s appearance:
- Viewer comments reference the Attention-getting nature of the creative, particularly with the unexpected use of Bumblebee/a transforming car—and Shaq, as well as the humor. For some, an overall lack of details on the brand itself or the pull of the distracting visuals left them wishing for more clarity.
Sample comments on “Acting Up” :30
“This commercial was so great and so fun. It also has Shaquille O’Neal in it. They also have the character from Transformers. Mind you, I grew up with The General commercials for car insurance, so any time I see one of those commercials I get very excited, because that’s a part of my childhood, but overall, I recommend this program to all the people out there. Rating this advertisement at 10 out of 10.”
Male 21-35
“I think the ad was very funny, especially when Bumblebee started singing opera. But I think it took away from the actual message a little bit. But it’s still a good ad.”
Female 21-35
“The ad immediately caught my attention once they mentioned Shaq, who I really like and admire. I liked the characters, especially The General, Shaq and that Transformer character, the latter of which I had never expected (a car transforming into a movie character). Although I don’t particularly know the Transformer character, it was clever and also unexpected to be a gentle female kind of character, not the typical Transformer movie I first watched many years ago. Also, very funny overall.”
Male 50+
“I like this ad and also that it featured “Bumblebee,” a character from one of my favorite movies. It was interesting to watch and funny, especially when Bumblebee started singing and performing.”
Female 36-49
“It was a nice ad to include an iconic character from a movie franchise. It makes this ad great to enjoy and for viewers engage with the advertiser.”
Male 21-35
“I think that it grabbed the attention of the audience and held their attention throughout the whole ad.”
Male 36-49
“Well, I don’t know much about The General or what it even is (is The General the name of the company?? Is it Insurance??? Not really sure!) But who doesn’t love an ad with Shaq and Bumblebee in it?????”
Female 50+
- “Auto Tune Guy” was also a success in many ways, but did not resonate as well with those over 50, pointing to targeting opportunities:
- iSpot media measurement reflects a favoring of the :15 cuts on linear, with more Spend allocated to “Auto Tune Guy.” Given consumer response, The General might choose to run “Acting Up” in broad audience media while shifting “Auto Tune Guy” to programming with younger audiences.
- The “Auto Tune Guy” creatives are also showing below-norm Attention Indices in-market, indicating some optimization of networks, shows, and dayparts could be achieved. Interruption Rates for both the :15 and :30 “Auto Tune Guy” are tracking above the average for their media placements.
- iSpot media measurement reflects a favoring of the :15 cuts on linear, with more Spend allocated to “Auto Tune Guy.” Given consumer response, The General might choose to run “Acting Up” in broad audience media while shifting “Auto Tune Guy” to programming with younger audiences.
- About three in four viewers of each :30 spot reported owning an auto, with one in two reporting home ownership as well:
- “Acting Up” enjoyed the stronger reception among both groups, but “Auto Tune Guy” was still positively received.
- “Acting Up” ranks among the top five auto insurance ads of the past 90 days (at #3); however, several competitive spots were a bit more persuasive to consumers:
Ineffective creative, even if delivered to the right audience, results in missed opportunity and performance shortfalls. Great creative delivered poorly also results in failed campaigns.
Schedule a demo to find out how your brand can partner with iSpot to quickly solve both challenges simultaneously, delivering high-performing creative while boosting the effectiveness of planning and in-market execution to achieve—and outperform—campaign objectives.
Creative Agency: Energy BBDO