New HBF branding campaign by Marketforce taps into a past line and asks the big questions

HBF is launching a new branding campaign this Sunday, which it says is a radical departure from campaigns of recent years but has an echo from the past.

The campaign, which was produced by Perth agency Marketforce, taps into the fundamental truth that life throws up unexpected questions that have the potential to throw us off balance. And when these questions relate to our health, having the answers is vital.

The 60-second TVC shows a series of scenarios where individuals find themselves in unexpected situations including health crises, suddenly needing to depend on someone else for the answer.

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The TVC finishes with “The best way to prepare for what lies ahead, is to ask a question of your own…Are you with HBF?”.

HBF General Manager Marketing and Communications, Neil Le Febvre, said the decision to include a line that had been at the centre of one of HBF’s most successful campaigns over a decade ago was deliberate, but had nothing to do with nostalgia.

“We have built a campaign around the insight that when life throws curve balls you need the right people on your side. ‘Are you with HBF?’ provides the perfect close and call to action” LeFebvre said. “That this campaign, produced by Marketforce, also taps into a pool of goodwill towards HBF amongst West Australians of a certain age is a nice bonus for us.”

The TVC has a grainy realism that departs from HBF’s more recent ‘fitness focused’ campaigns. Le Febvre believes it sets it apart from the campaigns of its competitors and reflects the nature of the subject matter.

“No issue rates higher as a concern for Australians than health. People understand that when it comes to your health, everything is at stake and having access to quality health care is vital” he said. “We’re implicitly reminding people that HBF is uniquely qualified to be their health partner.

“HBF has a 75-year record of caring for West Australians and helping them to navigate the complexities of the health system. We’re also one of the few major insurers that has

held true to our not-for-profit status and is still able to put members’ interests first. So the final question – Are you with HBF? – is drawing on a record that no one else can match in Western Australia.”  

The campaign will be launched across television, out of home, radio, social media, digital, and more.  The TV commercial was directed by David Rittey from Airbag Productions.

General Manager, Marketing and Communications: Neil Le Febvre

Photography: Jesper Neilsen