McCann Erickson retains MetLife business

While the insurance company has decided to continue with McCann Erickson for the above the line creative duties, the BTL mandate has moved to Market Makers.

Insurance company MetLife India has reinforced its faith in McCann Erickson with the agency retaining the account after the creative duties were reviewed.

MetLife had called for a creative pitch around October 2010 and was reportedly in talks with numerous agencies. McCann Erickson first won the account in 2004. The business is handled out of the agency's Delhi branch.

While McCann Erickson has been retained for the above the line creative duties, the below-the-line (BTL) duties have moved to Market Makers, a unit of Vivaki. Earlier, the BTL work was being handled by MRM Worldwide, the digital arm of McCann Worldgroup.

No official word could be obtained either from MetLife or the agencies. However, senior sources close to the development have confirmed the same to afaqs!.

The account size could not be determined. MetLife, however, remains among the significant spenders on advertising, with ample stress on activation and BTL - as is true for the category.

Among the significant campaigns of the insurance firm is a brand re-positioning exercise carried out in 2008, when it dropped its tagline of 'Have you met life today' and adopted 'Peace of mind - Guaranteed' to further its appeal to Indian customers.

Another campaign used a mascot called 'Calendar Man' to popularise a monthly income plan. Huge cut outs of the mascot were put up on bus shelters and billboards. Besides outdoor, the campaign also used television, print, online and BTL initiatives.

For the record, MetLife India Insurance Company is an affiliate of MetLife Inc and was incorporated as a joint venture between MetLife International Holdings Inc, The Jammu and Kashmir Bank, M Pallonji and Co. and other private investors.

It offers a range of products to individuals and group customers at more than 600 locations through its bank partners and company owned offices.

MetLife Inc reaches out to customers across America, Asia Pacific and Europe. The MetLife companies offer life insurance, annuities, automobile, reinsurance and retirement and savings products and services to corporations and other institutions.