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Our Bureau

Chennai , March 7

AFTER bringing down the number of ad agencies on its panel by one last year, the Chennai-based United India Insurance has brought out a campaign promoting its industry-related policies, as most renewals take place during this time.

The public sector general insurance company had included Euro RSCG and Sasi Advertising to the revamped panel, retaining Lowe, Flame and MCS. Elegant Publicities, Mudra and Canco were left out from the panel.

A spokesperson for the insurance company said it has decided to have three campaigns for 2005, the first of which advertises its industry-related policies such as Standard Fire and Cargo Transit and those insuring directors' liability. The second campaign, in June-July, will focus on mediclaim, motor vehicle insurance and policies with which to target the common man. The third, during the festival season, will have a mix of both.

Euro RSCG, maker of the TV commercial, has employed a storyline wherein an actor tires to act out scenes of anguish, like reacting to news that his factory is on fire, but in vain. Why? All the while he's looking at a United India poster.

The aim of this TV commercial is to communicate various complex policies simply, says Mr Kaustav Das, Vice-President, Euro RSCG, Chennai, who believes that though the "biggies are already doing it (insuring), there's a huge opportunity presented by small and medium enterprises."

The agency decided that humour was the best way to go about it, as "insurance is linked to a lot of bad news. We didn't want to scare people about it," he says.

The TV commercial will run mainly in news and business channels while the print campaign, being handled by Sasi, will be featured in the top business dailies as well as select general ones. Sify has created, and is running, United India's online campaign.

The marketing budget for 2004-05 was Rs 12 crore, an almost equal mix of mass media and below-the-line activities.

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