Who: Sonnet Insurance’s in-house marketing team, with Whitney Creative for English production and Rethink for French video production. The company also worked with the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) on player selection and scripting.
What: A new wave of ads in Sonnet’s ongoing “Young Stars Vs. The Legends” creative platform. It’s a continuation of its partnership with the NHLPA, which started with media content like this and this before evolving into a full-fledged campaign.
When & Where: The new campaign debuted yesterday (Jan. 13) and runs through the remainder of the NHL season, with a media buy that includes NHL telecasts and the upcoming NHL All-Star Game, complemented by a mix of lifestyle networks.
Why: It’s aimed at raising awareness of the nearly four-year-old Sonnet brand and how it enables consumers to purchase their home and automobile insurance completely online in less than five minutes.
The campaign is an extension of the brand’s “Then and Now” series of brand spots, which communicate how Sonnet has changed the insurance industry, says vice-president of marketing Brian Long.
How: The campaign aims to inform viewers how much the insurance business has changed, humorously contrasting its development with the changes that have taken place in hockey in recent years.
The campaign’s launch spot, “Sticks,” features Toronto Maple Leafs players Zach Hyman, Frédérik Gauthier and Morgan Rielly (yep, still in the league, despite seemingly having his career ended by Oilers star Connor McDavid last week), receiving a new order of carbon fibre custom curve sticks.
It then cuts to a group of Canadian hockey veterans comprised of Jayna Hefford, Doug Gilmour and Mario Tremblay using a blowtorch to create decidedly non-regulation curves on their stick blades. “What, you guys don’t curve your own sticks anymore?” asks Gilmour, wearing a welder’s helmet and oven mitts. “No ref would check that,” says Tremblay. “Totally,” agrees Hefford.
Two additional spots, “Pre-game Fashion” and “Warm-Up” will roll out about six weeks apart.
And we quote: “The Sonnet commercials from the 2018-19 hockey season were a huge hit with Canadian viewers, so we’re incredibly proud to continue this partnership with the NHLPA that brings highly relevant content to hockey fans across the country while extending awareness of our brand.” — Roger Dunbar, senior vice-president, Sonnet Insurance.
