"Our focus is on living benefits of policyholders, not on what happens if they die..."

Says Chandramohan Mehra, CMO, Bajaj Allianz, during a chat about his latest ad that cautions against fraudulent phone calls.

"Hello, Chaman Chaubey ji? I am calling to ask you to surrender your insurance policy. Just submit Rs 30,000 and in return, you will get a policy that offers Rs 2 lakh."

Haven't most of us been Chaman Chaubey at some point? Calls like these may not be regular, but most of us have had conversations with "friendly executives" claiming to be authorised by a trusted brand, asking us for details of our insurance policy. However, more often than not, these calls prove to be fraudulent. Thousands of people in India inadvertently share valuable personal information with such scammers every month and also lose money ranging from a few hundred rupees to their life savings.

Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance's video titled #BewareOfFraudCalls

Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance, in a move to increase the awareness of such incidents, has rolled out a humorous video titled #BewareOfFraudCalls. In the 1.45-minute ad, the brand attempts to educate people about the sharing of their life insurance policy details with strangers over the phone.

Conceptualised by Bajaj Allianz's in-house team, the video showcases how fraudsters work. Its starts in an office space with a boss lecturing employees over only five call conversions in the past week. He belittles them by asking if people have become smarter or if they have grown dumber and goes on to express that making these calls is an art, a skill. He then proceeds to set an example and calls a saariwala, Chaman Chaubey. He asks Chaubey to submit a handsome amount for a policy to later reap much higher benefits.

Chandramohan Mehra

When asked where the idea for an educational film came from, Chandramohan Mehra, CMO, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance, says that the issue of fraudulent calls has existed in the industry for some time. "As a responsible brand, Bajaj Allianz has taken the lead to shoulder the responsibility of cautioning policyholders of such fraudsters. We want to ensure that no one falls victim to these frauds," he adds.

Ideally, a life insurance policy is for every segment of society; however, a big chunk of policyholders belongs to the age group between 30-45 years. While talking about how the drivers of the policy have changed in the recent past, Mehra says, "Our drivers emanate from our beliefs. We aim at the living benefits of our policyholders rather than putting all our efforts into what happens if they die."

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Mehra believes that narratives have changed today. Youth, unlike earlier, want to set up a startup by 25, plan on owning a house by 30, buying a car by 32, and gifting their parents a Europe holiday by 33. "As a well-placed brand, we inspire the youth to invest in life insurance to achieve their life goals," he shares.

Industry speak:

Carlton D'Silva

Carlton D'Silva, CEO and chief creative officer, Hungama Digital Services, likes the idea and its execution in the film. "Cons take place everywhere and with every demographic in society. I believe everyone has, at some point in time, been affected by the same and the message will resonate across the board," he says. "It might be a simple subject, but it is still pertinent today and the brand has treated this with some great casting and direction," he adds.

D'Silva signed off stating that it's a very 90s idea - call frauds in an age of cybercrime.