Leo Burnett has just launched the latest addition to All State’s long-running “Mayhem” series, this time casting the character as a social media-savvy burglar in a campaign directed by Jeff Tremaine of production company HēLō.
“I’m kind of a social media nerd,” says the character at the beginning of one of the new spots. “I’m also kind of a burglar.”
He then goes on to explain that he’s currently in the house of a couple who posted that they were away in New Orleans for the weekend he took it as an invitation to break in and sell all their stuff. Purportedly inspired by a real-life post from a couple named Matt and Shannon, the campaign debuted on January 1st during the Allstate Sugar Bowl and subsequently featured Mayhem character hocking the couple’s possessions in mock infomercial style. (Yes, the site www.MayhemSale.com purported to offer their chairs, plates, and “non-working smoke detectors” for sale at bargain prices.)
It’s all part of the larger Project Aware Share campaign, which seeks to educate “consumers about sharing safely, understanding social media privacy settings and emphasizing the importance of having the right home protection so that they don’t expose themselves to theft and burglary.” Visitors to the campaign landing page can find tips and information on how to share safely on social media, as well as home insurance coverage.
“We’re not saying don’t use social media,” Pam Hollander, vice president, integrated marketing communications at Allstate, told AdAge. “We’re saying use it smartly. There are people out there posting everything about their lives and they leave themselves vulnerable.”