How to be a Lion in insurance and financial marketing

3 lessons from the winners at Cannes
Managing risks is the business of the insurance industry. And a critical part of the financial services business model, too. As a result, marketing creativity and innovation in these industries often gets wrung out in the risk assessment spin cycle.

That’s why it was such a pleasant surprise to see this year’s top prize at Cannes – the Titanium Grand Prix – go to AXA, the French insurance giant.

Along with several other like-minded, risk-embracing carriers and bankers, AXA provided some lessons in creative storytelling that all of us can learn from.

1. Unrig the rules
Sometimes when brands take on broader social challenges, it can seem transparent. Other times, however, it can be transformational, particularly when brands are able to help people trapped by a rigged set of rules – like women in abusive relationships who have nowhere else to go.

As a home insurer, AXA decided to address their plight by rethinking what makes a home uninhabitable. Fires? Yes. Floods? Of course. But what about domestic violence? By adding Three Words to their policy language, AXA now provides emergency relocation to endangered women and their children, giving them a safe place to live as well as psychological, legal and financial support. It’s been life-changing for many.

AXA was named Creative Brand of the Year on the strength of “Three Words” and a Gold Lion-winning documentary, Group Therapy, now on Prime. That initiative tackled another social issue, the mental health crisis, by giving comedians with their own struggles a platform to communicate a life-saving message.

2. Be conversant in the culture
Many brands try to connect with customers through whatever’s trending. In its Notes on Notes campaign, Jordan’s Capital Bank deftly demonstrated that you don’t always need a celebrity endorser or a social media influencer campaign. Sometimes, recognizing a simple quirk of culture is enough.

Jordanians, it turns out, love to write good wishes on bank notes. As the paper currency circulates from person to person, the hope is that these wishes – for a first car, a festive wedding, a new home – will come true when read. Capital Bank cleverly conveyed its own role in manifesting these milestones by adding messages to bank notes about its savings accounts, car loans and mortgages. Which, in turn, led to some good fortune for the bank, including very positive business results – and a Gold Lion.

3. Let the audience complete the story
Happily, U.S.-based financial services firms did not go home empty-handed at Cannes. Both Rocket Mortgage and Mastercard showed you can break through by creating stories that give consumers a role to play.

In Mastercard’s Gold Lion-winning Fan to Featured entry, Lady Gaga invited her fans (aka, Little Monsters) to audition via TikTok to dance in a remake of her epic “Abracadabra” video, which was broadcast live on the Grammys. Within 48 hours, two-thirds of all TikTok had viewed it and the MasterCard brand saw a 29% lift among Gen Z.

Rocket Mortgage won Gold by pulling off a Super Bowl opening for the ages and a broadcast television first. To reignite belief in the American dream of owning a home, the brand bought the game’s first commercial slot to air a new ad featuring John Denver’s feel-good classic, “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” While millions watched at home, 65,000 fans in the stadium joined in for a rousing sing-along – which became the first 15 seconds of the live NFL telecast. A truly uplifting moment for fans everywhere – and Rocket’s business, which saw accounts grow 115% in one week.

Creative that was well worth the risk
All in all, we’d say it was an exceptionally rewarding year for the insurance and financial services industries at Cannes as well as terrific inspiration for risk-embracing marketers everywhere.