Leo Burnett Chicago launched an April Fool’s day effort for Esurance promising viewers “Election Insurance” should things go awry this November.
The agency actually isn’t the first to joke about moving to Canada in the wake of the presidential election, as W+K New York offered up a similar reference in its “Moving” spot for Spotify. Leo Burnett Chicago drags out the “Election Insurance” joke for a full two minutes. Spokesman Jon Krasinski provides the usual narration, citing Esurance as “the insurance company that evolves with you, whether you’re settling down to start a family, or uprooting your family to move to Canada” as a family sits in front of a television announcing “…is the next president of the United States.” While most people might have a certain candidate in mind for such a scenario, the spot covers all its bases, with everyone from a hippy stereotype to a redneck stereotype promising to move north following the election and even promising to “protect your home after you abandon it” with a variety of ridiculous services. Already a tired trope, the spot runs the joke into the ground, with the explanation of the services offered as part of the coverage extending the joke about twice as long as it should before ending with a disclaimer that the service isn’t real. To be fair, this is just an April Fool’s effort (which are usually pretty silly) and that section of the spot at least contributes something beyond the tired “moving to Canada,” but then why not trim down the first portion and eliminate a few of the stereotypical characters?
“On April Fools’ Day, we wanted to imagine how homeowner’s insurance might ease the political woes of those people considering a move if their candidate loses,” Leo Burnett Chicago executive vice president Brian Shembeda said in a statement. “We attempted to match the more absurd moments from this year’s presidential race with an equally absurd policy to protect them.”
Credits:
Client: Esurance
Agency: Leo Burnett Chicago
Campaign: Election Insurance
Chief Creative Officer: Britt Nolan
Creative Director: Brian Shembeda, Jeff Candido
ACD/AD: Rene Delgado
ACD/CW: Jono Paull
Art Director: Brian Marcus
Copywriter: Gretch Zachan
Producer: Tim Allan
Account Director: Susan Stefaniak
Account Director: CJ Nielsen
Account Supervisor: Abby Bridgeo
Production Company: The Gentlemen
Directors: The Gentlemen
Executive Producer: Greg Jones
Line Producer: Jonathan Becker
Editorial House: Utopic
Editor: Craig Lewandowski
Editor: Kat Pryor
Executive Producer: Heather Mitchell