John Hancock Extends “Life Comes Next” Campaign With Three New Ads

BOSTON, Sept. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- John Hancock today launched three new ad spots in phase two of its 'Life Comes Next' advertising campaign. Each of the ads begins on television, portraying individuals and families in pivotal life moments, facing challenges with financial implications such as deciding to obtain life insurance protection for a new family, affording college, building wealth and planning for retirement or long-term care needs. The ads then send viewers to a dedicated microsite, HancockNext.com, where they may finish the stories by viewing three alternative endings for each, join in a discussion about them, and obtain information related to the various financial scenarios. Each of the endings closes with the tagline:  'When life comes, be prepared for it.' 

Originally launched one year ago, 'Life Comes Next' was named "Advertising Campaign of the Year" at the 22nd Annual Mutual Fund Industry Awards event sponsored by Fund Industry Intelligence, in March of this year.

"What's different this time is that we are incorporating some humor into the scenarios," said James W. Bacharach, Vice President of Brand, Marketing & Creative Services. "For most people, these types of conversations – about having enough money to live on, or buying life insurance – often are difficult and many of us use humor or irony to diffuse the awkwardness. We believe this approach is consistent with our tradition of depicting real-life conversations in a realistic way."

Also new this year are references to John Hancock's recently launched Vitality product, an innovative life insurance solution that provides policyholders with industry-leading financial protection, as well as opportunities to significantly save on their annual premiums and earn valuable rewards and discounts for taking steps to improve their health.

The three new ads comprising 'Life Comes Next' feature empathetic portrayals of common experiences: 

• "The Walk" depicts a young couple, with a baby in a jogging stroller, engrossed in a conversation neither one is enthusiastic about. Viewers find out the topic by going online: are they grappling with a new need to buy life insurance, contemplating having one of their fathers move in with them, or planning for seemingly far-off college costs?
• In "The Sixth Floor," a 40-ish woman takes a deep breath as she steps out of an elevator. Is she: seeing for the first time the new office space of her own company; there on a job interview, returning to work after a hiatus raising children; or entering a doctor's office waiting room as her husband undergoes a health screening?
• An older, retired man studies an iPad on the sun porch of his home, as his son and daughter in law anxiously look on, in "The Question." The couple is showing him either: the new home where they hope he will come to live with them, an assisted-living community, or his old storefront space where they plan to open a restaurant?

The ad spots include an active social media component, Bacharach said. "We are fostering a dialogue, asking viewers how they think the story should or most likely will end, and to share their own experiences." The audience is invited to join the conversation at #LifeComesNext.

Along with the story videos, on the HancockNext website viewers learn where to find more information about financial concerns, as well as statistics such as average student loan debt, the percentage of mothers who are the top earners in their families, and the percentage of Americans who have a plan for long-term care.

"While 'Life Comes Next' realistically shows situations people face every day, it also reflects today's reality that many are watching TV with their smart phone, laptop or tablet active at the same time as well," said Kate Ardini, Brand Director, John Hancock. "Of the time spent watching TV, our target audience spends as much as 70 percent of that time with a second device active, so these ads give us the chance to continue telling stories from one medium to another as well as giving us more time to tell them."

The approach has been working. Bacharach says that visits to the website for phase one were actually double what was forecast. Additionally, for the first group of ads, time of engagement on the website turned out to be 40 percent above forecast levels. 

The new ads are slated to run from September through December and then again in late March for the spring. They will appear on NFL Thursday night games on the NFL Network (cable), on network college football, ESPN, and popular lifestyle cable channels including Discovery, History Channel, Food Network and the Travel Channel.  Online, the ads will appear on SportsIllustrated.com, ESPN.com, NFL.com and Forbes.com.

John Hancock's new ads were created by advertising agency Hill Holliday under the direction of Scott Noble, Bob Gates, Joe Fallon, and Chief Creative Officer Lance Jensen. Memorable prior Hill Holliday campaigns for John Hancock have included "Real Life. Real Answers," "Investments for the Opportunities. Insurance for the Unexpected," and "Cursor." 

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife
John Hancock Financial is a division of Manulife, a leading Canada-based financial services group with principal operations in Asia, Canada and the United States. Operating as Manulife in Canada and Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, our group of companies offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Assets under management and administration by Manulife and its subsidiaries were C$883 billion (US$708 billion) as at June 30, 2015. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife can be found on the Internet at manulife.com.

The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers and administers a broad range of financial products, including life insurance, annuities, investments, 401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at johnhancock.com.

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SOURCE John Hancock Financial