Lifebroker set to run controversial ‘Gaddafi’ tactical ad via McCann-Erickson, Melbourne
McCann-Erickson Melbourne has created a topical press ad for their client Lifebroker, featuring Muammar Gaddafi. It runs as part of their new campaign to remind Australians of the importance of life insurance.
A representative of Lifebroker who thought it better not to be named said “whether you’re a young family or a maniacal despot, life insurance is one of those things that you never want to need, but will always need to have. At Lifebroker we’re the experts at finding the right life insurance to suit people’s immediate and long term needs.”
The campaign will run in tomorrow’s The Australian, The Age and Sun Herald.
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26 Comments
A bit of a logic leap here. Does Gaddafi need it because he’s being hunted or do we need it in case we get a repressed government that kills it’s people?
Either way having Gadaffi as the face of your company is probably a bad move.
For those working at the Campaign Palace, they also do income protection insurance.
Is that life insurance for the thousands of innocent people killed at the hands of Gaddafi. Not working for me.
McCann McFail
Well, I think it’s life Insurance based on the fates that befell Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein.
Do McCann’s honestly believe that world-changing current affairs like the Arab Spring and the fall of Gaddafi are so unimportant to Australians that they can be spun into amusing advertising quips in real-time as they happen? Either McCann’s have got it way wrong, or it’s a very sad indictment of the Australian public.
oh those zany crazy guys over at the mc cannery. your careers may need life insurance.
Mc Can’t!
Strange. The Lifebroker FAQ clearly states “All insurance companies use the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) travel advisories index which provides Australian travellers with a scale of warnings such as “high degree of caution” or “reconsider your need to travel”. There are 5 levels and countries which have been issued current advice at level 3 or above, will generally attract an exclusion. This clause means that the insured person is not covered in the event of death, disablement or crisis event if caused or exacerbated by an act of war or terrorism, civil unrest or political instability.” Libya is currently listed as a five, so life insurance would not be available to anyone travelling or residing in that country, ex-leaders or otherwise. What advertise a service you can’t actually provide?
McCann- if you are so proud if it, where are your agency credits on the PR???
Lifebroker- you have been badly advised by the B Team who desperately want an award entry.
The ad is not ‘clever’ rather in bad taste. What is clever and funny is comment #2 from Muammar.
Good one Rosenbergs
WTF? This is really inappropriate. Dumb agency creatives and suits for putting it forward, really dumb client for approving it. it’s as bad as an energy company using an image of Hitler to promote natural gas!
Ha ha! He’s going to die!
Bad, bad ad.
At least lifebroker.com is well named. Putting a dollar value on human life to be brokered like a tonne of soybeans is what it seems this company seems to stand for.
Nothing wrong with being proactive on an insurance account. So in that case, well done. It’s kind of cool but this Kinda-Caxton does slightly irk me. Mainly because everything about it is straight, except the use of the picture of Gaddafi. Surely a crack at humour such as this this needed a sharper headline that could’ve provided a stronger life insurance gag. The logo/URL land what the product is.
I already did this idea before the rebellion.
Who in the world is the creative director at McCann Erickson Melbourne these days? This is scammy crap you’d expect from…well…I can’t think of anybody who would dumb enough to create it.
What’s up with the Credits? Are those fake names on the credit list, followed by the real names below? Please explain!!
Helped me to decide to take MCanns off the list
This crap is even below me
This crap is below crap.
Just some more crap from McCancer Melbourne.
Time to close the shop…
We’re scratching your shop off our invite list too.
Thanks CB for helping us clients separate the grown ups from the kids who rather waste time than do work which pays the bill.
It would be even better if CB could list the suppliers who did the work so we can check their invoices for padding to cover up these pieces of crap.
In a past life i worked with Chris Mort as a client. Tough but fair and a good guy. Why is he letting this crap happen?
This has Nick & Phil written all over it.
Thanks CB, this helps me with my weekly smiting list. It’s hard to choose who to smite when there’s such a range to select from in the ad industry. I’m thinking lightning bolts and a toad/wart plague type thing. I’m open to suggestions though, Gabriel and Peter ran out of cool smiting ideas in the MIddle Ages.
I happen to like it.