Tata AIG Life unveils new brand identity, brand campaign

Private life insurance player Tata AIG Life - the joint venture between the Tata Group and the American International Group Inc of the US - has recast its brand logo and corporate baseline for the first time since starting operations in the country in April 2001. The company's new brand identity and a new multimedia campaign for the Tata AIG Life brand were unveiled at a press conference in Mumbai yesterday, which was presided by executives of Tata AIG Life and Bates India, the agency in charge of the Tata AIG's brand communication.

Speaking about the new brand identity, Rohit Mull, vice-president - marketing, Tata AIG Life Insurance Company, revealed that the new logo - which has a less ‘boxed-in' and more contemporary look, thanks to the opening up of the of the upper and lower boundaries of the old logo - is representative of the company's commitment to "opening up new and infinite ways of thinking and doing business, in order to find solutions that address the Indian consumer's present and future insurance and savings needs". (Interestingly, the word ‘Insurance' that followed ‘Tata AIG' in the old logo has been replaced by the word ‘Life' in the new one.) JS Mani, senior vice-president & general manager, Bates India, explained that the agency spent considerable time analyzing the brand essence of Tata AIG before arriving at the new brand identity.

Mull also explained the evolution of the corporate baseline - from ‘With you Always' to ‘A new look at life' - from both the company as well as the consumer's point of view. "We spoke to a large number of existing and potential Tata AIG consumers, we looked at what the competition was saying and we looked at what AIG has been doing around the world," Mull says. "From all that, what became clear is that the USPs of Tata AIG are its ability to anticipate the present and future insurance and savings needs of consumers, and thereby deliver innovative products to fulfill those needs. The new baseline is an endorsement of the fact that Tata AIG is walking the talk of offering innovative products and solutions to its customers."

Mani adds that the new baseline captures the company's philosophy, while applying to the consumer as well. "‘A new look at life' is Tata AIG taking a new look at life insurance; it is also about the consumer looking at life anew," he says. "No other life insurance brand can have a baseline such as this because no one else has looked at life insurance in a new way in terms of products. At Tata AIG, there is proof of innovation - be it in terms of products such as Health First or juvenile endowment products, or in terms of simplifying insurance procedures."

According to Bates, the new baseline and brand campaign represent a "paradigm shift" in communication in the life insurance sector. "The existing paradigm was to convey the solidity and long-term stability of the insurance company," says Rajeev Raja, executive creative director, Bates India. "This was because the biggest concern for consumers was what if the insurer cannot pay back my money, either at the time of maturity or at the time of death. The life insurance consumer is unwilling to take even an element of risk, and in the case of insurance, the money is usually the consumer's lifelong savings. So the focus of all private insurance players was to establish the heritage and pedigree of the respective brands, and reassure consumers that their money is safe."

What the agency discovered in the course of speaking to consumers is that the Tata name was being equated with trust, while AIG brought ‘expertise' into the dynamic. "The consumer told us that Tata AIG anyway represented trust, so there was no need to plug the fact the solidity of the brand any longer," Mani reveals. "The consumer also told us that innovative products and solutions were the strengths of Tata AIG. From that stemmed the thought for the new baseline and brand campaign."

The brand campaign is television-led and comprises two commercials. The first film is about this little boy who is infatuated with the little girl living next door. The killjoy factor is the girl's stern father. The little boy plants a small sapling by the hedge separating the two houses. He waters the plant judiciously under the approving eye of the girl's father, and as years go by, the plant grows into a strapping tree. The boy finally climbs the tree, and using a branch overhanging his neighbour's balcony, gets to his love - without her father having a clue. ‘Life inspires us to think ahead,' purrs the voiceover. ‘Which is why our insurance solutions are also one step ahead. Tata AIG Life. A new look at life.' The second film is about a father and mother who keep everything beyond the reach of their young son, forcing him to jump to reach what he desires. Years pass, the son keeps jumping… till he becomes a pro at slam-dunking!

"The communication does not adhere to any of the formats of category advertising," Raja says. "The focus is purely on the fact that Tata AIG is able to come up with innovative products simply because the company thinks two steps ahead. The promise is on innovation, which is Tata AIG's biggest strength, as perceived by consumers. The idea was to keep the idea simple, while making the communication likeable and endearing."

Incidentally, actor Naseeruddin Shah continues to be the brand ambassador for Tata AIG. "There was a great fit between Shah and Tata AIG in terms of brand personality, which is why he was roped in as our brand ambassador," Mani says. "He was not a critical input in this campaign, which is why we didn't use him. But he is a critical input in product campaigns, and we shall continue to use his services there." © 2004 agencyfaqs!